How to Write Notes Directly from the Lock Screen on Your iPhone (2023)

Did you know you can access Notes from the Lock Screen of your iPhone? Here's how.

* This post is part of iPhone Life's Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

Here's a time-saving feature to boost your productivity: Lock Screen apps. You can open the Notes app directly from the Lock Screen of your iPhone. Lock Screen Notes are helpful for quickly marking down all the notes, checklists, links, and sketches that you want to have close at hand, without having to unlock your device. Let's get started learning how to add Lock Screen Notes to your iPhone so you can master this feature. 

Related: How to Customize Your iPad & iPhone Lock Screen Settings

Why You'll Love This Tip

  • Easily start and write a new note without unlocking your phone.
  • Learn to add other useful apps or features to your Lock Screen as well.

How to Write Notes from Your iPhone Lock Screen

To add Lock Screen access to the Notes app on your iPhone, you'll first need to enable Notes in the Control Center.

  1. Open the Settings app.

    Home screen with Settings app icon marked.
  2. Tap on Control Center.

    Settings screen with Control Center option marked.
  3. Now tap on Notes. You'll see Notes move to the top menu; this means you've enabled the app in your Control Center.

    Control Center Settings screen with Notes option marked.
  4. Finally, make sure you have Control Center enabled on the Lock Screen. Return to the main screen of the Settings app and Tap on Face ID & Passcode for iPhone X, or Touch ID & Passcode for earlier iPhones.

    Settings screen with Face ID & Passcode option marked.
  5. Enter your Passcode to confirm.

    Face ID & Passcode Settings Passcode confirmation screen.
  6. Now locate the option for Control Center and if it isn't already, toggle it on.

    Face ID & Passcode Settings with Control Center option marked.

How to Write a Note from Your Lock Screen

To access Notes from your Lock Screen, you'll need to open the Control Center.

  1. Swipe from the top right of your screen if you have an iPhone X or later, or swipe up from the bottom of your screen if you have an earlier iPhone.

    Lock Screen with a mark to indicate swiping from the upper right corner of the screen.
  2. Now you can tap the Notes icon and begin writing your note.

    Lock Screen Control Center with the Notes app icon marked.

And that's it! Once you have Lock Screen Notes enabled, it's easy as a swipe and a tap to start jotting down notes anywhere you go.

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Author Details

Leanne Hays's picture

Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and has written hundreds of in-depth how-to and troubleshooting articles. She's a former Associate Editor for iPhone Life magazine, and has written for the Iowa Source, as well as web content for education marketing. Leanne has an associate's degree in education, with a focus on curriculum development, as well as a bachelor's degree in science. She has over nine years of experience with SEO, social media management, and web development and writing. Despite years of web work, Leanne is by no means an early adapter; she's only owned a smartphone for five years, which makes her highly sympathetic to the learning curve of new iPhone owners. She enjoys making reader's lives easier and putting her education experience to work by walking them through the most practical ways to use Apple devices, step-by-step.

In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.