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Unlocking old notes...

Is there any way to get to the old notes if you've forgotten the password to them? I can't use my touch ID anymore and I forgot the password. I've tried everything that I can think of and NOTHING has worked!

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Sep 21, 2021 3:42 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 21, 2021 4:09 AM

The password is the encryption (and decryption) key for the data, and Apple has used secure data encryption.


So… no.


Your options here are to remember the password directly or from the hint, or maybe from other passwords picked around the same time and stored in Keychain, or to acquire some help and some hardware to try to brute-force a less-than-robustly-chosen password. Trying to brute-force a robust password can require years or decades or variously longer.


Touch ID for Notes access and Touch ID for device access are intended to allow using a more robust passwords or passcodes, and are not a replacement for the password or passcode. The password or passcode is the key to the data encryption and decryption. Without that password or passcode, this case is indistinguishable from a miscreant trying to access the data in the note or the data in the device.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 21, 2021 4:09 AM in response to Silverwing24

The password is the encryption (and decryption) key for the data, and Apple has used secure data encryption.


So… no.


Your options here are to remember the password directly or from the hint, or maybe from other passwords picked around the same time and stored in Keychain, or to acquire some help and some hardware to try to brute-force a less-than-robustly-chosen password. Trying to brute-force a robust password can require years or decades or variously longer.


Touch ID for Notes access and Touch ID for device access are intended to allow using a more robust passwords or passcodes, and are not a replacement for the password or passcode. The password or passcode is the key to the data encryption and decryption. Without that password or passcode, this case is indistinguishable from a miscreant trying to access the data in the note or the data in the device.

Sep 26, 2021 1:57 AM in response to Silverwing24

Hi! So what I try was resent my password and activide the ID FACE , and then o try to put the password an the old note till it show me the “hint:” and well I put what it was literally on the hint and it give me access with my Face ID. So I just copy what I have there .


hope this works for you !


note: I didn’t put any hint discretion for my self .

Unlocking old notes...

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