Access to locked notes !!

The one and only way to access a locked note is with the password that was used to lock it. The first time you locked a note, you were told that the password is required and that Face/Touch ID do not replace the password. You were also asked to provide a password hint. If you did not provide one, then your iPhone cannot show you any hints.

Apple cannot unlock a locked note. Only its original password can unlock it. See How to lock or unlock notes on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support, particularly this part:

To unlock a note, you need to enter the password that it's locked with. If you forgot your notes password, Apple can't help you regain access to your locked notes.

Neither we, just users like you, nor Apple can help you about that, sorry.

All you can do is written in the section "Reset your notes password if you forgot it", provided in the support article that led you here.

Regards

Giulio

FYI, the “in the clear” note was deleted when the lock was applied; leaving ONLY the encrypted version.

Meaning that the note itself is encrypted, and part of the “key” to decrypt it is the now-forgotten password.

Did the “password hint” not help?

Also know that there is no failed-attempt limit, so you are free keep on trying.

The lack of hint “popup” likely means that the hint was never set.

It’s an additional pop-up that appears after a only few “failed attempts”

Wish we had better news for you.