Lists
Lock or hide a list
A list can carry its own passcode, and it can be hidden from the places lists normally appear.
Why you'd care
Some lists are ordinary but not for sharing a screen over: finances, health, a gift list someone in the house must not see. A list passcode covers exactly that.
Locking
Set a passcode on the list. Opening it then asks for the code, on every device.
This is a screen-privacy control, not encryption. It stops someone browsing your phone, and it should not be treated as protection against someone with access to your account.
Hiding
A list can be hidden so it does not appear in the Lists view or pickers. Hiding and locking are independent: a hidden list without a passcode is merely out of the way.
You can also keep a list's things out of memories, so it never resurfaces unprompted, which matters for anything you would rather not be handed back a year later.
Going further
Locking is per list. For the whole app, use the app passcode instead. See passwords, 2FA and passcodes.
Do not publish a locked list. Publishing exposes contents by design and takes precedence over any local locking.
Archive is the tidier answer for finished lists. If the goal is "out of my way" rather than "not seen by others", archiving is the better tool. See archive.
Tips
- Use a different code from your device lock. A list passcode is often typed in front of other people.
- Hiding beats locking for lists that are dull rather than sensitive.