Fix: Apple Notes disappeared on iPhone/iPad

Apple Notes is probably among the most useful native apps. It allows you to add all kinds of different notes, set reminders for notes, and neatly organize them in folders. Not to mention that it automatically (by default) syncs to iCloud so all your notes are safe. And that can come in handy considering the problem we are covering today. Some iPhone and iPad users report that certain or even all notes in Apple Notes disappeared. If you are among them, check the steps we listed below.

Table of contents:

1. Check iCloud Sync
2. Check Recently Deleted
3. Reinstall the app
4. Restore Notes from iCloud Backup

Why did My Notes Disappear on my iPhone?

1. Check iCloud Sync

The first thing to do is to check if iCloud Sync is enabled for Apple Notes. If that’s the case, you could easily retrieve your Notes by disabling and then re-enabling this option. By doing so, iCloud-stored Notes will re-sync appear in the Notes app.

However, if this option was already disabled, chances are that no notes were backed up to iCloud, thus there’s no way to restore them. You can check if iCloud sync is enabled by following these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select your Account from the top.
3. Tap iCloud.
4. Disable sync for Notes.
5. Then, re-enable it.
6. Open Apple Notes and iCloud sync should kick in and restore your notes.

Also, since backups are associated with Apple Accounts, make sure you are using the account which stores your Notes. Navigate to Settings > Mail > Accounts and ensure that you are using the right account. Also, ensure that Notes are syncing to iCloud.

2. Check Recently Deleted

Another thing you can do is check the Recently Deleted folder. Every note you delete is kept for 30 days before it’s permanently deleted. So, unless you cleared the Recently Deleted folder or 30 days have passed, chances are you’ll be able to restore deleted Notes. That is if you accidentally deleted notes.

You can find the folder in Notes, along with other folders. To restore notes, just select them and then tap Move. Move notes to the default folder (or any other folder, for that matter) to restore them.

3. Reinstall the app

There’s also a slight chance that the app itself is ridden by a bug of sorts. Although, not a common occurrence, it can happen. The best way to address app-related issues is to reinstall the app.

After you reinstall Apple Notes, follow the instructions from the first solution to re-sync all notes.

Here’s how to reinstall Apple Notes in a few simple steps:

1. Tap & hold on to the Apple Notes Home Screen shortcut.
2. Tap Remove App.
3. Select Delete App and confirm when prompted.
4. Restart your device.
5. Open the App Store.
6. Look for Apple Notes and install the app.

Hopefully, after the app is reinstalled and you’ve triggered the sync sequence, all notes will come back. However, if the notes disappeared from Apple Notes, the only way to restore them is to reset your device to factory values and restore it from iCloud Backup.

4. Restore Notes from iCloud Backup

Finally, we can only suggest resetting your device and, sadly, starting from scratch. If you have an iTunes backup, you can restore it to your PC and recreate it later on your iPhone or iPad. However, if that’s not the case, only factory reset comes to mind.

Now, you can use either iTunes on your PC or Mac to reset your device or just keep it simple and reset your device from system settings.

Here’s how to reset your iPhone and hopefully retrieve disappeared notes from Apple Notes:

1. Make sure to back up everything to iCloud. Navigate to Settings > Your Account at the top > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap Back up Now.
2. Then, get back to Settings.
3. Select General.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
6. Enter PIN/Password when prompted and confirm.
7. Once your device reboots, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
8. Select an older backup, if available. It might contain your notes. Preferably, you’ll go for the oldest one that you are certain contains the notes you are looking for.

That should do it. Thank you for reading and make sure to share alternative solutions or similar issues with us and other readers. We might be of assistance. Also, check our social media pages. We are on Facebook and Twitter.