HT204987: Upgrade your notes with iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan

Learn about Upgrade your notes with iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan
Sam Bales

Q: Why don't I have a "Recently deleted" folder in my Notes?  I am fairly sure I upgraded my Notes app (I can make bulleted lists & draw).  One note mysteriously vanished yesterday and I want to try to recover it.

An important note vanished yesterday... poof!... into thin air.  At one point, I used the search field within Notes and the missing note showed up.  But, it's now gone again.  I can't find it anywhere.  In searching for a solution, I see that I should have a folder in Notes called "Recently deleted".  I do not.  I believe I have the upgraded version of Notes because I can make checklists & draw.

 

iPhone 6S: iOS 9.3.2

Macbook Pro:  El Capitan 10.11.5

 

I have looked in all folders.  I have now toggled off Notes for any accounts where it had been enabled (no Notes existed in those accounts).  On my Mac, in the left navigation panel of the Notes app (folders), I have: iCloud Notes, On My Mac Notes, and my gmail Notes.  On my iPhone, the list of folders just has iCloud Notes and On My iPhone Notes.

 

Bottom line:

I've been at this for over 2 hours now.  I'm willing to forfeit the missing note (sadly), but really want to know where my "Recently Deleted" folder is (don't know if I ever had it).  If you tell me to reset my phone or dig through back-ups as a last resort, please explain step-by-step and let me know what I could lose in doing so.

 

Thanks in advance!

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jul 12, 2016 6:19 AM

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Q: Why don't I have a "Recently deleted" folder in my Notes?  I am fairly sure I upgraded my Notes app (I can make bulleted list ... more

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  • by Sam Bales,

    Sam Bales Sam Bales Jul 12, 2016 6:25 AM in response to Sam Bales
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iCloud
    Jul 12, 2016 6:25 AM in response to Sam Bales

    Update:  I just disabled my gmail account Notes on my Mac so that both (phone & laptop) Notes apps list the same folders.... now only iCloud + On My Mac/On My iPhone.

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jul 12, 2016 6:48 AM in response to Sam Bales
    Level 10 (103,375 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 12, 2016 6:48 AM in response to Sam Bales

    I appreciate you said you have, but notes that aren't upgraded don't have a deleted folder. Is it possible that you have upgraded some accounts but not others.

  • by Sam Bales,

    Sam Bales Sam Bales Jul 12, 2016 6:51 AM in response to Sam Bales
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iCloud
    Jul 12, 2016 6:51 AM in response to Sam Bales

    Final Update:  I did one last search of iCloud help and discovered why I didn't have a "Recently Deleted" folder.... I hadn't deleted anything!  So, . . . now it's even more of a mystery.  Where did that important Note go?

    iCloud.png

  • by Sam Bales,

    Sam Bales Sam Bales Jul 12, 2016 7:03 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iCloud
    Jul 12, 2016 7:03 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Thanks for your help.  I was posting an update to my issue at the same time as you responded (see below).  I just deleted a note a few minutes ago, after discovering that I had no folder due to the fact that I hadn't actually "deleted" a note yet (it just vanished).  This new deletion did create a "Recently Deleted" folder. 

     

    So, the mystery prevails regarding the missing note.  I didn't think I had deleted it (if I had, it would have been accidental as I need it desperately to keep me on track for a family event I'm organizing this weekend).  It simply disappeared into the ether..... but I sure wish I could bring it back .

  • by Winston Churchill,Helpful

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jul 12, 2016 9:19 AM in response to Sam Bales
    Level 10 (103,375 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 12, 2016 9:19 AM in response to Sam Bales

    I have seen people report that notes have disappeared and come back later, I assume this is a server thing, although from memory it's been all their notes not just one of them.