Notes not syncing or uploading to iCloud After iOS 13 Update

By air-dropping notes back and forth, you're creating multiple copies of them every single time. When (and if) sync is ever going to come back to life, you'll be inundated by multiple versions of the same note on your devices.

I'm currently not using notes anymore, just to avoid creating more confusion in them, but they keep deteriorating by themselves. I'd love to be able to make a local backup copy of all my notes, but hey -- apple didn't provide such functionality! That's too advanced! Ugh...

Currently doesn't work. Try handing over a note which is not synced and see what happens -- nothing. It opens notes, but doesn't find/open the note you were working on on another device. Tried that too.

Some weird stuff going on. Since applying all three updates today I was able to sync notes but now Notes is erratic again:

1. Notes not syncing to all devices

2. Words dropped from Titles

And, wait for it, Apple's community forum has now broken. I've received the same reply by a community member, by email, from like over a dozen times! 

Google Keep,  here I come. You may have invaded my privacy, but you never let me down :)

I see different results on my Mac Mini (Catalina) than I do on iCloud and my iPhone Xs Max (iOS13). Each one has a different version of the same note -- this could scramble my data when it starts working again!

I had this issue the whole time while I was in beta. I completely gave up on Notes due to it just not being reliable.

I now have all my devices (iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro & iMac) out of the beta and up the most recent consumer release.

Still the same issue. They will randomly sync and only portions will sync. Leaving out handwritten notes, the title not updating etc... I tried taking Notes off of iCloud on all devices, restarting all devices and everything. No go. It just seems to not want to sync.

Least they fixed iCloud since the beta. Files just wouldn't sync at all. Now they do consistently. I hope there's a fix to this soon for Notes. It's very frustrating. About to go back to OneNote.

Which 13 are you on I think I’m on 13.3, and you’re right, I’m having a lot of the same issues, more than that, something is bogging down my processor., “Spinning wheel of death” So I actually haven’t updated to 13.3 I’m kind of nervous about it. but as of now I can’t send a group text via SMS.

My last attempt was cleaning iCloud notes fully. Started all over, by synching them back folder by folder. It just did not work after about 400 it just stopped. 12h later, still not done. Restarted iPad, again about 100 more synched.. stopping again. Looking at the content, some tables, images, file attachments missing from the notes. I am lost and no idea how to merge 100’s of notes to a different application.

As others have mentioned, even if the number of notes can be the same on all devices, the content can be different as well.

Apple Support still says there is no generic problem with Notes synching, otherwise they should know about it. I referenced this discussion and they still don’t believe it is a big issue.

I have moved the most of my notes from iCloud to a local notes account on a single device. I can no longer trust the synchronisation and want to make sure I don’t loose any more data.

So I was on the phone with a very helpful gentlemen from Apple Support on Tuesday and after we tried many of the things mentioned here and a few more he was stumped as to why this is not working. As many of you have said earlier the app will "fetch" data (handwritten notes don't fetch well) but not reliably (or at all) "push" data. He has left the ticket open and is referring the issue to Engineering.

But, what completely befuddles me is how if this issue was happening during the beta period how did it make to release? This is a first party app and is basically broken at the moment. Even on my iPad the only way I can get it to sync is to quit the app and start it again.

Fingers crossed something is released soon.

Was about to give up on Notes after a week of this frustration. Lost a handful of notes. Recent fix that seems to be working (for now...) - turned off Notes on the device that isn't uploading properly to cloud (for me, it was Catalina MBP). Restarted computer. Then turned notes back on. Without the restart, didn't work.

Note - turning off notes causes any unsynced ones to disappear. I had already lost them, so I didn't mind doing it again...

It still seems to be quite erratic. I’ve had no problem between iCloud and Catalina. None at all. However, my iPhone is driving me crazy. It’s JUST my iPhone after iOS 13 that’s not syncing neither to iCloud or Catalina. It even happened before I updated to Catalina, actually that’s one of the reasons I updated MacOS, to see if it would solve it.

For now, I’m just only opening and editing notes in the LEAST reliable device (the iPhone), because all the other ones (Mac with Catalina, or iCloud) WILL sync to it. It’s the iPhone that won’t catch any new notes or edits.

Hmmm... yes, that is erratic and bizarre. I’ve always found iCloud to be a bit erratic, but things are looking to be worse. Can only keep on posting feedback to Apple and hope they do something about it.

Same here. Unbelievable...keep hoping an update will fix. At first I thought maybe a problem with sharing (everyone not on same versions), but have all devices for all users to the latest version now. The longer this goes on, the less confidence I have in the Apple’s ability to sort it out...which is the canonical version—iPhone, iPad, or Mac?

The other day my brother asked if he should switch to iPhone from android. I had to tell him that it wasn’t a good idea because the syncing is so buggy.

Now on iOS 13.1.3 the problems seems to go and come, or come and go, and when sync is not working I turn off (Power down) my iPhone. After immediately powering it up again it's instantaneous both ways, as if the connection needed to be rekindled. iPad works again, too.

Wonder how long it will last this time, but switching the phone off once a day or so won't kill me.

UPDATE

I spoke with Apple this morning and had them dig into situation. Apparently it is now a known issues with the engineers and the activity on the issue is increasing meaning it rises in urgency. They hope that the next version of IPAD and IOS will fix this issue (Probably a simple fix hard part was getting Apple to know about it)

55% user install base of IOS 13 (so far)

maybe 15% use apple notes

maybe half only use Apple Notes on one device and never notice sync. Etc

so probably a very niche specific issue.

therefore don’t be shy in letting them know,. Each person who calls and starts a case escalates it.

direct message to Apple support on twitter is pretty responsive as well.

I think this *is* helpful. I see similar behaviour, though I haven't tested as well as you have! After iOS 13.1.3 and macOS 10.15 supplemental upgrade this week, things definitely improved, though still nowhere near fixed. Likewise, deleting notes seems to be the problem, as I don't see any deletions syncing within the first hour of the act. If I just leave things overnight iPhone, iPad and Mac do eventually sync. But overnight? Seriously Apple?