Notes not working with iCloud

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Level 1

8 points

Notes not working with iCloud

I am trying to set up shared notes using iCloud. Running ios 14 as of two days ago. I have had an iCloud account for ages, but have not tried to use any shared notes features.

I believe that I had already upgraded the Notes app as I was able to scan documents, etc. prior to updating to ios14 and turning on iCloud Notes.

Notes is turned ON in the menu under Settings >Apple ID etc. > iCloud

I am only able to see the "On My iPhone."

When i go to Settings>Notes>Accounts it shows iCloud and my old gmail account. It appears that the icloud is enabled, and when I click through i can verify that it is ON.

I am able to turn on and off notes using an old gmail account. That will show up in notes.

When i log into icloud.com from my PC and click on Notes, I get a popup saying "iCloud Email Needed."

I tried deleting the notes app. Had heart palpitations after reloading the app and found that my 100+ notes dating back many years were gone. Still was unable to add icloud notes! I was able to restore a 30 min old icloud backup and retrieve my old notes.

iPhone 8 Plus, iOS 14

Posted on Sep 19, 2020 1:47 PM

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Answer 1

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Roger456 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 4, 2020 2:05 PM in response to zinacef

I solved the issue after finding an obscure reddit post mentioning that the Notes app uses some part of the Mail app for icloud sync.

I did not have the MAIL APP downloaded on my phone. Once that was reinstalled, I was able to share notes.

This sounds absolutely insane, but it is true.

Download mail app. Notes show up on icloud.com without the email error message. Can share notes. Delete mail app. Still able to view, edit, and share notes using phone and icloud.com

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Answer 2

Roger456 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 19, 2020 8:16 PM in response to zinacef

the main problem is that I am unable to use the notes app with iCloud. I cannot collaborate with others using notes from my device and I am unable to receive shared notes from others either via text or with a link.

although incredibly stressfully, the deleted notes were not relevant to the core issue, and I was able to restore my notes by deleting all data from my phone and restoring from an iCloud backup. In any case, When you delete the notes app it deletes all data— recently deleted folder does not apply.

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