Disappearing iPad note markups

fallleaves wrote:

I have tried quite a few paid apps, and regularly encounter the same exact problem.

Really?

Like which notes apps?

I have a LOT of notes apps at my disposal, and NONE, ZERO have had any issues.

AND most of my notes app backups are either save to Google Drive, BOX and/or DropBox, with,,again, ZERO issues.

I really have never liked Apple iCloud, ever, as it is more of device “data syncing” service and NOT a true “data storage/data backup” service.

Literally, the same problem occurred to me, I have to click "Done" and go back and enter in again frequently to see if my new changes have been saved or not, sometimes works but a lot of the time doesn't and it's really frustrating and a waste of my time.

We get it dude. Your point is made and taken. 3rd party app. But I believe this has been fairly and ultimately responded to. Saving one's work is a basic feature and should be a no-brainer expectation.

So I guess this just happened to me (still in denial phase). Spent two days marking up a 110 page script, took a week off, came back to review, and am finding only 14 of 110 pages of markups there. I do know that the last time I did markups, I probably wasn't connected to wifi. First on the plane, then in a friend's house, etc. This is no excuse to Apple. Saving one's work is kind of the only thing that matters for any tool. There should be versions, backups, a local and cloud copy, all that. We're not talking large files here. Absolutely insane to lose work at this stage of tech. Please, god, help so I don't need to redo two days of work.

I just wanted to add my voice to the list of frustrated students relying on Apple's Apple Pencil to take notes. I use the files app to read and markup pdfs, and for three years now, occasionally, hours' or days' worth of notes disappear with no way to recover them. Usually I will open up the file and find that my previous work wasn't saved, but today I had a page full of just-written notes that disappeared with the flash of a screen WHILE I was writing with the Apple Pencil. I can't believe this is still an issue.

I read this morning that using the Apple Pencil to click on files to open them opens the file as a preview, which is somehow different from opening the file to edit. I have been trying using my finger to open files for this morning's class and Ive already had two wipes TODAY, so that clearly isn't a solution.

The advice I've found on the internet is to use 3rd party apps instead. I want to keep using Apple files but obviously I can't if I want to graduate. Now I have to find a 3rd party app that I like, is comfortable to use and doesn't mine my data, and just hope against hope that my notes are safe with it.

Please, please, please address this issue. I am so very frustrated.

This just happened to me, as well (06/22/22) on my 6th Gen iPad mini with iOS 15.5. All of my markups on my PDF file are now gone. I was not using the Notes app, but was marking up a PDF through the Books app.

This is unacceptable, Apple. Note taking is why I and millions of others bought our iPads and Pencils. This requires an immediate fix--not a workaround. Deception? False advertising? I feel completely ripped off by Apple.

Clearly the student is not talking about the Notes App - good Lord! You know this is an issue as you have a lot of reports of Apple Pencil marks just vanishing when using various apps. This is ONLY reason many folks will buy an iPad and pencil - the ability to take your hefty files with you on the road and do work. Doesn't help if the work evaporates after hours. FIX THIS. I'm another lawyer complaining, but this just seems to be something that you can do better. A LOT better. ARGH!!

There is no way to explain the frustration caused by this issue. I too fell victim to this seemingly harmless issue. But dont be fooled, it is the worst. I spent three hours reading and annotating a document a inserted into onenote. Then all of a sudden my window goes off to the side of the screen as I accidentally clicked the multitask function and my file closes deleting all of my notes. I am shocked to find out there is no method for recovery and that apple hasn’t thought to include a temporary storage/backup of markup annotations. An extremely distasteful experience revealing a lack of foresight from apple, I am highly disappointed to say the least.

Apple, please fix this

I AM SO FRUSTRATED WITH ALL MY MARKUP NOTES VANISHING!!!

I have a habit of reading E-books in iPad and take notes with my Apple Pencil in the pdf itself, which is opened in the files app. Apple please fix this bug! This is such a basic use case for iPad. This is not why I bought the device…

Just happened to me too, in a course I'm taking for my profession. Lost all my notes for the entire day, including notes on conversations that happened in class. If you cannot fix the random markup deletion issue, can you AT LEAST REMOVE THE MARKUP OPTION????? This has happened to THOUSANDS of people. Jeezus.

[Edited by Moderator]

Just lost an entire econometric model I was developing with students to prove we could do it by hand. Well apparently we CAN’T do it by hand and it’s not because we can’t do the maths..

what a shame. You know what they say, a happy customer will tell maybe 2-3 of his close friends and an unhappy customer will have a lot more reach.

and the only reply from “apple” does not even respond to the right problem!! WOW”

thanks for nothing apple.

Took a class and wasn’t able to print out the notes. Figured I would finally use my Apple Pencil and the markup tool on the PDF saved to iCloud. Today was the last day and touched the mark up button and it wiped all of my notes. Will never use the iPad or Apple Pencil again.

Ohhhhh MichelPM so you are telling me Apple provides us with a feature that is not working and your answer is : go to a third party app?

Yes of course it is what we are doing, but why provide the system with a feature if it can’t be used ?

we post here to say we’re either using another app or not using the ipad at all. The truth is the interface of the file app is really convenient, but it should absolutely not have a feature to write on a pdf if it can’t save whats written. Period.

Btw : cheaper samsung tablets have the feature and do not magically erase ur notes (and have third party apps too) I’ll definitely recommend these tablets over one that have had a non working feature for years with an answer to the post from apple worker that doesn't even respond to the post problem.

I guess you’ll find a way to say there is no problem and it could be solved by buying another app..

imagine buying a car with a speedometer and it always says 120mph even though you are stopped. And then a lvl 9 guy on a forum tells you “ simple, buy a speedometer from amazon and scutch tape it to your car” …”PERIOD”

maybe it’s frustrating to be told to do such a thing when paying a much greater price than other companies tablets for the os and working capacity of the tablet. Imagine having a product with the same components than another company, but one of the advantage you push forward is having a fully functioning tablet due to the fact that apple provides the apps to do everything you should want to do with it. But that can’t even be done.

And even worst, imagine buying this tablet not knowing the file app erases hand writing and having your work erased. The only solution provided in years is : buy something not apple made because in years, they didnt solve it. Nice

Done. If Apple literally fixes this one issue, I will be able to replace 30% of my aging MacBook fleet with iPad Pro 12.9” and Magic Keyboards. We have a growing use case for this setup that is mostly on hold while this bug is worked out. 

I have the exact same issue. Hours of work marking up documents as a uni student and it all suddenly erases when I’m still editing the document. I have the Ipad Pro 12.9” with magic keyboard and pencil - spent about £2,000 in total and issues like this are occuring? I bought this in order to be able to mark up documents etc. and thought with the price would come quality too. Very frustrating.