All the notes on my iPhone disappeared

This happened to me today, zero notes on my notes app, even the “on my iphone” folder. Found out that iCloud was full. I deleted files to free up space on iCloud and then my notes started to pop up and eventually everything loaded again.

I had to do the update but I did not have enough storage. I went to manage the storage and found that all the GIF's I sent and someone sent me were all saved. I deleted everything, I was able to do the update. I went directly to notes and found them reappearing before my eyes! I was driving myself NUTS!

This did not recover my lost notes

2024-03-05 iPhone 11ProMax

My Notes titles were there but no text inside. My phone had hiccuped and froze for a few seconds some minutes earlier.

What worked was using Chrome to get into the Yahoo account I used to back up that folder of Notes. There is a Notes folder and my Notes were in there but in Read Only. I opened a note and looked at it. When I checked back in the Notes app, it had returned to normal.

Now I’m going to use the iCloud folder to save Notes instead of Yahoo mail, and email notes to myself more often. I’ll experiment with the On My iPhone folder too.

I managed to bring my notes back by going into Settings>Notes>Accounts and then clicking on each of my email addresses in turn and toggling Notes to on. For some reason they had all flipped to off which was why nothing was showing in my notes app.

Hi Airving2489,

just have a question with your method. Did you always have iCloud backup?

I only just recently bought extra iCloud storage. And I’m nervous to try this method. But I’m desperate to get some of my lost notes back.

thank you in advance :)

The only way I have found to access where all your notes are (the local note folder) is to ask Siri to take a note you can put anything in there. Then when the note is complete and on the screen press it. After press back and you will be in the local note file and be able to access the notes. One of the many reasons my next phone will not be an iPhone.

I have the XR, and I woke up to the same issue. I tried refreshing to a back up. And that didn’t work. I tried troubleshooting things from my phone and nothing seems to work. The files are physically still searchable on the phone, but they are not ascertainable from the device. I believe this is an issue that needs to be fixed on a Dev end, it would be very preferable if they can sort out a fix for this ASAP because like myself, I know a lot of people have very important information on Notes app. I personally rely on my Notes app for my day-to-day routine. It helps me keep on track. I cannot afford to continue using Apple services if I cannot use the services to keep a job. I’m sure there was many people who use this for the same purpose. If there is an apple representative for a Dev reading this please. Help us with this issue ASAP.

a few minutes ago i had just finished a note, a very long one. i have been using notes for ages and i dont have it synced to icloud, but i synced icloud to notes in setting and it loaded my notes from my ipad, which aren't the same as the ones on my phone, but when i signed out of icloud to get to my other notes, they were gone. i have a lot of personal stuff there and spent ages on the notes i did. before syncing notes to icloud. is there a way i can get back my notes? they just disappeared and i didnt delete anything

it didn't look like this when i made all the notes, it had even said icloud at the top at the time.

In my case (aside from losing 300 and some notes) I did end up crying spent all morning trying to get them back.

I went into my settings and it was on, but all of my notes have disappeared and I can’t get them back.

Sign in to iCloud and restore it

Or sign in to iCloud in the web and check it in your cloud

Did the missing notes come back automatically right away, or did you have to turn off iCloud syncing and turn it back on again first before the notes came back? I just did the same thing and bought more iCloud storage, but the notes haven't come back yet. Thank you!

It happened to me this morning. I was checking a note on the passenger seat of a car. Found the note and put the phone down. A couple of minutes later, we arrived at a destination. I picked up my phone try to find notes. Can not locate the notes app at all. Searched library, the notes app is not there. All the notes including the notes app are gone

Hello Leotiz25

I just read that you are having the same trouble concerning lost Notes. I am not a techie but I tried to check my App setting after having an upgrade. That didn't solve the problem but I did check all my iphone app screens at some point and I I may have "found it" in a box that had 3 Apps in it. In any event, my old Notes returned and I am just so pleased. I'm transferrring all my data to a small notebook. I don't like the look of Reminders and will never use that as I use the calendar on my laptop.

I hope you get your Notes back. I know how frustrating this is!!