All my notes are gone

Maybe you already did this, but have you checked the "Folders" in Notes? At the top of the page, so to speak. If they were somehow deleted during the update, they should be in a "Recently Deleted" folder. Deleted notes are kept there for 30 days.

Notes-gone wrote:

iPhone on v16.6, settings for mail and sync are all on. Today all of a sudden all my notes was deleted. This includes a wedding speach i was working on.

apple support keeps calling and hanging up on me of course so thought i’d try here. Any way to get my notes back or do i need to turn off updates for my phone since you keep deleting files for no reason?

I've had an iphone 3GS to now an iphone 13 I have never lost anything doing an ios update. So no "you" whomever you're referring doesn't delete files files for no reason.

If you synced to icloud click here Delete and recover notes on iCloud.com - Apple Support

Well, that may only work if you already are backing up with iCloud. But your notes may be stored on another email service:

If you're missing notes on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Notes-gone wrote:

You as in Apple, thought that was pretty implied tbh. Good for you you never experienced it, but saying it doesnt happen because you personally have never seen it is not really say anything at all does it? A simple Google search will show you multiple people with same problem and no real solution.

There is no Apple here in these user to user technical forums.

And I gave you a solution on what to do click on it and follow the directions.

if you didn't sync to icloud, maybe you did with your email provider then ask them how to recover notes.

And there are millions of people who don't need to post because they never lost data doing an ios update.