Locked Notes sent to iCloud

All my notes disappeared from my device and landed in the iCloud. I had a locked note, so now I cant open it anymore from there. How do i get it back, or my other notes?

iPhone 12, iOS 18

Posted on Jan 30, 2026 6:41 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 30, 2026 8:02 PM

"Locked Notes sent to iCloud: All my notes disappeared from my device and landed in the iCloud. I had a locked note, so now I cant open it anymore from there. How do i get it back, or my other notes?"

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Unlocking Notes:

Have a Mac? If so, and logged into the same Apple Account on it, enable Notes in iCloud Settings, and then see if you can unlock them from there with the Notes app. Performing data rescue is much more user friendly, when using a computer. So

  1. Go to: System Settings
  2. Click: [your name] (top item)
  3. Click: iCloud
  4. Click: Show all
  5. Click: Notes
  6. Toggle On: Sync this Mac
3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 30, 2026 8:02 PM in response to Mamahoff

"Locked Notes sent to iCloud: All my notes disappeared from my device and landed in the iCloud. I had a locked note, so now I cant open it anymore from there. How do i get it back, or my other notes?"

-------


Unlocking Notes:

Have a Mac? If so, and logged into the same Apple Account on it, enable Notes in iCloud Settings, and then see if you can unlock them from there with the Notes app. Performing data rescue is much more user friendly, when using a computer. So

  1. Go to: System Settings
  2. Click: [your name] (top item)
  3. Click: iCloud
  4. Click: Show all
  5. Click: Notes
  6. Toggle On: Sync this Mac

Jan 30, 2026 9:12 PM in response to Mamahoff

"Locked Notes sent to iCloud: I don’t have a Mac computer. Is there another way? I know my phone is out of device storage space and my new phone is in shipping status at the moment. When I switch to my new iPhone will they synch back?"

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To get this downloaded, it appears you need more space. So, here is how to clear it up. If you have a PC, then start with clearing system data (using iTunes).


Troubleshooting iPhone Storage:

Internal storage cannot be upgraded. It is what it is. So, the maximum internal storage capacity never increases, even if you upgraded your iCloud plan. Learn More here: What's the Difference Between Device Storage and iCloud Storage? Apple Support


So, what to do...

Clear Space Using my User Tips:

Locked Notes sent to iCloud

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