Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Can you restore deleted notes

Can you or how do you restore deleted notes ?

iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iOS 5.1.1

Posted on Sep 12, 2012 1:53 PM

Reply
25 replies

Apr 22, 2017 9:27 AM in response to BJbear

If you have accidentally deleted your notes from

Settings -> iCloud -> Storage -> Manage Storage -> Documents & Data -> Notes


When this file gets deleted, it will delete the iCloud Notes, not the same as the Notes

you store on your iPhone.


If you want to get back these notes, the only way is to retrieve from back up.
1. Restore your phone from backup

2. Once restore completes, quickly disable wifi / data (so that you do not allow the iPhone to sync).

3. Go to Settings -> Notes -> "On My iPhone" Account -> Enable

3. Open Notes -> Edit -> Move All

4. Move all the notes to "On My iPhone"

5. Once that is done, you can enable wifi / data and then allow the notes to sync.


Once you get back your notes, you can copy them to somewhere safe.

Oct 5, 2012 5:01 PM in response to Winston Churchill

That is not always true. I backed up my iphone on the computer and when I restored my iphone it replaced my notes with my husbands who also backs up on that computer. They are gone! You can't even go to one of your past Time Machine backups. I would recommend not using the NOTES application for any important information until Apple realizes that we need a better system for protecting, backingup and recovering the important information that we put on that application. You have been Warned. I haved lost my notes several times and twice, as the Genius Bar told me what to do to protect them.

Oct 5, 2012 6:27 PM in response to PamySue

No, what you are looking at is the on/off status of syncing capabilities. This has nothing to do with backups. If you dive deeper into the iCloud settings, in Manage Storage, for your device, you'll find on/off settings for app data that is backed up. Notes are not in that list. Neither are any of the other Apple databases.

Oct 9, 2012 11:27 AM in response to BJbear

The Notes database is a hidden file (who knows why? Pretty stupid to have a hidden Notes data file) so trying to find a backup requires something of a miracle. Even the senior consultants (2 of them) I talked to with Apple didn't know the answer and tried to look up what the file names were that contrained the Notes data. When a senior consultant has to look up stuff, it's a bad sign. The real problem is that Apple won't fix this obvious bad decision to make the files hidden for Notes. Nice to have a Time Capsule as I do and not be able to restore some simple personal information that I kept on the iPhone. Oh, it's not in the iCloud either because if you happen to delete any notes on your iMac or iPhone (say you had duplicates and the simple mind says delete one of them and then you find out that when you delete one, you delete both) and you also delete anything that synchs such as iCloud, iPhone, iMac, etc. That only leaves Time Capsule and finding the hidden files through changing settings in Terminal or use Option and then move to GO and the option key brings up the hiddlen "Library"

Good luck but you can spend hours on this one.

Nov 28, 2012 11:51 PM in response to BJbear

here is the directory i was looking for ...


~/Library is a "hidden" area, to get to it you need to use "Go to Folder" from Finder, either via the Go->Go to Foldermenu item or Shift+Command+G keyboard shortcut and put /Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/into the popup box.


this is how you show hidden files:

http://www.mikesel.info/show-hidden-files-mac-os-x-10-7-lion/

Jan 31, 2013 9:53 AM in response to BJbear

I'm so ticked off - I was typing notes at a conference and had several pages typed. I was working close to the bottom of the note and tapped the delete icon in error and it totally deleted all my notes without any question - "are you sure?"


How can I get that back?


Or prevent the single stroke deleting in the future..... 😟

Sep 29, 2013 9:19 AM in response to BJbear

Follow these steps to retrieve deleted notes files from iPad 2:
Step 1: Connect your iPad to the computer
Step 2: Enter the DFU mode and scan iPad
1) Hold your iPad and click "Start" button.
2) Pressing "Power" and "Home" buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.
3) After 10 seconds, release "Power" button, but keep holding "Home" for another 10 seconds. Step 3: Preview and recover iPad data
Done!


<Link Edited By Host>

Can you restore deleted notes

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.