Where are my iPhone notes stored on my computer after syncing?

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10 points

Where are my iPhone notes stored on my computer after syncing?

After I upgraded my iPhone 5 to IOS 8.4, I don't see an option in the iTunes sync for Notes. Also, I no longer see my previously synced notes in Mail, which is where they were previously synced to/from. In Mail I can't find a way to work with notes. I have a ton of notes that are still on my iPhone that I want to continue to sync with my computer. What happened?

Maybe this issue doesn't have to do with my iOS upgrade, but maybe an iTunes upgrade. Not sure, but I noticed it after my iPhone iOS upgrade. Any help would be very much appreciated!

iPhone 5, iOS 8.4

Posted on Aug 1, 2015 4:58 PM

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Answer 1

Lisppat0 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 1, 2015 6:25 PM in response to Lisppat0

Well, after a lot of poking around in iPhone help, general Google search, and Gmail help, I finally found that I need to set up my iPhone to sync with my gmail email account, and then put notes into that account by selecting Accounts at the top of the notes list on my iPhone. My notes no longer go to Mail for some reason and it looks like I have to set up an account for Mail and then set my notes to sync with Mail. It's okay that they are now going to sync with my gmail email, but I don't know why this change was made by iPhone. My issue now is I'm wondering if there's a way to move the notes on my iPhone (I have about 100) to sync with my gmail email account. I don't know how to do that and I'm not on iCloud (don't want to be). So, for now, I'm opening each individual note on my iPhone, copying its contents, and then pasting into a new note in my gmail account. That's a time-consuming pain so if anyone know how to transfer them all at once, I'd love to hear it.

Oh, and I learned that to see my notes in gmail, I select the Notes label. That took me quite awhile to figure out.

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Answer 2

Lisppat0 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 2, 2015 2:39 PM in response to Lisppat0

This is turning out to be a conversation with myself. I wish someone would help out so I wouldn't have to spend all day learning about this.

It appears that the previous functionality - where my iPhone notes were backed up to my Mac Mail program, where I could edit my notes in Mail, and the edits would be synced back to my phone - is gone. Now, I can set it up so my notes are sent to my gmail email with the Notes tag, but I can't edit them in gmail, they can only be added and edited on my iPhone. The syncing only goes one way - from my iPhone to gmail. At least my notes are also accessible from gmail if needed, but why this change? I really miss the previous functionality.

At this point, I'm having to copy the content of each of my notes (that are only on my iPhone) and pasting in a new note in my Gmail note account so that they can be synced to gmail. That is time consuming, but it's one way I can review my old notes and just get rid of some.

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Answer 3

Aug 8, 2015 9:32 PM in response to Lisppat0

When iTunes was updated to 12.2.1.6 recently, the option for a "one time sync" with Outlook Notes had been removed. That's pretty shabby treatment of your customers Apple! When the time comes to update my phone, I will be looking for a system that can "play nice" with Outlook.

But back to the problem. I think I've found a way to set up sync between Outlook Notes and iPhone, but it requires you to have an iCloud account. When you set up Outlook to sync with your iCloud account, you will see a Notes folder has been created under your icloud mail folders list in Outlook. The format is rubbish, but it is possible to create "Apple-ised format" notes here which will sync with iCloud and your iPhone.

It is NOT a good solution for us Outlook users, and Apple is to be condemned for doing this to us. It's high time that software companies were forced into ensuring interoperability. Perhaps someone with money could run a legal test case under anti-trust laws in the United States or the Trade Practices Act in Australia - it is surely an attempt to create a monopoly when a company removes the ability of consumers to use another company's product. Apple, are you hearing me?

If anyone has a better solution to allow Lisppat0 and I to sunchronise out Outlook Notes with our iPhones, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

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Answer 4

Lisppat0 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 9, 2015 12:26 PM in response to ericfromCFA

Thank you for the information ericfromCFA! I find that I don't like this new way of syncing with gmail because it's a one-way sync. Syncing with Mail was two-way. Also, syncing with gmail is weird. I appear to get a new note each time I make a change to the note. That gives me multiple notes with the same information, but each one has a revision. That's not good! The previous functionality was great. And, now it's no longer available. I think the former syncing with Outlook would be good so I'm sorry to hear that's also no longer an option. I don't want o use iCloud, but I may try to use your solution to sync with Outlook using iCloud just to see how it works. It makes me mad that we are forced to use iCloud.

Oh, yes, I do have iTunes 12.2.1.16.

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