How to Recover Lost or Deleted Notes from iPhone or iPad

The Notes utility is a basic application on Apple smartphones, pre-installed in all current versions of iOS. This program is indispensable for making a shopping list, filling out a work plan, scanning documents, storing personal information under a password, drawing sketches and sketches, creating tables and much more. Plus, the utility has excellent functionality that allows you to more conveniently organize what you have written. Notes is incredibly easy to use - there is nothing superfluous in it. The user does not need to install third-party software from other developers from the App Store or pay for a subscription for use - this is a standard program on the iPhone.

But what to do if important notes are erased by accident or disappear completely after some action or by themselves? In this article we will talk in detail about each existing method of recovering lost notes: using “native” applications and using third-party utilities.

Why notes may disappear on iPhone

The owner of a smartphone expects that the notes will always be safe. However, we cannot exclude a situation where one day all the information will be lost.

This could happen, for example, if the user accidentally deletes information or this application. Notes may also disappear due to an unsuccessful update or for users who make non-standard changes to their gadget.

The creators of the iPhone foresaw that this could happen and provided the ability to restore notes. There are several ways to do this. They will be discussed further.

[Supported iOS 14] Best Way to Recover iPhone Notes

Posted by Boi Wong / August 05, 2022 09:00 I took notes on my speech using an app on my iPhone, but a few days later when I checked the notes, they were no longer there.
I'm sure I had them on my phone before because I looked at them right after the show. How to recover deleted notes on iPhone? Please help, thank you very much! Nowadays, more and more iPhone users are keen to use the Notes app, which is a note-taking tool without creating a paper trail. They use it to create lists, write down ideas, take notes, compose articles, and so on.

However, many things can cause data loss, such as updating iOS, factory reset, bending or losing iPhone, etc. Therefore, it is very common to lose data on our iPhone from time to time. When it comes to recovering deleted iPhone notes, the first method that comes to our mind is restoring iTunes or iCloud backup to the device.

But just so you know:

Data recovery via iTunes or iCloud has its limitations:

1. iTunes or iCloud backups are available before data loss.
2. The iTunes or iCloud backup you are restoring from must contain the notes you want to get back.
3. All current things on your iPhone will be completely replaced with the contents in the backup.

Here's the question:

What should you do if you haven't made backups before or don't want to lose your current data when restoring an iPhone note from a backup?

Shake your iPhone to recover deleted notes

If you replace important notes with new ones or mess up important notes, you just need to shake your iPhone. Shake your iPhone and you can cancel your text entry. This is a simple and useful tip to find deleted notes back.

If you can't find your deleted notes back by shaking your iPhone, or the notes aren't being deleted when you type, keep reading.

Recover Deleted iPhone Notes from Recently Deleted

Deleted iPhone notes can be accessed in the Recently Deleted folder where all deleted notes are kept for 30 days. So, you can easily retrieve those deleted notes from iPhone Note app with simple steps.

Step 1 Enter the Notes app and then select one note.

Step 2 Double-click the back button in the top left corner to see Folders .

Step 3 Go to the Recently Deleted folder.

Step 4 Click Edit in the top right corner and select the item you want to recover.

Step 5 Click Move to. in the lower left corner.

Step 6 Select a folder to save the recovered note.

Please note that .

A note that was deleted 30days ago cannot be found here and will be deleted permanently.

Recover Deleted Notes from iPhone via iCloud

iCloud might be the first idea that pops into your mind when you want to manage your iPhone data. You can download the program to your computer or go to icloud.com to log into your account and transfer your data between the cloud service and your device. Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Reminders, etc. are available for iCloud.

Some people may wonder whether there is an iCloud backup or not? The answer is yes. So, how can you use iCloud to backup iPhone notes?

Parameters 2:

Options 1: Use iCloud as your preferred backup solution

Step 1 Go to Settings > [Your name] > iCloud .

Step 2 Toggle to enable Attention button.

Option 2: Backup all iPhone data to iCloud at once

Step 1 On your iPhone, go to Settings > iCloud

Step 2 Scroll down to find Recovery and click on it.

Step 3 Turn on iCloud Backup option and click Back Up .

Recover Deleted Notes via iTunes

iTunes can be an alternative to recover iPhone notes if you want to use a computer to manage your data. Just connect your device to the computer where you have downloaded iTunes and you can easily backup, transfer or restore your device data.

Here's the simplest lesson:

Step 1 Launch iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone to it using a USB cable.

Step 2 Click on the device icon until it appears.

Step 3 Click Conclusion in the left pane, then Restore Backup from the Backups section. If you have encrypted iTunes backups, you will need to enter a password.

Step 4 Select which backup you want to restore from, then click Restore .

Simple, isn't it?

Using the above-mentioned Apple, iCloud and iTunes methods, restoring iPhone notes from backup via iTunes will delete all media tracks currently existing on your iPhone and overwrite the iPhone contents with the contents from the iOS backup file.

How to recover recently deleted notes

The simplest option occurs if the deleted information is in the trash. This is possible if the notes were recently deleted. In this case, to restore you need to take the following steps:

1. You need to open the Notes app.
2. A page will open where you can see a list of folders. The last one is “Recently Deleted”.

3. At the top of the screen you need to tap on the “Change” command. After this, the process of data recovery will begin.
4. A list of recently deleted notes will be shown. You need to mark those that need to be restored.
5. Next, you need to click on “Move”.
6. You will be able to specify the folder where the data will be restored. To do this, you can select “Notes” or another. It is possible to create a new folder for this purpose. After confirming the input, the restoration will be completed.

Now you can go to the desired directory and view the recovered data.

Checking your account settings

If you use a third-party account or email service (such as Gmail or Yahoo) to store your notes, check your settings.

1. Go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts.
2. Click the email account you want to verify.
3. Make sure Notes is open.

If you use Notes with multiple email accounts, follow steps 2–3 for each account. If you don't have an account, find out how to add it again.

How to get notes back on iPhone via iTunes

iTunes allows you to make a complete copy of your iPhone's information, as well as restore it if necessary. In this case, you can return only to one of the previously made copies. If there were already notes at this time, they will be restored.

In order to complete the procedure, you will need an iPhone, a computer and a connecting cord. The procedure consists of several steps.

First you will need to disable the "Locator" option. On older versions it is called "Find iPhone". To do this you will need to do the following:

1. You need to open settings. You need to select the line containing the AppleID.
2. On the next page you need to tap on iCloud.
3. A list of settings will open. You need to tap on the “Find iPhone” line.
4. On the new page, the switch is set to off. You will be required to enter a password for confirmation.

Starting from the thirteenth version of the operating system, the option is located in the “Locator” settings section.

Next, you need to connect your iPhone using a USB cable to your computer. You need to launch iTunes on it.

It is recommended to make a backup copy before the recovery procedure. Next do the following:

1. After launching the program, a smartphone icon in the form of a small rectangle will appear at the top of the window. After clicking on it, you can go to the smartphone control menu.
2. In the "Browse" section, you will be offered two options for saving: to iCloud and to your computer. There will be a “Save Now” button on the right.

After this, a backup copy of the device will be created in accordance with the selected settings.

Now we need to start restoring. To do this, do the following:

1. In the iTunes program, in the “Browse” section, select “Restore” while holding down the “Shift” key.
2. After this, Explorer will open and you can select the previously created backup. You need to select the version in which the notes were saved.

The recovery procedure will last 15-30 minutes. As soon as it ends, a corresponding message will appear. The peculiarity of this method is that only all computer files can be restored here, and not part of them.

Part 3: Recover Disappeared Notes from iPhone Directly

If you still can't find the missing iPhone notes, then you can try Apeaksoft iPhone Data Recovery to recover iPhone notes disappeared in 3 different ways. It doesn't matter if you haven't backed up iPhone notes before, iPhone Data Recovery can help you recover deleted or lost iOS data up to 19 types.

Recover and export notes from iPhone directly without backup.

Retrieve and restore missing notes from iTunes backup without losing data.

Download and restore notes from iCloud backup selectively.

Support all iOS devices such as iPhone XS/XR/X/8/7/6/5 etc. running iOS 12/11 etc.

Step 1.Run iPhone Data Recovery

Download and install free iPhone recovery. Launch it and select "iPhone Data Recovery" to enter its main interface.

Step 2. Connect iPhone to Computer via USB Cable

Select "Recover from iOS Device" as the default iPhone recovery mode. Then, use a Lightning USB cable to connect your iPhone to your Windows or Mac computer.

If you lock your notes, here you must enter a password to decrypt it for scanning now.

Step 3. Scan your iPhone

Select Standard Mode and then click Start Scan to fully detect your Apple device. Or directly click the "Start Scan" button (this depends on different iPhone models). After scanning iPhone, you can see all available files displayed in categories.

Step 4. Recover Missing iPhone Notes on Mac or PC

Select Notes and then view details in the right pane. You can enable the "Show deleted item only" option to make access to iPhone notes disappear only.

You will notice that there are other types of files that you can click to view and recover, such as Messages, Contacts, Photos, and more.

Click the "Recover" button and then set the destination folder to recover missing or lost iPhone notes without backup.

How to Recover Notes on iPhone via iCloud

To take advantage of this feature, you must save your notes to an iCloud folder. In this case, automatic synchronization of data on the gadget and in the data storage will occur. If you delete notes on your smartphone, they will still be saved to iCloud. At the first opportunity, synchronization will be carried out, as a result of which the information will be installed.

View information on iCloud.

To restore you will need to do the following:

1. Go to the icloud website.
2. Using your details, log in to your account.
3. See what data is stored here. The Recycle Bin may contain notes deleted within the last 30 days before the last synchronization. They can be restored.

To restore, you can use a copy of the data saved on the iCloud website. To do this, you need to take the following steps:

1. Make a backup copy of data from your smartphone.
2. Erase all data and settings from it. This is done by going to “Settings”, “General”, “Reset”, “Delete all data and settings”.
3. After cleaning, the iPhone will automatically restart.
4. You need to enter the necessary settings (date, time, etc.).
5. In the “Applications and Data” section, activate the option to restore from a copy on iCloud.
6. Enter your account and password on the site. From the list of copies for recovery, select the appropriate one.

The recovery procedure will take from several minutes to an hour.

Part 2: Retrieve Missing Notes from Recently Deleted Folder

Maybe someone deleted your notes on iPhone or you just deleted your notes without notice. This way, you can get notes back on iPhone from the Recently Deleted folder. Remember that your iPhone notes disappeared in the Recently Deleted folder can be kept for 30 days. As a result, you can only recover lost notes in the Recently Deleted iPhone folder for 30 days.

Step 1: Open Notes Application

Open the Notes app and find the Folders view. No matter what account you use, you can see each folder named iCloud, Gmail, On My iPhone, Yahoo, etc. Open each folder if you are not sure where the notes are on iPhone.

Step 2. Get Notes Back on iPhone

Open the Recently Deleted folder and view all iPhone notes that were previously deleted. You can click the "Edit" button in the top right corner, mark the items and click "Move to" to delete them back to the specified folder to recover iPhone notes.

How to Get Deleted Notes Back on iPhone Using Apps

Data recovery is available both using system tools and using third-party applications. In the latter case, you can use the following options: saving a backup copy of information and restoring data.

CopyTrans Shelbee

This program has a thoughtful and simple interface. In it you need to indicate the smartphone model and select one of two functions: saving information or restoring from previously made copies.

To be able to return the recordings you made to your iPhone, you must first make a copy of the data. In this case, the procedure will restore all information from the backup copy. The program provides free and paid options.

In the first case, saving and restoring apply to all data. In the paid version, you can select the desired section. This is convenient in those cases. When you need to restore information relating to different points in time. In this case, only what is necessary is restored from each copy.

Dr.fone

This program not only helps you recover notes, but also performs other useful functions: unlocking your phone if you lose your password, transferring data to other devices, system recovery, and others. On the website you can also find a detailed description of the program's capabilities.

EaseUS MobiSaver

This application scans iPhone. As a result of this procedure, it detects the presence of backup copies and offers the user to restore data from them. Restoring notes is available provided that they were already on the smartphone at the time the copy was created. The lack of a Russian-language interface can be a problem for those who do not understand English well.

Primo iPhone Data Recovery

The application is capable of restoring notes from previously made copies. Additionally, it has the option to fix operating system errors. Can use copies created using iCloud or iTunes for this purpose.

Recovering notes using standard tools

Each entry successfully created on a smartphone never disappears without a trace, and is stored in the “Trash” for another 30 days, from where the information is restored at the first request of users. The note revival trick won't work only with notes synced to Gmail. They are not transferred anywhere, but are permanently deleted. Therefore, to carefully store your ideas, it is better to use either the internal memory of your smartphone or the iCloud cloud.

Another interesting article for you: How to turn on an iPhone if the Home (lock) button does not work

"Trash" is located in the main menu of "Notes". To go to the main section, you need to press the “Back” button located at the top left several times. The directory with entries that have not yet been fully cleaned is called “Recently Deleted”.

Working with the menu is easy. The screen displays information about content that has disappeared from folders and is restored using the “Edit” or “Edit” function. The system suggests checking the documents required for recovery, and then confirming the decision using the “Move to...” menu item. The method works even without a backup recorded in iCloud.

It is important to remember that the operating system allows you to restore notes from iCloud or from storage located on the internal memory of your smartphone within 30 days. If the storage period has expired, all records will disappear without a chance for backup.

How to restore the Notes application itself

If the user deleted the application along with notes, then in some cases it is possible to perform a full recovery. This is only possible when iCloud synchronization has been enabled. If this was not done, then the information cannot be restored.

In order to install the Notes program on your iPhone, you must take the following steps:

1. Go to the AppStore. This is necessary in order to re-download the program.
2. There is a link on the main page to go to the search. After clicking on it, a field will open where you will need to enter the line “Notes”. After clicking “Find” the search will begin. As a result, a link to the application page will appear in the list.
3. It needs to be downloaded and installed. To do this, you need to wait until the “Open” button appears and tap on it.

After launching the program, the notes will be restored provided that synchronization with iCloud was enabled. If this was not done, then the notes cannot be restored.

In this video you can see how previously deleted notes are restored:

Use the search function to find notes

1. Open the Notes app and press until the list of notes appears.
2. In the search bar, enter a word, phrase, or title from the note you need.
3. Make sure the All Accounts option is selected. The search process will check all folders in all your accounts (specifically your email account).

If the search bar doesn't appear, you may need to scroll the screen to find it. If you still can't find the note, it may be locked. The search process only displays the names of locked notes, so you may need to browse through all locked notes to find the one you're looking for.

How to prevent notes from being deleted

Sometimes the user may accidentally delete his notes along with the application. To prevent this, you can disable this action. To do this, you need to set this option in the settings. This is done as follows:

1. Open “Settings”.
2. Select the “Basic” section.
3. Select the “Restrictions” subsection.
4. You need to tap on the line that allows you to activate the restriction for the iPhone.
5. Indicate the code, the entry of which will allow you to overcome the ban. It is necessary to re-enter it to ensure that the user remembers it.
6. Now you need to enable restrictions in the “Remove programs” line. To confirm, you must enter the previously specified code.

Now, when you try to uninstall a program with notes, a password entry window will appear. Without this, it is impossible to delete the Notes application. This will prevent the possibility of accidentally deleting this information.

To reduce the risk of accidentally losing information, consider the following:

Vyacheslav

For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.

Ask a Question

Question to the expert

How can I reduce the risk of accidentally deleting notes?

Prevent uninstallation of the program in the iPhone settings.

Can you guarantee that notes can be recovered?

Yes, this is possible provided that regular copies of the data are made, including notes.

Is recording synchronization useful?

In this case, the risk of information loss is significantly reduced.

If you ensure timely creation of backup copies, you can be confident in the safety of your information.

Accidentally deleted notes can be recovered in several ways. To do this for sure, you need to regularly make copies of data from your smartphone. In this case, restoring the desired version of the records will be available.

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Part 4: Recover Disappeared iPhone Notes from iTunes Backup

If you have previously backed up iPhone notes using iTunes, you can restore iPhone from iTunes directly. However, you will have to accept the fact that all your existing data will be replaced by the iTunes backup.

Don't you want this?

Simply use iPhone Data Recovery to extract iPhone notes selectively. Compared with iTunes, iPhone Data Recovery allows users to preview and recover missing iPhone notes.

Step 1. Open iPhone Data Recovery

Run iPhone data recovery on Mac or PC. Select "Recover from iTunes Backup File" and get access to all iTunes backup files. Make sure you are using a trusted computer. Otherwise, iPhone Data Recovery may not detect your iTunes backup.

Step 2. Recover iPhone Notes Disappeared from iTunes

Click "Start Scan" after you have selected the most suitable iTunes backup. Then tap Notes under Notes and Others to view existing and disappeared iPhone notes. Check in front of the notes you want to recover, and then click the "Recover" button to get the missing iPhone notes.