Notes can be lost due to various reasons, including accidental or intentional deletion, removing email accounts, uninstalling the Notes app, an OS update, and deleting notes from iCloud, among others.
Precautions
Methods to Recover Deleted Notes on an iPhone
Here are several methods to recover deleted notes from your iPhone:
1. Recover Through the Recently Deleted Folder
Deleted notes are moved to the Recently Deleted folder in the Notes app. Check if the notes you need are still there:
2. Check the iCloud Website
Notes synchronized with iCloud are stored in the Recently Deleted folder for up to 30 days. If you have iCloud syncing enabled for Notes, you can attempt to recover your notes through the iCloud website.
3. Recover Notes Through Other Apple Devices
If you have other Apple devices connected to the same Apple ID that haven’t been synced to the internet recently, they might still have your notes. For instance, a Mac that is not connected or an iPad that is turned off could be used for recovery.
4. Check Email Accounts and Other Services
Notes on an iPhone can be associated with email accounts. If an email account is removed, the linked notes may also disappear. To recover these notes, try the following steps. To recover a shared note that you do not own, either use the original shared link or request the owner to share it with you again.
5. Contact Apple Support
If your notes were synced to iCloud, consider reaching out to Apple Support. While you may be informed that recovery isn’t possible, it’s worth exploring before resorting to other methods, as they might overwrite current data and reduce the chances of successful recovery. You might need to ask the support team to connect you with a Senior Advisor for further assistance in retrieving your notes.
6. Use a Data Recovery Application
If the methods above have not succeeded in recovering your notes, consider using a data recovery application. While some might suggest restoring from a backup at this point, we advise against it, as this could overwrite existing data, thereby reducing the likelihood of successful recovery by the data recovery software. You have the freedom to choose which application to use, but we recommend selecting one that provides a free preview of the detected deleted data. We mention Disk Drill as a possibility for illustrative purposes; any use of this tool is at your own risk.
7. Recover Through a Backup
You can restore deleted notes from a backup as long as it was made before the notes were deleted. Make sure to back up the current data before proceeding with a restore. Use a different Apple ID for the iCloud backup, or if using iTunes or Finder, perform the backup on a different Mac or PC to prevent overwriting or updating the current backup.
Restore from an iCloud Backup
Notes not synced with iCloud will be included in the iCloud backup and can be restored. If syncing was active, the backup will not contain the notes, and restoring from iCloud is unnecessary.
Restore from an iTunes or Finder Backup
Use a Backup Extractor App
If you prefer not to restore your iPhone, some applications can extract content from iPhone backups (including both iCloud and iTunes). We are not endorsing this option, but it’s available, and you can search online for such an app.
Backup Possibilities on Other Devices
Backups on devices other than your iPhone, such as an iPad or Mac, may also have the lost notes, which could potentially be used for restoration. The recovery method depends on the device. For example, with a Mac, you could use Time Machine to see if you can retrieve the notes.
8. Try a Professional Data Recovery Service
When notes are vitally important and remain unrecovered, the last resort is to seek a reputable Data Recovery Service. Be vigilant to avoid falling victim to scams. Should you have any queries or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a comment below.
