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How to recover lost notes on iPhone

Whether you are missing a note on your iPhone or have accidentally deleted some important items, there's still possibility to recover the iPhone notes you lost.

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Jasmin Woods Updated on Apr 12, 2024 6:02 PM

Losing notes on your iPhone can be a frustrating experience, especially if they contain important information or cherished memories. Whether it's accidental deletion, a system glitch after iOS update, or an unexpected issue with your device, the panic of losing valuable notes is a shared concern among iPhone users. Fortunately, there are several methods you can employ to recover lost notes on iPhone.

This guide shows how to recover lost iPhone notes from Recently Deleted, iCloud, iPhone backups and other services.

In this guide, we'll walk you through step-by-step procedures to recover lost iPhone notes, covering various scenarios and potential solutions. From using built-in Recently Deleted folder within the Notes app to exploring backup options via iCloud or iTunes, we'll provide you with skills and techniques for successful note recovery on your iPhone.

Whether you have an iPhone backup or not, the advanced iPhone Data Recovery software equip you with the capability to thoroughly scan your iPhone's deep internal storage to locate all deleted and lost files, allowing you to selectively preview and recover any lost notes on your iPhone without backups or affecting current device data.

Now, let's take a closer look at how to recover lost notes on iPhone efficiently:

How to recover lost notes on iPhone from Recently Deleted folder

The capability to recover a lost iPhone note from the Recently Deleted folder varies depending on the application or service utilized to manage your notes. Within Apple Notes, you can retrieve iPhone notes deleted within the last 30 days from its default Recently Deleted folder. Conversely, if you store notes using third-party services like Gmail or Yahoo, recover your lost notes from their respective Trash folders.

1. Recover iPhone notes from Recently Deleted folder within Notes app

The newer iOS offers built-in solutions for recovering lost notes on iPhone. Once you delete a local note on your iPhone, it moves to the Recently Deleted folder, where it stays for an additional 30 days before being permanently deleted. Within this timeframe, you retain the opportunity to recover deleted iPhone notes by accessing the Recently Deleted folder located within the Notes app and choosing the specific notes you wish to get back.

  • Open the Notes app on your iPhone.
  • Tap the back arrow icon until you reach the folder list.
  • Choose Recently Deleted to view all your notes deleted in the last 30 days.
  • Tap the Edit button at the upper-right corner.
  • Select the notes you want to recover and tap Move.
  • Choose a folder to keep these recovered notes.

TIP: If you find disappeared iPhone notes in Recently Deleted folder, undo the delete. If not, try searching for lost notes using the Search bar, or initiating a deeper scanning of iPhone storage.

Tap Move to retrieve deleted iPhone notes back; tap Delete to get notes permanently deleted.

2. Recover deleted notes on iPhone from Trash folder

For users who store their notes with a third-party account or email service, such as Gmail or Yahoo, it's advisable to recover the lost iPhone notes from their Trash folder within a period of up to 40 days after the deletion. Before the note recovery, you'll want to check your account settings:

  • Move to Settings app on your iPhone.
  • Tap Notes > Accounts and select the email account you use for note saving.
  • Make sure the Notes toggle is turned on.

Then, switch to your Mail app, and check the Trash folder to recover deleted iPhone notes:

  • Open the Gmail on your iPhone and tap the three-bar icon to expand the menu list.
  • Choose All Mail to access the notes stored in Gmail.
  • Tap the Trash folder on the screen.
  • Locate the notes you wish to retrieve back to your iPhone.
  • Select the deleted notes and tap Recover to recover them from the Trash folder.

How to recover deleted iPhone notes from iCloud Notes

If iCloud Notes is enabled on iPhone, your notes are likely stored in iCloud. You may find disappeared notes on any of your devices signed in with the same Apple ID, or recover notes deleted within the past 30 days on iCloud.com.

3. Re-sync iCloud notes with your iPhone

If you use multiple devices such as iPad or Mac with the same iCloud account, check if the notes are still available on those devices, and turn on iCloud Notes on your iPhone to recover lost notes:

  • Open Settings app on your iPhone and tap your Apple ID at the top.
  • Choose iCloud > Show All and tap Notes option.
  • Make sure Sync this iPhone is turned on.

When your iPhone notes are synced with iCloud before their loss, these steps can assist you in recovering iCloud notes to your iPhone.

4. Recover recently deleted iPhone notes from iCloud.com

Alternatively, you can explore iCloud.com to manually recover lost notes from iCloud's Recently Deleted folder to your iPhone within a period of 30 days after deletion. Here's how:

1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID and password.

2. Once you're in, select the Notes icon from the main menu.

3. Check the Recently Deleted folder from the left list. If Recently Deleted folder is not available, you don't have any iPhone notes deleted recently.

4. Find the note you want to recover, select it and click Recover in the Notes toolbar.

This will move the recovered notes to your iPhone's Notes folder or a specific folder you prefer. Note that iPhone notes permanently deleted from the Recently Deleted cannot be recovered.

How to recover lost iPhone notes without backup

If your iPhone notes disappear and cannot be found in the Recently Deleted folder or iCloud, it's possible they've been permanently removed from your device. However, these notes might still linger within your iPhone's internal storage until completely replaced by new data. This offers a chance for the recovery of lost notes on your iPhone before they're overwritten.

5. Recover permanently deleted notes with iPhone Data Recovery

With advanced software like iPhone Data Recovery, you're able to retrieve lost iPhone notes that were permanently removed from the Recently Deleted folder. It operates by conducting a thorough scan of your iPhone's deeper internal storage, locating any remnants of the deleted notes and files that haven't been overwritten. From the scanning results, you can recover lost notes, along with various other data files including photos, messages, contacts, and more.

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The best feature of this iOS data recovery software is that it allows you to preview the notes before selecting which ones to recover. No iPhone backup is needed and no current data on your device will be overwritten. Here's a guide on how to recover permanently deleted notes on iPhone without a backup, supporting the latest iOS 17/16 and all earlier versions.

Step 1. Open iPhone Data Recovery on your computer and link your iPhone.

Run the software on your Windows PC or Mac, then connect the iPhone using a proper USB cable. If asked, tap Trust on your iPhone screen to trust your computer.

Step 2: Start a deep scan of your iPhone's internal memory.

Click Start Scan button to begin a complete scanning, and keep your device firmly connected.

Step 3: Preview and recover the lost notes you want back.

Select the Notes tab from the left side; you have a preview of each note and choose which notes you wish to retrieve. Then, hit the Recover button to retrieve the lost notes you desire.

Select a local destination on your computer to store the recovered iPhone notes. Alternatively, transfer your notes and other files directly to your iPhone using tools like iPhone Data Transfer, which effortlessly moves various data between PC/Mac and iPhone.

Video Guide: How to Recover Permanently Lost Notes on iPhone

How to retrieve lost notes on iPhone with iCloud / iTunes backup

If you regularly back up your iPhone notes to iCloud or iTunes, you may be able restore your lost iPhone notes from a recent backup that includes the missing notes. However, keep in mind that this will replace all current data and settings on your iPhone with the data from that backup.

6. Restore lost notes from iCloud backup

To recover disappeared notes from an iCloud backup, you'll need to erase all data files on your iPhone, and then restore everything from that iCloud backup you've created previously.

  • Head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  • Choose Erase All Content and Settings on the next screen.
  • Follow the onscreen prompts to reset iPhone by entering passcode or Apple ID password.

  • Wait for your device to erase until the Hello screen appears.
  • Go through the setup steps until you reach the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen.
  • Choose From iCloud Backup and sign in to your iCloud account with Apple ID.
  • Select a most recent iCloud backup to restore all lost notes and data on your iPhone.

Be aware that the restored data will replace your existing iPhone data, resulting in the loss of anything added after that backup.

7. Recover lost notes from iTunes backup

You also have the option to recover your lost notes from a previous iPhone backup stored in iTunes or Finder. Likewise, this process will wipe out all data currently on your phone.

Tip: If you're a Windows PC user or using macOS 10.14 or older, use iTunes. For macOS 10.15 or above, use Finder for note recovery.

  • Open iTunes or Finder on your computer and connect your iPhone.
  • Tap Trust on your phone screen and input your passcode.
  • Click the device icon at the top toolbar and choose Summary from the left panel.
  • Scroll down to Backups section and hit Restore Backup button.

The final thoughts

Hopefully, the aforementioned solutions can aid you in recovering a lost iPhone note. If none of these methods prove successful, consider reaching out to Apple Support for additional assistance. Also, you'll find further information in the following links if you encounter difficulties in recovering deleted iPhone data.

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