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How to recover deleted notes on iPhone

Recover lost notes in a few, easy steps
Funmi Somoye
Last Updated on

Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

How to recover deleted notes on iPhone
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Table of Contents

So you’ve accidentally deleted an important note from your iPhone. There’s no need to panic. With some easy steps, you will be able to recover deleted notes in no time.

Thankfully, there’s no need to rack your brain to remember what you wrote or frantically search for that piece of paper you jotted it down on. As long as your note has not been permanently deleted, you can recover it by following our steps below.

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Despite being relatively basic compared to other note-taking apps on the market, Apple’s Notes app allows users to create quick notes straight on their iPhone. It features some useful tools such as checklists, a sketchpad, and the option to add images and tables.

What makes the app great is that it can easily sync with your Apple devices – letting you access your notes on any Apple device anywhere. Thanks to iCloud, it means that you can also recover any note from any device too. Let’s see how it’s done below.

1

Recover recently deleted notes on iPhone

If you happen to delete a note from the Notes app, you will have 30 days to recover it before it is permanently deleted. It is important to note that permanently deleted notes are unrecoverable.

Step

1

Recently deleted folder

Simply, open your notes app and head to the “Recently Deleted” folder at the bottom of the iCloud section of the app. Here you will see all the notes you have deleted in the last 30 days. Find the note you would like to recover and open it.

Step

2

Recover the note

Now that the note is open, start editing it. This will bring up a pop-up from Apple asking you if you would like to recover this note. At this point click “Recover”. Once you click recover, your note will return to its original folder. You will be able to see it in the “All iCloud” folder if you are struggling to find it.

 

2

Recover recently deleted notes on iCloud

It is also possible to recover deleted notes from iCloud.com. To start things off, head to iCloud.com and enter your Apple ID details.

Step

1

Open Notes

Once you have logged in, you will want to navigate to Notes by clicking on the “Apps” icon in the top right.

Step

2

Open recently deleted

In Notes, you will want to navigate to your “Recently Deleted” folder on the left side of the screen. Click on this and find the note you would like to recover.

Step

3

Recover your note

Click on this note to open it. You should now see a yellow “Recover” button at the top of the note. Simply, click on this to recover your note. And now, you’re done!

Recovering shared notes

Recovering a recently deleted shared note is a bit more difficult. If you are the note owner, the deleted note will appear in your recently deleted folder. You can therefore follow the steps above to recover it.

What about the case when you are not the owner but the participant? To access a note that no longer appears in your folder, you will need to open the original shared link that you received from the note owner. You should then be able to open and edit the original note as usual.

If this still does not work, we recommend contacting the owner to see whether they have disabled sharing or have in fact deleted the note themselves.

Final Thoughts

Recovering deleted notes on your iPhone is a pretty easy fix. If you forget to do this process within 30 days, however, your note will be permanently deleted by Apple and will be unrecoverable. Both methods we have covered can be done in a matter of clicks, meaning your notes will be back to you in no time – result!

If you found this article useful, why not read How To Unlock iPhone Passcode Without a Computer next?

About the Author

Funmi Somoye

Funmi joined PC Guide in November 2022, and was a driving force for the site's ChatGPT coverage. She has a wide knowledge of AI apps, gaming and consumer technology.