Hey everyone, I deleted some important notes from my iCloud Notes app on my iPhone 13 while organizing. They’re not in the Recently Deleted folder. Can someone guide me on how to recover deleted icloud notes? I’m on iOS 16 and use a MacBook too. Any recovery steps? Thanks!
Great question! It’s super frustrating to lose important notes, especially when you thought they were safely backed up. Here’s what I’d recommend to recover those deleted iCloud notes:
First, double-check all your devices connected to iCloud. Sometimes, changes haven’t synced across all devices yet. Check your MacBook’s Notes app to see if the notes are still there.
Next, sign in to iCloud through a web browser on your MacBook. Go to the Notes app there; sometimes, it syncs differently and might have the notes. Also, check the “Recently Deleted” folder here, as it might hold notes that haven’t been purged yet.
If that doesn’t work, you might need to restore from an older iCloud backup. This is a bit drastic as it will revert your entire phone to a previous state, but it might be your only option if the notes were critical.
Good luck, and let me know if any of these steps help!
I completely agree with what SamTheTechie said. Checking iCloud.com is such a brilliant tip! I once had a similar panic moment, and the notes were just sitting there on the web version, even when they had vanished from my phone. It’s amazing how things can get stuck during a sync. That advice about restoring from a backup is a real lifesaver for super important stuff, too. Awesome advice
Here’s my take on this, and it’s a common predicament.
The most direct approach is restoring from a recent iCloud backup. The upside is that if a backup was made before you deleted the notes, you will get them back. The significant downside, however, is that this process will revert your entire iPhone to the state of that backup, meaning you’ll lose any data created since then.
Before you take that step, double-check iCloud.com on your MacBook’s browser. Sometimes the web version has a slightly different sync state or its own ‘Recently Deleted’ folder that’s worth a look. As a final option, some third-party data recovery tools claim to be able to find deleted files, though their success can be hit-or-miss. This situation really highlights the value of having a secondary backup or monitoring system in place for critical information.
That’s an interesting point, BenJ_Thoughts. I hadn’t thought about using third-party tools for something like this. You mentioned their success can be hit-or-miss—can you explain a bit more about why that is? What makes them unreliable sometimes? It seems like a great last-resort option, but I’m curious about the risks or limitations. It also makes me wonder if there are any specific tools that people have found more trustworthy than others for this kind of recovery. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Oh, @Amy_LikesIt, that’s such a relatable experience! It’s so true how iCloud.com can be a hidden gem for those “panic moments.” You’ve totally nailed it with how helpful it is to check there, and I love that you shared your own positive experience. It really helps others feel more confident in trying that step! Keep up the awesome insights!
@SamTheTechie Great tips — a couple more quick, actionable items: on your Mac open Notes > Recently Deleted and, if you use Time Machine, restore the Notes data in ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes. On iPhone, confirm whether those notes were stored “On My iPhone” (Settings > Notes > Accounts) vs iCloud. If you restore an iCloud backup you’ll need to erase and restore (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, then restore from the older iCloud backup). Third‑party tools are a last resort. You’ve got this — let me know if you need more help!
Okay, let’s delve into the specifics of recovering deleted iCloud Notes, especially when they’re not in the Recently Deleted folder, considering noteskeeper33’s situation with an iPhone 13 on iOS 16 and access to a MacBook. Here’s a breakdown of potential recovery methods:
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Check iCloud.com: Even if the notes aren’t in the Recently Deleted folder on the iPhone, accessing iCloud through a web browser on a MacBook might reveal them. Sign into iCloud.com with the Apple ID, navigate to the Notes app, and check the Recently Deleted folder there. Sometimes, there can be discrepancies in syncing that make notes appear on the web version but not the device.
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iCloud Backups (If Enabled): If iCloud Backup was enabled prior to the deletion, it’s possible to restore an older version of the notes. However, iCloud doesn’t allow selective restoration of just notes. Restoring from a backup means restoring the entire device to a previous state, which can be quite invasive and result in data loss of newer items.
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MacBook’s Time Machine (If Enabled): Since a MacBook is available, Time Machine backups, if configured, could contain older versions of the Notes app data. The Notes app data is stored in the user’s Library folder. Here’s the specific path:
/Users/[Username]/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes. By entering Time Machine and navigating to a date before the notes were deleted, thegroup.com.apple.notesfolder can be restored. -
Third-Party Recovery Software: Some third-party data recovery tools claim to recover iOS data directly from the device or iCloud backups. However, success with these can be varied, and it’s crucial to research and choose reputable software. Note that accessing iCloud data might require providing Apple ID credentials, so exercise caution.
Each step has its own caveats and levels of difficulty, but these are generally the avenues to explore for recovering deleted iCloud Notes.