How do I recover deleted Notes on an iPhone?
Answer
Open the Notes app, go to Folders, then Recently Deleted, and recover notes within the retention window. If they are not there, check whether Notes is enabled for iCloud and whether an iCloud or computer backup still contains them.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Notes in Recently Deleted are removed permanently after the retention period ends.
- Ignore sites or popups that ask you to pay to unlock deleted notes or install unknown recovery software.
Follow these steps
Open Recently Deleted
Open Notes, tap Folders or the back arrow until you see the folder list, then open Recently Deleted.
You should see: Deleted notes appear in the Recently Deleted list, if they are still within the retention period.
Recover the notes
Tap Edit or Select Notes, choose the notes you need, then tap Move or Recover and place them back into Notes or another folder.
You should see: The notes return to your normal Notes folders and can be opened.
Check iCloud Notes sync
Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, then see whether Notes is enabled. On another signed-in Apple device or iCloud.com, open Notes and look for the missing items.
You should see: You can tell whether the notes still exist in iCloud under the same Apple ID.
Use a backup only if needed
If Recently Deleted and iCloud do not have the notes, check whether you have an iCloud or computer backup from before the deletion. Restore only if you understand newer data on the iPhone may be affected.
You should see: You either recover the notes from backup or confirm they are no longer available through Apple’s normal recovery paths.
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Extra tips
What to look for: A Recently Deleted folder in Notes, and whether Settings > [your name] > iCloud shows Notes turned on.
Before you change anything: Check Recently Deleted before creating new notes with the same titles. Do not erase the iPhone or turn off iCloud Notes until you have looked for recoverable copies. If you restore from a backup, understand it can replace newer data. Never share your Apple ID password or one-time codes with unexpected callers.