If you’ve recently opened the Notes app on your iPhone, only to find that every entry is missing, you’ve encountered a “scary bug” that seems to be widespread. Apple has now commented on this situation, which was first spotted in early November, with helpful details on how to resolve the situation.
The Notes app on iPhone.
NurPhoto via Getty ImagesFirst, don’t panic, your data isn’t gone forever. However, it’s an annoying experience looking at what should be a list of details you’re supposed to put in the Notes app because they’re important. And since individual Notes can be locked, some people use them as an alternative to a password app.
Data is valuable, so its loss is a concern. Fortunately, this Notes data hasn’t been deleted, it’s just not visible for now. Here’s how to restore it.
Apple has now acknowledged that there is a problem, at a supporting document spotted by Joe Rossignol at MacRumors. Under the reassuring headline, “If you don’t see your iCloud notes in the Notes app,” Apple outlines what to do and quietly explains that it all depends on iCloud syncing. The company isn’t describing it as a bug, as such, though you can imagine that an upcoming iOS version is currently working to ensure you don’t have to follow the instructions in the first place.
Users had found their way to similar solutions, but here are the full instructions from Apple for ease and clarity. As you’ll see, they also apply to the iPad and Vision Pro, too.
Here’s how to check your iCloud sync settings and restart if needed.
If your iCloud notes aren’t showing up on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, follow these steps.
1. Open the Settings app and tap your name.
2. Tap iCloud, then tap Notes.
3. Make sure you sync it [device] is enabled, then check the Notes app.
4. If you still don’t see your notes, restart your iPhone, iPador Apple Vision Pro. After restarting, check your settings again.
After these steps, your iCloud notes should appear and start syncing again on devices signed in to the same Apple account. When the sync is complete, you should see the content previously synced with iCloud.
Apple updated the iCloud terms and conditions in September, and it seems that some users ran into the problem after agreeing to the new details.
