Some iPhone users are reporting a scary bug with the Notes app on iPhone after accepting new iCloud terms. In some cases, users have found their iPhone notes disappearing unexpectedly. All notes seem to vanish, leaving an empty "On My iPhone" section and making it look like all your iCloud notes are gone.
This bug also affects iPhones running iOS 18 versions. While force quitting the Notes app won't help, there is a solution. For some, the issue resolves itself. If not, taking a few simple steps will bring your notes back and reconnect your app to iCloud without trouble.
If all your notes were stored on your device locally, you should start by checking if the On My iPhone toggle is on in the Notes app settings. It allows you to store notes on your device instead of on iCloud. Oddly, the update turned it off for most users, causing all their locally stored notes to disappear.
2. Check iPhone Storage
Sometimes, low storage space can trigger unexpected issues, like apps not syncing properly or data disappearing temporarily, including iPhone notes. Review your storage, and if your iPhone is running low on space, remove unnecessary files or apps. This will help your Notes app sync again and retrieve any lost content. Also, check out our guide on how much storage you might actually need when you buy a new iPhone.
3. Update Your iOS
Updating your iOS can be a straightforward way to bring back your disappeared iPhone notes. When you update, your device gets the latest fixes and improvements, which can resolve software glitches that might cause notes to disappear. Often, iOS updates refresh the Notes app, making any hidden or inaccessible files visible again.
4. Check Your Mail Account Settings
If you store your notes with a third-party account or email service, like Gmail or Yahoo, make sure to check your settings. If you use Notes with more than one email account, just repeat the steps below for each account:
5. Check Your iCloud Sync
The Notes app syncs your notes with iCloud if you have the option enabled. The iOS update may have turned the sync with iCloud feature off, resulting in all your notes disappearing. All you need to do is check whether iCloud sync is enabled, and your synced notes might reappear, giving you back everything you've saved.
6. Check Your Recently Deleted Folder
If your iPhone notes suddenly disappeared, you might have accidentally deleted them. When this happens, they go to a special folder called Recently Deleted. Here, deleted notes stay safe for 30 days before they're permanently removed from your device. If you realize you need a note back and it was recently deleted, here's how you can recover it on your iPhone:
7. Use Search to Find Your Notes
Spotlight Search is a powerful tool on your iPhone that helps you quickly find any files or apps you need. If you can't locate a note you created, simply use Search to pull it up. Here's how to do it:
You can also use the search feature in the Notes app to find your missing notes:
8. Re-install the Notes App
If your Notes app is acting up, uninstalling and reinstalling it might help. Follow these steps:
9. Restart Your iPhone
Restarting your iPhone is the basic tip, and you can always try it if you encounter any iPhone-related problems.
10. Restore Your iPhone
If your notes aren't uploaded to iCloud or an email account for archiving, you can still restore them on your iPhone from an iCloud backup, provided you've created a backup that includes the missing notes. Restoring your notes from a backup, however, will replace all your current data and settings on the iPhone with the backup's content, so you'll lose any recent changes.
Set up your iPhone from scratch by following the on-screen prompts after your iPhone restarts.When you reach the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From iCloud Backup to complete the setup.