How to fix iPhone Notes disappearing after iCloud terms & conditions update

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iOS

When iPhone users accepted new iCloud terms, some were shocked to see all their Notes disappear from the app. Here's how to get them back.

iPhone displaying a notes app with iCloud folders, accompanied by a yellow pencil on a cork background.
Apple Notes on iPhone



A recent bug affecting Apple's Notes app has left some iPhone users concerned after their notes appeared to vanish. The issue seems to impact iPhones running iOS 18 versions after users agree to updated iCloud terms and conditions.

Reports across social media indicate that the Notes app disconnects from iCloud, leaving the app empty and alarming users who rely on it for personal and professional information.

After agreeing to the iCloud terms, the Notes app displays no content for affected users, showing only an empty "On My iPhone" folder instead of the usual iCloud-synced notes. Reopening or force-quitting the app does not resolve the issue, and some users are left wondering if their notes have been permanently erased.

Many users didn't immediately realize the connection between agreeing to the new terms and the bug, but reports indicate that the two are related. Although some users report that their notes reappear on their own after a short time, others find the issue persistent. For those affected, a straightforward solution is available.

How to recover disappearing Apple Notes



The fix for the missing notes bug is relatively simple and involves re-enabling iCloud sync for Notes.


  1. Go to Settings and tap on your name at the top to access your iCloud settings.

  2. Navigate to iCloud and select Notes.

  3. Wait until the Sync this iPhone toggle appears, then turn it off and on again.

  4. Open the Notes app again and wait for it to resync.

Three iPhone screens showing iCloud settings: account details, storage options, and notes synchronization settings, with switches and storage usage indicators.
The fix for the missing notes bug is relatively simple and involves re-enabling iCloud sync for Notes.



It may take a few minutes for all notes to reappear, especially if the user has a significant amount of data stored in Notes. Based on user reports, everything can take up to ten minutes to sync back fully. Once completed, notes should be restored as before the bug occurred.

Though the bug has caused frustration, there is no indication of permanent data loss. The issue appears limited to iOS 18 and iOS 18.1, plus is clearly connected to the recent iCloud terms and conditions update.

User reports on social media reflect widespread concern, with people worried about the safety of their notes on iCloud. While the bug disconnects Notes from iCloud on affected devices, users can still access their notes from other Apple devices that use the same iCloud account.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    riverkoriverko Posts: 247member
    Oh thanks. Didn’t noticed they disappeared at all, only after reading the article 👍🏼👍🏼
    iOS_Guy80Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 14
    dcarpinodcarpino Posts: 2member
    I clicked on iCloud and my "Notes" are not there.  Now what?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 14
    dcarpinodcarpino Posts: 2member
    It finally appeared after 1/2 an hour.  Thanks, your solution worked.
    appleinsideruserwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 14
    mdwychoffmdwychoff Posts: 23member
    The issue is not llimited to iOS 18.0 and 18.1.
    My iPhone 12 Pro is running iOS 17.7.1, and I also encountered a blank Notes screen this morning.
    The names of Saved Noted on both my phone and on iCloud all 'disappeared' after agreeing to the updated iCloud terms and conditions.

    First, I confirmed that I was connected to the internet via WiFi. Then I went to Settings, Notes, and because I share most Notes with other Apple devices via iCloud, I re-selected iCloud as the default location for my saved Notes.

    In a matter of a few seconds, the filenames of both iCloud notes and notes stored locally on my iPhone began reappearing in the Notes selection list. In a few minutes, both lists were fully restored.



    Glenmere7watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 14
    OctoMonkeyOctoMonkey Posts: 340member
    I don't sync anything other than passwords to iCloud...  everything is hunky-dory at my end!
  • Reply 6 of 14
    Glenmere7Glenmere7 Posts: 1member
    The bug causing Notes to disappear also affects iOS 17.6.1, which I have on my iPhone 12 Pro. While searching for a fix, I was able to view and edit Notes via iCloud.com. The solution recommended above by Andrew Orr worked for me after an impatient wait through a half hour of retrieval time. Please note that in Step 3 of the procedure, it is sufficient merely to toggle the on/off switch for "Sync this iPhone" from On to Off and back again. You do NOT need to click the subsequent confirmation window, which would remove syncing altogether. It's a big relief to have Notes back on my iPhone. Thanks to all forum contributors for your help and insights.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 14
    commiePinkocommiePinko Posts: 2member
    A quarter of the way through the 21st century, and we still need to be told "Turn it off, then on"?  
  • Reply 8 of 14
    shejoy07shejoy07 Posts: 1member
    Should it take very long? I have been trying for 25 mins and it's just spinning.....
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 14
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,601member
    shejoy07 said:
    Should it take very long? I have been trying for 25 mins and it's just spinning.....
    Depends on the quantity of notes, I would imagine, but several people here (including in the article) said it took about a half-hour.

    I am thankful this bug did not (yet?) affect me, but of course I have backups of my Mac that would allow me to recover the Notes if something amiss were to happen. LOVING the new ability to mark subsections and collapse them!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 14
    jeffkidmanjeffkidman Posts: 1member
    Yes, as others have noted I saw this in 17.7, and it happened to my iPhone and iPad at the same time. going into settings worked to restore them on both devices.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 14
    mckkm@aol.commckkm@aol.com Posts: 1member
    It’s my iPad the Notes disappeared from. When I follow these instructions on my iPad, I get a pop up: Turn off notes Are u sure you want to continue? All iCloud notes will be removed from your iPad. Delete from My iPad Cancel I selected Delete from my iPad since the notes were already gone. Sync this iPad is spinning and the pop up keeps returning no matter what I do. No Nites are reappearing.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 14
    IreneWIreneW Posts: 307member
    commiePinko said:
    A quarter of the way through the 21st century, and we still need to be told "Turn it off, then on"?  
    It obviously runs Windows in the back end.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 14
    CidYoungCidYoung Posts: 2member
    Very inconvenient. I’m so upset to have just discovered this after being “away “ from all technology after a total knee replacement surgery. And I am in no mood to reset my phone after all my notes disappeared!
    F Y to Apple on Thanksgiving morning! 
     🍏 🦃💩🍗🦃💩🍏
  • Reply 14 of 14
    CidYoungCidYoung Posts: 2member

    F-N Happy Thanksgiving from Apple to a 73 year old non-Techie . 1-28-24 - I Update my phone, and it changes the look of all the icons and everything, and removes all my Notes that l use as “cheat-sheets” and “life hacks” like my pinned grocery lists for Trader Joe’s.

     And my Recipe for New England-style Cranberry Sauce and Bourbon Yams.🍠 

    F You 🍏. 

    I try to simplify my life , and now, I find that YOU make me spend my Holiday weeee hours of Thanksgiving morning , fresh out of rehab with a painful knee replacement surgery trying to figure out how to restore something l never wanted to remove in the first place! 

    F-U for thinking of us old people, the slow to adapt, who don’t line up at the Apple Store for every last F-N next thing that you put out in some clever white box, especially a phone with no instruction manual.

    Way too clever to not even include a screen saver or a case, or a cheap ear pod. No, just strip it down and charge extra for every F-N little thing. Corporate America sucks. 

    Cid Young - Very Unhappy, Old & Crabby in  Moss Beach, California 

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