[GUIDE] How To Find And Not Lose Notes.

[Ledsteplin]

For some time I have seen user after user come here asking where their Notes have gone. They seem to disappear. I usually suggest checking their email Notes folder. But it can be confusing.
Here's the scoop:

? Apple Notes users can choose to store Notes on their device (iCloud) or synced to any email account they wish. That sync may be in default. So in Settings > Gmail, Notes may be toggled ON. If so, the email account will show in the Notes app. One might see more than 1 email account in Notes.


? If Notes users toggle ON Notes for iCloud only, then all is well and Notes will not disappear.


? If users toggle ON Notes for Gmail, e.g., the Notes will sync to that Gmail Notes folder/label. However, as long as Notes are toggled ON for the email account, the Notes folder will not be visible in Mail. To view Notes in Mail, one must toggle Notes OFF for the email account in Settings. It then disappears from the Notes app. Aha!


? They appear to arrive in Gmail as "incoming" and "outgoing" mail. It may show as incoming in the Notes folder and outgoing in Sent Mail. But they don't always show in Sent Mail.
? This initial transfer is one way only. The Notes can't be synced back to Notes without toggling Notes ON in Settings.
? Once Notes have been created and sent to Mail they are deleted from Notes. No copies are kept on the device.
? So if the user toggles Notes ON for the email account, Notes accesses them from mail to display them in the Notes app.
? If Notes are then deleted from Gmail - and many users do delete them, not knowing what they are or why they're there - the Notes are gone to trash for 30 days. After 30 days, they're gone.

The Solution:

Don't sync your Notes with an email account - if you value your Notes, there's too much room for user error. Keep them on the device ( iCloud ). Make sure all your emails are toggled OFF for notes.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Excellent guide, sir, and thank you for writing it. It is appreciated...

 

[taz323]

Very nice,thanks.

 

[pr1nce]

Nice guide. Thanks!

 

[zocster]

Truly needed thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nikkisharif]

Awesome...Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PeteTB]

Following a simultaneous software update and switch to using iCloud I lost a ton of Notes that I've given up on recovering, but I don't want to face the same problem again. Therefore, I want to keep my Notes as safely as possible, which is why I'm reading your advice.

Regarding your solution above [Don't sync your Notes with an email account - if you value your Notes, there's too much room for user error. Keep them on the device ( iCloud ). Make sure all your emails are toggled OFF for notes.] I don't understand the part of the solution that says, "Keep them on the device ( iCloud )." Doesn't the next sentence contradict that? i.e. Doesn't making "sure all your emails are toggled OFF for notes" remove them from the device and keep them with the mail account? Shouldn't it read, "Keep them off the device ( iCloud )"?

 

[Ledsteplin]

Following a simultaneous software update and switch to using iCloud I lost a ton of Notes that I've given up on recovering, but I don't want to face the same problem again. Therefore, I want to keep my Notes as safely as possible, which is why I'm reading your advice.

Regarding your solution above [Don't sync your Notes with an email account - if you value your Notes, there's too much room for user error. Keep them on the device ( iCloud ). Make sure all your emails are toggled OFF for notes.] I don't understand the part of the solution that says, "Keep them on the device ( iCloud )." Doesn't the next sentence contradict that? i.e. Doesn't making "sure all your emails are toggled OFF for notes" remove them from the device and keep them with the mail account? Shouldn't it read, "Keep them off the device ( iCloud )"?

Only iCloud. Not Gmail, Outlook and etc. When you go to your notes app, you only want to see iCloud. If you have several email accounts on Notes, it can get confusing and notes can get lost. When emails are toggled OFF for notes, they don't show in the Notes app, but do show in the mail app in a folder called Notes. If they are toggled ON in Settings, then they do show in the Notes app but the Notes folder in Mail does not show. Using iCloud ensures they get backed up.
Here's mine. As you see, there's only iCloud.

 

[PeteTB]

Thank you very much for the clarification. I suppose part of my confusion comes from the word 'Notes' itself. In the solution, your reference to 'Notes' only refers to notes written on the Notes app, but I was thinking it included all notes (e.g. those written in Gmail and other mail accounts). At least, I think I'm right to make that distinction (App notes and mail notes).

Anyway, I now know how to keep my mail notes out of iCloud, so thanks again.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Thank you very much for the clarification. I suppose part of my confusion comes from the word 'Notes' itself. In the solution, your reference to 'Notes' only refers to notes written on the Notes app, but I was thinking it included all notes (e.g. those written in Gmail and other mail accounts). At least, I think I'm right to make that distinction (App notes and mail notes).

Anyway, I now know how to keep my mail notes out of iCloud, so thanks again.

Right. There's the Notes app, and the Notes folders in Mail. Test it. Look in your mail, and see if there's a Notes folder. If not, go to Settings and toggle Notes OFF for that email. Then go back and look. The folder should now be there.

 

[iluckylab]

Excellent guide, thank you for writing it. One more question:

- If I using 1 iCloud account for more devices and put on this option for all. The Notes will sync ok on all devices???

 

[Ledsteplin]

Excellent guide, thank you for writing it. One more question:

- If I using 1 iCloud account for more devices and put on this option for all. The Notes will sync ok on all devices???

If you share the iCloud account with other devices, your notes may show on all the devices. That may work if all the devices are yours. But not if the sharing is with other people. Do that and you run into problems.

 

[sam0701]

great info, previously i have a problem that all of my notes has been disappeared and very annoying but now i have seen this info, that will help me on this thing. thanks for sharing

 

[PeteTB]

Right. There's the Notes app, and the Notes folders in Mail. Test it. Look in your mail, and see if there's a Notes folder. If not, go to Settings and toggle Notes OFF for that email. Then go back and look. The folder should now be there.

Thanks, I finally got round to running the test you mentioned but the folder isn't there in Mail; that emails' notes did disappear from the Notes app on the phone though. I toggled Notes back on in Settings for that email and the Notes returned to being displayed in the Notes app. Any idea how to get the Notes folder (or 'mailbox') to show in my email?

 

[Ledsteplin]

Thanks, I finally got round to running the test you mentioned but the folder isn't there in Mail; that emails' notes did disappear from the Notes app on the phone though. I toggled Notes back on in Settings for that email and the Notes returned to being displayed in the Notes app. Any idea how to get the Notes folder (or 'mailbox') to show in my email?

For the Notes folder to show in Mail, you must toggle Notes OFF in Settings for that email account. It then shows in Mail, but not in the Notes app. Toggle it back on, and it shows in the Notes app but not in Mail. If there's a way to show Notes in both places simultaneously, I haven't found it.