Notes app is one of the most used and trusted applications on various Apple devices. It is mainly used to jot down checklists, budgets, plans, thoughts, weblinks, and other necessary information.
Looking at the importance of this app, we can imagine the frustration that comes with losing vital notes from this app. So if you permanently erased some notes from your iPhone, keep reading to learn more about the solutions to recover permanently deleted notes on your iPhone.
Important Reminders
First of all, make sure the notes are permanently deleted. Some people delete the notes on iPhone without knowing that they are still in the Recently Deleted folder on iPhone and will be there for 30 days. If you deleted the notes in the Recently Deleted folder, then keep reading. If not, check the Recently Deleted folder first, your notes must be there.
Secondly, after accidentally deleting notes on your iPhone, cut the network on your device and do not use it anymore because this may make your notes not recoverable. Only use the phone after succeeding in recovering the notes to your iPhone.
How to Recover Permanently Deleted Notes on iPhone
Below are 4 tested solutions to retrieve permanently deleted notes on iPhone. No matter whether you have an iPhone backup or not, it is possible to recover your permanently deleted notes.
1. Check your notes from another Apple device
iCloud helps users to keep all their Apple devices in sync so that they can access notes and other data from all these devices. If you have permanently removed some notes on one Apple device, disconnect the network on the other Apple devices using the same Apple ID as your iPhone and check whether your deleted notes are still there or not. Since the devices using the same Apple ID will sync notes on all devices, if other devices are not synced with your iPhone timely then the notes might still be there and you can retrieve them easily.
2. Restore iPhone from an iCloud backup
iCloud also allows you to make a backup of your iPhone data including notes regularly. If your iPhone has been backed up to iCloud, it will then be easy to recover the permanently deleted notes back to your iPhone. You need to restore your iPhone from the iCloud backup.
However, before doing this you have to ensure you have a recent backup that includes the notes you permanently deleted. You can check the time the iCloud backup was made and the time when your notes were created and not deleted.
Another important thing is that you cannot restore your iCloud backup without doing a factory reset of your device first. Factory reset deletes all data and settings on your iPhone. Think about it twice before you try this method.
To do this follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down and click on General.
- Navigate down then click on Transfer or Reset iPhone, after that select Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your passcode for confirmation.
- The whole procedure will last a few minutes depending on the size of your saved data. After the factory reset is complete your iPhone will restart.
After resetting your iPhone, you will now be able to restore the iCloud backup. To do that:
- When your iPhone restarts, follow all the steps on the screen to help you set up your device.
- When you reach the Apps & Data screen, click on Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Enter your Apple ID to sign in to your iCloud account.
- Select the most relevant backup.
- Enter your Apple ID to confirm the process as well as to restore your Apps and purchases.
- Maintain your network connectivity until the procedure ends successfully.
- Finish setting up your device and review your retrieved notes that have been permanently deleted before.
3. Restore iPhone from an iTunes backup
iTunes is one of the Apple built-in applications that helps iPhone/iPad/iPod touch users to back up, restore and update their devices as well as to purchase media and manager files. It can be used to successfully restore deleted notes to your iPhone provided you have an iTunes backup that contains the permanently deleted note. You can also check the backup date to confirm that. The disadvantage of this method is the same as an iCloud backup – you will lose all the data you currently have on your phone.
Before you use this program ensure that it is updated to the latest version as this will help prevent various errors and malfunction. To use this method follow the guide below:
- If you are using a personal computer, open and Run the iTunes program but if are using a mac with a macOS such as Catalina or later, you need to open Finder.
- With the help of a well-working Apple USB cable, link your iPhone to your computer.
- Make sure to select your device when it appears on the Finder or iTunes window.
- From there, select Restore backup and choose the backup you want to restore.
- iTunes will restore the backup you chose to your device.
- The time taken for the procedure to end depends on the size of your backup.
4. How to recover permanently deleted notes on iPhone without backup
If you didn’t regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud and iTunes then it will be impossible for you to recover your notes using the above-mentioned methods. In this case, you will have to use third-party software to help you recover permanently deleted notes on your iPhone without a backup.
One of the recommended tools to recover data is the Dr.Fone Data recovery software. This tool has a high recovery rate to recover many different types of data including notes from iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. Another advantage of this tool is that you can scan your device and check whether your permanently deleted notes are recovered or not using the free trial version.
To use the tool, download and install the Dr.Fone Data recovery software on your computer. It supports both Windows and Mac.
- Run Dr.Fone Data Recovery on your computer.
- Use a well-functioning Apple USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer.
- After launching the Dr.Fone on your computer, click on Data Recovery
- Once your iPhone is recognized by the program, choose the data type you want to recover which is Note & Attachments.
- Click on the Start Scan option to allow the program to scan your device for lost Notes. The scan period will depend on the amount of data on your iPhone.
- When the scan procedure ends preview the scanned data.
- You can also use the search box to find the specific notes you’re looking for from the scanned results.
- Select the notes that are permanently deleted and then click on the Recover to Device to save the notes to your iPhone or click Recover to Computer to save the notes to your computer.
Tip: How to Recover Deleted Text in Notes on iPhone
Some users ask us how to get the notes back when they accidentally deleted some texts in a note. Here is how to recover the deleted text in notes.
- If you delete the text, shake your iPhone and there will be a prompt saying “Undo Typing”. You can choose Undo to recover the deleted text.
- Tap the screen for a few seconds, and see if it shows the option of Paste. It there is Paste option, click it and see if any text gets back.
I hope this tutorial helps you to successfully recover your permanently deleted notes to your iPhone and recover the deleted text in notes.
