How do you recover a deleted Notes message on iPhone?
Answer
Open Notes, go to the folder list, and check Recently Deleted. Recover the note within the retention period, or restore from an iCloud backup if it is already gone.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Recently Deleted notes are permanently removed after the retention period.
- Restoring a full device backup can replace newer content.
Follow these steps
Open the Notes folder list
Open Notes and tap the back arrow in the top left until you see the folder list (iCloud, On My iPhone, etc.).
You should see: All Notes folders are visible.
Recover from Recently Deleted
Open Recently Deleted, tap the note, then tap Recover. Confirm it returns to its previous folder.
You should see: The note is restored and editable again.
Check iCloud.com Notes
On a computer, sign in to iCloud.com with the same Apple ID and open Notes to see if the note still exists there.
You should see: The note appears in iCloud and syncs back to the iPhone.
Restore from backup only if needed
If Recently Deleted and iCloud.com do not have it, consider restoring an earlier iCloud or computer backup that predates the deletion, understanding newer data may be affected.
You should see: An older backup brings the note back, or you confirm it is unrecoverable.
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Extra tips
What to look for: A note is missing from your Notes folders after an accidental delete on iPhone.
Before you change anything: Do not create a new iPhone backup that might overwrite an older backup you still need. Check which Apple ID is signed into iCloud Notes. Avoid emptying Recently Deleted while searching.