How to retrieve missing iPad notes after iCloud Sync

I encountered this same issue and fortunately was able to get (most) of my notes back because my most recent iCloud backup for the iPad was prior to when I turned on iCloud Sync for notes.

Issue:

I created new notes on my iPad while the "Sync this iPad" toggle for Notes within Apps using iCloud was off. When I switched on the toggle, all the notes created on my iPad were deleted and replaced by the notes from my iPhone/in iCloud.

APPLE NEEDS TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THIS - or at the very least provide a warning that the newly created notes could be deleted.

Solution:

• In Settings on your iPad, click your name (enter iCloud settings)
• Click iCloud
• Scroll to DEVICE BACKUPS, click iCloud Backup
• Under ALL DEVICE BACKUPS, click the latest iPad backup and confirm the Last Backup was saved before you switched on the Sync this iPad toggle. For me, my last backup was yesterday.

Next,

• Erase all content and settings
• Restore iPad from latest backup (you will lose anything done after that most-recent backup - for me this was worth it to get the notes back)
• Notes created on iPad should be there. Immediately copy them onto your phone or Google Drive

It happened to me too just this March 22 and I was able to restore about 95% of my notes.

I contacted apple support and they assisted me by screen sharing until we were able to restore them.

They will help you look for a back up in your iPad (not in the icloud) and they will help you restore that. Hopefully you do have back up in your iPad. Lucky for me cause my iPad was programmed to have a scheduled back up.

Reach out to them via: chatsupport.apple.com

They will initially do a basic troubleshooting and when they cannot go further due to technicalities, they will have someone call you. 

I hope you recover yours.

I found all my missing notes by sheer chance. There are three little dots at the top and the drop down made things appear. Like, notes on my iPad. I first clicked grid layout but reverted back to list layout. Anyhow, they all reappeared. Hope his helps.

Try this:

Settings -> Notes

Then turn on:

”On My iPhone” Account

It may take a while for them to fill in.

Yes!! I contacted Apple Support and they internally do something to recover your note. It actually works. I had scanned a book that took me an hour and when I opened icloud notes on my computed it disappeared. I contacted Apple and they recovered the note, it appeared again in my phone.

Contact Apple Support. I had the same issue and they actually retrieved the notes. They appeared again on my phone.

Just had this happen. Contacted support, notes just are showing, but you can search for the file names and they will come up.

Thank you for the reply ktlasersIE!

To confirm, the notes are currently on your iPhone, just not on your iPad? If the notes are on your iPhone and not your iPad, make sure that you are using the same iCloud account on both devices and make sure that iCloud is set up for Notes on your iPad:

Set up iCloud for Notes on all your devices - Apple Support

Otherwise, is it possible these notes are stored in a third-party account such as Yahoo or Google? Follow the actions under the "Check your account settings" section of the article we provided you and see if Notes are turned on for that account:

If you're missing notes on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Keep us posted.

Happened to me too and I recovered my notes on my iPad

i contacted apple support and then an agent chatted with me, we did basic troubleshooting and then she had someone call me.

i was asked to “restore setting” and while I was doing that, my apps were uploaded to the cloud. My iPad restarted after that and in setting up, that’s where we (me and the apple rep) clicked for the last back up IN MY IPAD (not the icloud).

i recovered mine like 90% and then i manually transferred the notes from my iPad to my iPhone prior pressing again (sync this iPad) before doing again “sync this iPad”

i hope this helped

After updating my desktop to Big Sur, I lost my all my notes going back to 2017, I did not have Notes backed up on iCloud, previous posts led me to this resolution to retrieve them, try the following steps:

-must be on a desktop, not iPhone or other device

-log into iCloud on Chrome, not Safari

-select Notes

Your Notes should appear now. Unfortunately you might have to screen should, copy/paste, or save images individually, but at least you can see each note.

Yes! contact Apple Support and they will retrieve them.

Hi ktlasersIE,

Thanks for that information. Contacting Apple Support is the best path forward to resolve this issue. They will be best equipped to address this:

Contact - Official Apple Support

Cheers!

Hey there ktlasersIE,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities. For the best steps that can help with locating your missing notes, check out the steps listed in this link here: If you're missing notes on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

You may also be able to recover your notes with the steps in this next link here: Delete and recover notes on iCloud.com - Apple Support

Recover recently deleted notes

You can recover and edit notes you deleted in the last 30 days on iCloud.com or on your devices that are signed in with the same Apple ID. However, you can’t recover notes you permanently removed.

1. In Notes on iCloud.com, select Recently Deleted in the folder list on the left.

If you don’t see Recently Deleted, you don’t have any notes in that folder, and there’s nothing to be recovered.

2. Select a note, then click Recover in the Notes toolbar.

The note moves to the Notes folder.

If you want to move a recovered note directly to a folder you created, drag the note from the Recently Deleted folder to another folder.

Let us know if that's able to help.

Best regards.

I am very happy for you and hope that the problem can be solved for some others here.

I contacted Apple Support and to their credit, they were very patient and spent over an hour trying to figure out how to retrieve the missing notes. Unfortunately it is not possible in my case, and countless others, I suspect. The notes are just gone forever after “synching” to the cloud :-(

This happened to me on my Macbook Air - to sync your Notes from your iCloud:

1. Click on Notes -> Accounts
2. iCloud -> Show more apps -> Notes
3. Toggle the sync button
4. Wait for Notes app to respond and upload your notes from the could.

Hope this helps.