Deleted a note by mistake or want to restore a note you thought you didn’t need any more? Find out here how to recover a deleted note in Apple Notes on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
First, the Sound of Water Evaporating
If you take mushrooms (like you should) and put them in a hot pan (like you should) without cramming (like you should), then move them around (like you shouldn’t), you will be treated to not only sizzling umami flavors but also delicious searing sounds.
Water inside the mushrooms is expanding with the pan’s heat. Its escape in sudden bursts makes the mushrooms dance and sing, riding the waves of water evaporating.
Now, while getting the water back into the mushrooms is difficult, you can catch deleted items in Apple Notes before they will have finally evaporated:
How to Recover Deleted Notes (Mac and iPhone Notes)
On a Mac
Time needed: 2 minutes
To recover a note you have deleted in Apple Notes for Mac:
- Go to the folder Recently Deleted for the notes account in Apple Notes for Mac.
Here’s how: Select Recently Deleted in the folder list; If you do not see the folder list, click the Folders button in the toolbar or select View | Show Folders in the menu.
Immediate recovery: Press Command Z immediately after deleting a note to recover it just as immediately; you can also select Edit | Undo Trash Note from the menu. - Click on the note you want to recover with the right mouse button.
More than one: You can also select multiple notes, of course, and right-click on any to recover them in bulk.
- Select Move from the context menu that appears and select the folder to which you want to recover the note.
To the original folder: You can also restore the note to its original location; see below.
Forgot the password to a note? What to Do If You Forgot Your Notes Password
Restore a Note to Its Original Folder on a Mac
To recover a note to its original location without choosing the folder manually:
- Find the note in the Apple Notes app’s Recently Deleted folder.
- Click in the note and start editing it.
- Select Recover in the Recently deleted notes can’t be edited. dialog.
Recover a Note on an iPhone or iPad
To restore a recently deleted note in Apple Notes for iPhone and iPad:
- Open the folder Recently Deleted in the Notes app.
Here’s how: Swipe in from the left border until you see the Folders screen, then tap Recently Deleted. - Open a note to recover it.
- Tap in the note
- Select Recover from the Recently Deleted Note dialog that has appeared.
Restore Multiple Notes on iPhone or iPad
To recover more than one note from the Apple Notes Recently Deleted folder:
- Go to the Recently Deleted folder in Notes.
- Tap Edit.
- Now tap all notes you want to restore.
- Tap Move.
- Select the folder where you want the recovered notes to appear.
How to Recover Deleted Notes (Mac and iPhone Notes): FAQ
How long can I restore a note?
Apple Notes keeps notes in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days after it is deleted. During this time, you can recover a note.
Can I restore a note after it has been removed also from “Recently Deleted”?
No, you cannot restore notes you no longer find in the folder Recently Deleted.
(How to recover a deleted note in Apple Notes on Mac and iPhone tested with macOS Sonoma 14.1–14.3 and iOS 17.1; first published December 2023, updated May 2024)