Here’s How to Fix the Bug Causing iPhone Notes to Disappear

Halloween might be over, but the scares just keep coming for some iPhone users, who’ve stumbled across a pretty concerning bug after accepting the updated iCloud Terms and Conditions. Those affected have reported on social media that they’ve lost all files saved in their Notes app, and for very good reason, they’ve been looking for answers.

If you’re like me, the Notes app is an integral part of how you stay organized. It allows me to quickly jot down ideas, keep track of assignments, scan important documents, and, since the iOS 18 update, keep any voice notes in a convenient spot. Because I also use a MacBook Air, I know these files will be waiting for me on my laptop, so I tend to use Notes across all my Apple devices. If my files suddenly disappeared, I would be a disorganized mess.

Here’s some background: there weren’t any significant changes when the iCloud Terms and Conditions were most recently updated on September 16, 2024. According to MacRumors.com, the revisions included changing “Apple ID” to “Apple Account” and adding language that users must agree not to engage in any activities that exploit, harm, or threaten minors in any way.

Then, this week, iPhone users were notified they must now agree to those new Terms and Conditions to continue using iCloud, only to have some who did just that see the contents of their Notes app suddenly disappear and feel the panic set in.

If you saw your files vanish, you’re in luck. There are steps to fix the issue, and it won’t take a long, angry call to Tech Support.

1. On your iPhone, open your Settings app.

2. Tap your Apple Account settings (the top subsection where your name and profile picture are).

3. Scroll down and Tap on iCloud.

4. On the next screen, tap on Notes. It will be under “Saved to iCloud.”

5. Click the button next to “Sync this iPhone” so it is green, which indicates the feature is enabled. If it is already green, turn it off and back on again.

6. Open your Notes app and wait several minutes for your files to be restored from iCloud.

While there is no current explanation for the cause of the issue, I’m just relieved the fix is so easy.