There are few things more alarming in the world of technology than opening an app or a file on your screen to find it empty. You ask yourself, Where’s my game save/crucial bank account detail/best review I ever wrote? This unpleasant feeling has been hitting iPhone users with an empty Notes app. Here’s what seems to be going on — and the thankfully straightforward fix if it happens to you.
Some iPhone users are finding the contents of the Notes app are vanishing. Don’t panic.
The first thing to do is not panic. Horrible though it is to see the Notes app showing you zero notes instead of the hundreds or thousands you might have, you haven’t lost anything. You just haven’t found it yet.
It’s serious though: ever since the capability to lock individual notes appeared, some people have used Notes to save passwords — though the new Passwords app is a better option for this now.
The ‘Widespread’ Notes Bug
As explained by Benjamin Mayo at 9to5Mac, “Some iPhone users are reporting a scary bug with the Notes app on iPhone. After agreeing to new iCloud terms and conditions as prompted by the system, the Notes app appears to disconnect from iCloud and instead presents users with a screen of zero notes, as if all the user’s notes have been deleted.”
Mayo goes on to say that while he’s running iOS 18.2, it seems to affect more than that: “This is a relatively widespread bug that impacts iPhones running any iOS 18 version.” There’s currently no evidence it’s connected to the newly arrived iOS 18.1 iPhone update.
In Mayo’s case, the moment of realization came when he opened the Notes app to see the iCloud notes section gone. It happened on the same day that he had accepted new iCloud terms and conditions on the iPhone.
It’s not happening to everyone — I did this recently and my notes are all still there, thankfully — but if it does happen, here’s what to do.
Keep Calm And Carry On
For some users, it sorts itself out, with notes reappearing soon after. For me, I’ve experienced this in Notes on the iPad, but a blank page is restored to glory just by clicking on the sidebar button.
Or Do This
If a moment of patience doesn’t solve things, Mayo recommends this plan of action. First, open Settings on the iPhone and go to the top item, marked by your name and the words Apple Account and so on. From here, choose iCloud and then Notes.
Here, you’ll find a button marked Sync this iPhone, which may take a few seconds to appear. Check the toggle is switched to on. Wait a couple of moments, Mayo says, and when you re-open the Notes app you should find your notes are all downloading to the iPhone again. It could take time for them all to reappear, depending on how many you have. I’m up to 1,832 notes, since you ask.
This issue may never happen to you but if it does, follow the instructions above.
