Whether you've accidentally deleted a note or your notes seem to be missing, here are some steps that may help.
My notes are missing after updating to Notability Cloud from iCloud. What should I do?
It's possible that your library may take some time to fully load after updating to Notability Cloud. If notes are still missing after a few minutes, try the following:
Make sure all your devices have moved to Notability Cloud. Notes only sync across devices that are on Notability Cloud. If one of your devices is still on iCloud sync, notes from that device won't appear on your other devices yet. Check each device and complete the update to Notability Cloud if prompted.
Check your internet connection. Updating to Notability Cloud requires a stable connection. If your connection dropped during the process, some notes may not have transferred. Make sure you're on a strong network and give the app time to finish syncing.
Check Unfiled Notes. Folder organization doesn't always carry over perfectly when updating to Notability Cloud. Your notes may still be there but sitting in Unfiled Notes rather than their original folders. If that's the case, you can reorganize them manually.
Check for collapsed folders. In Notability 16, some folders may appear empty because they are collapsed. Look for a right-facing arrow (>) next to a folder name and tap it to expand it.
Try importing your notes from iCloud Drive. If you're on Notability version 15.3.7 or later, you can manually search for and import any legacy notes that didn't transfer over. This is useful if iCloud syncing was off when updating to Notability Cloud, you ran into storage issues, or some notes were only stored locally on a device.
- Open the Notability app, then tap the gear icon in the top left to access in-app Settings.
- Tap Connected Services
- Tap Search iCloud Drive
- Choose whether to search iCloud Drive or On this [iPhone/iPad/Mac]
- Browse or search for the notes you want to import
- Select the notes you want (you can select multiple) and tap Import
Your imported notes will then be available across all your devices.
My notes are missing, but I didn't delete them. What happened?
If notes have disappeared from your library without you deleting them, try these steps:
Check Recently Deleted first. It's possible notes were deleted unintentionally. Go to Notability Settings > Recently Deleted to see if they're there.
Check that you're signed in to the correct account. Notes are tied to your Notability account. Go to Notability Settings > Account and confirm the email address matches what you used when you created those notes.
Restart your device. Some users have found that notes appear to go missing due to a temporary loading issue, and a full device restart causes them to reappear.
Check your internet connection. Notes may appear missing if Notability hasn't finished syncing. Make sure you're on a reliable connection and give the app a few minutes to load.
Check for collapsed folders. After updating to Notability 16, some folders may appear empty because they are now collapsed. Look for a right-facing arrow (>) next to a folder name and tap it to expand and reveal notes inside.
I deleted a note by accident. How do I get it back?
Deleted notes are moved to Recently Deleted and can be restored within 30 days. To recover them:
- Go to Notability Settings
- Navigate to the Recently Deleted tab
- Find the note you want and select Recover
Recovered notes will be restored to your Unfiled Notes folder. You can move them back to their original folder manually from there.
Notes that have been in Recently Deleted for more than 30 days are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
I deleted a folder. Can I recover the notes inside it?
If you deleted a folder, the notes that were inside it should still appear in Recently Deleted. Follow the same steps above to recover them. Keep in mind they'll land in Unfiled Notes rather than being restored to a folder.
What should I do if I'm still having trouble?
If notes are still missing after trying the above, please contact our Support Team as soon as possible. The sooner we hear from you, the better our chances of helping. Include as much of the following as you can:
- The approximate date the notes went missing
- The email address on your Notability account
- Which devices are having issues
- Whether the notes went missing before or after updating to Notability Cloud
- Whether they show up in Unfiled Notes or search results
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