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How to Retrieve Notes from iPhone Backup?

author
Written By
Nick Rogers
Published On
August 27th, 2025
Reading Time
7 Minutes Reading

Taking any notes using pen and paper is a thing of the past now! Today, if you want to make a shopping list or if you wish to write down important work details or even if you have to make a daily journal, your phone is your notebook! It may happen with many people that suddenly upon opening their iPhone device, they realise all these important notes have vanished! Imagining writing down something very vital for your office meeting, and now it is all gone! Disturbing, right? But here is the good news, it is possible to retrieve notes from iPhone backup safely.

Why Is This Problem So Common – A Quick Look at Some Statistics

As per Apple’s Support documentation, nearly 85 percent of iPhone users tend to depend upon iCloud or iTunes backups for protecting their crucial data. But data loss still remains as one of the most faced issues by iPhone users globally). This shows how frequently such users face the challenges of lost notes, after which, the urgent need to recover those notes generates.

A Scenario & Its Satisfactory Solution

Problem: Sam is a college student. He noted down his semester exam schedule on his iPhone Notes app. A few days later, when he updated his iPhone software, suddenly he saw that his notes were all gone. He then tried checking his Notes app recurrently, but nothing showed up.

Solution: Instead of feeling anxious, Sam used his old iTunes backup to retrieve notes from iTunes backup. Within a matter of a few minutes, he got his exam schedule back. Such relief was priceless as it saved his day.

“Do-It-Yourself” Methods to Retrieve Notes from iPhone Backup

To get lost notes back, you can try a few manual techniques.

1st Restoring from iCloud Backup

  1. You need to go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
  2. After that, restart your iPhone device.
  3. Now, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
  4. Then, select the backup that contains your notes.

Pros:

  • This process is free.
  • It is an official Apple method.
  • This technique works only if you have a habit of regularly backing up to iCloud.

Cons:

  • This process requires erasing the whole device first.
  • You can’t selectively extract notes from iOS backup.
  • There is a possibility that existing data will be overwritten. Oh my god!

2nd Retrieve Notes from iPhone Backup with iTunes Backup

  1. First of all, you need to connect your iPhone device to a system.
  2. Then. you have to open iTunes.
  3. Now, select Restore Backup.
  4. After that, choose the latest backup.

Pros:

  • This process is free and somewhat straightforward.
  • This technique works without the internet once backup is on a machine.

Cons:

  • You can’t selectively extract notes from iTunes backup.
  • You have to restore the entire backup, not just notes. Oh!
  • Doing this process might result in data loss if current files are replaced.

3rd Checking Recently Deleted Folder in the Notes App

Sometimes, notes are simply there in the Recently Deleted folder for thirty days. You can just go there and retrieve them back with a single tap. So easy!

Pros:

  • This way is quick.
  • It is pretty simple.
  • No backup is needed.

Cons:

  • This way only works if notes were deleted recently and they are still lying in that “deleted” folder.
  • This process will not help if your notes have been missing because of any device reset or failed update.

Why a Pro Tool Is Always Better to Retrieve Notes from iPhone Backup

Manual techniques might work in some cases, but these come with their own risks such as losing new data, overwriting data, or retrieving the whole device data. This is where the 4n6 iPhone Backup Viewer software is going to make the process much smoother for you.

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Benefits in Your Tool Bag

Here is why many users love it:

  • Ready to Use: No such requirement to set up complicated cloud sync or get confused with iTunes. Works for both iTunes and iCloud backups.
  • Quick Access: Just download this tool and load your iPhone backup file that is created using iTunes without the need of iTunes installation.
  • Easy Viewing: Instantly view your iPhone notes on your system or PC! Search, sort, & read as you like, with a very easy interface. You are not that technical? Not a problem! You can use this tool very easily! This tool allows preview of notes before recovery.
  • Zero Hassle: Even if you lose your iPhone device or it gets broken, you can open backups and also see your phone notes very easily.
  • Safety & Privacy: No risk of uploading your private data online; because with this tool, everything stays on your own PC! Personal data is after all personal!
  • Selective Recovery: This tool allows you to extract notes from iPhone backup selectively without touching other data.
  • Bonus Features: Not just notes, you can also view your iPhone photos, call history, chat logs, & much more.
  • Extra Advantage: Recovers even old backups without replacing new files.

Simple Working Steps Using the Tool

  1. First and foremost, install & run the tool on your PC and then click “Open.”
    run the tool
  2. Now, select “iPhone Backup.” After that, browse & choose your backup file.
    view iPhone details
  3. Once done, select “Notes” from the left panel.
    read notes from iphone backup
  4. Finally, click “Extract” to save notes on your PC.

And this is it! You can very easily get notes from iPhone backup within a few clicks only. This is really a super easy task using this wonder tool!

FAQs – Solving Your Queries

Q1. Is it possible to selectively retrieve old notes from iPhone backup?
Yes, you can do so with the help of a pro tool that lets you choose only notes without extracting the whole backup.

Q2. Can I retrieve notes from Apple iPhone backup if I forgot my iCloud password?
Yes, if you are having an iTunes backup that has been saved on your machine, you can still recover your notes.

Q3. What is the process to get notes from iTunes backup without restoring the whole phone?
With the help of a specialized tool, you can directly preview and then save only the Notes section.

Q4. Can I extract notes from an iPhone backup for free?
Yes, you can use any manual method (iTunes/Finder full restore or iCloud). But such ways may result in data loss. They are also not as flexible as using any professional tool, which is a far simpler approach.

Conclusion: Ending Notes about Retrieving Notes

Your phone notes are highly precious, whether they are about your work, your studies, or even personal life. If you ever lose them, do not panic as you can always retrieve notes from iPhone backup through iCloud, iTunes, or better yet, with the help of a third-party tool. Among these methods, using a 3rd-party software makes the recovery process easier, speedier & securer. What more can you ask for?

Brief Recap – Hope You Noted How to Retrieve Notes from iPhone Backup

In this blog, we saw some real-life issues that can happen when your iPhone is not working. We have talked about how to retrieve notes from iPhone backup using both manual as well as professional ways. We checked out some manual methods such as iCloud & iTunes. We found that while these manual ways are okay, they can have issues with speed, storage, as well as complexity of usage. Having a simple & direct way to extract notes from iPhone backup is a great way to be prepared for any phone emergency. A professional tool comes with such a kind of respite. The software tends to provide a direct, safe, & convenient approach to access your notes and even other data such as photos etc.