How to delete and recover notes in Notes on iPad

You can delete notes you no longer need. You can also recover recently deleted notes within 30 days.

A deleted note moves to the Recently Deleted folder in Notes, on iCloud.com, and on your other devices, and it stays there for 30 days before it’s permanently removed. If you don’t see Recently Deleted, there’s nothing to recover. Notes on iCloud.com and your other devices follow the same rules.

Here’s how to delete and recover notes in Notes on iPad.

Delete a note

1. Go to the Notes app on your iPad.
2. In the notes list, swipe left on the note and then tap Delete. Or touch and hold the note and then tap Delete.

When you delete a note, it moves to the Recently Deleted folder in Notes on iCloud.com, on your iPad, and on your other devices signed in to the same Apple Account.

Recover or permanently delete recently deleted notes

Deleted notes stay in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days. After that, they’re permanently removed from iCloud, your iPad, and other devices signed in with your Apple Account. Until then, you’re free to recover them or delete them permanently any time within those 30 days.

1. Open the Notes app on your iPad.
2. In the folder list, tap Recently Deleted. You may need to tap the Toggle Sidebar button to show the folder list.

   If you don’t see Recently Deleted, you don’t have any notes in that folder, and there’s nothing to be recovered.

3. Do one of the following:
   • Recover a note: Swipe left on the note, then tap Move. Move the note to a new or existing folder.
   • Permanently delete a note: Swipe left on the note, tap Delete, and tap Delete Note.

Note: If you delete a shared note you don’t own, it comes off your list only, not anyone else’s, and it won’t show up in Recently Deleted. Unless the owner stopped sharing, you can reopen it using the original shared link.