How to Fix Notes App Not Working on iPhone in iOS 17 Issue

By Dave Johnson - Executive Editor
4 Min Read

If Notes app is not working on your iPhone running iOS 17, here are the steps you can take to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

With Notes, you can capture a quick thought, create checklists, sketch ideas, and more. And with iCloud, you can keep your notes updated across all your devices. . If you’re having the problem of Notes app not working on iPhone after iOS 17 update, here are some solutions you can try to fix the issue.

6 Ways to Fix Notes App Not Working on iPhone in iOS 17

1. Close And Reopen The Notes App

Closing and reopening the Notes app can fix a potential software crash that has caused Notes app to stop working after iOS 17 update. First, open the app switcher, where you can view all the apps currently open on your iPhone.

If your iPhone has Face ID, swipe up from the bottom to the center of the screen and hold your finger there until the app switcher opens. If your iPhone doesn’t have Face ID, double-press the Home button.

Now that the app switcher is open, swipe Notes up and off the top of the screen. It wouldn’t hurt to close your other apps too, just in case one of them has crashed. You’ll know your apps are closed when they no longer appear in the app switcher.

2. Restart Your iPhone

A simple way to help correct a software problem on your iPhone is to restart the phone. It may sound like a silly thing to try, but some magic goes on when you restart your iPhone. It’s one of the most recommended troubleshooting solutions for iPhones, and it happens to work more often than not. Just give it a try! You’d be amazed how this simple step will quickly fix Notes problem on your iPhone!

To restart your iPhone, hold down the power button. That’s on the upper right-hand side of your iPhone. Hold it for a few seconds until the screen changes. Then, slide your finger across the part that says slide to power off. Once your iPhone is off, count to 10 and then push the power button again to restart it.

If you have an iPhone with Face ID, simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until slide to power off shows up on the screen. Then, swipe the power icon from left to right. Wait about 20 seconds, then press and hold the side button to reboot your iPhone.

3. Update Your iPhone

The next troubleshooting step to try if Notes app is still not working on your iPhone is to update iOS. While being an update or two behind usually won’t cause any issues, apps may stop working correctly if you’re several updates behind. This is especially the case with more significant updates that make big changes in the way things work within the inbuilt apps. It’s always a good practice to keep your apps as up-to-date as possible. Since Notes is a native iOS app, the only way to update it is to update the your iPhone software.

Start the Settings app on your iPhone then go into General > Software Update. Tap Download and Install or Install Now if an iOS update is available.

4. Set up Notes with iCloud

You can use iCloud to update your notes across all of your devices. To set up Notes with iCloud, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Show All, then turn on Notes. You’ll see your notes on all of your Apple devices that you’re signed in to with the same Apple ID.

5. Turn iCloud Notes Off and On

From our experiences, we know that sometimes an iCloud glitch may cause this issue. When the Notes app doesn’t open, instantly crashes, or freezes, simply toggle iCloud Notes off and back on. This is an easy fix. The steps below describe turning iCloud off and on for Notes. You will not lose any Notes. Here is how:

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your name at the top of the screen.
  2. Go to iCloud.
  3. Under the Apps Using iCloud section, tap See All.
  4. Find Notes and toggle off the iCloud switch for Notes.
  5. When you turn it off, you will be asked what you want to do with the iCloud data, and a popup will appear with two options: Keep on My iPhone or Delete from My iPhone.
  6. Choose the Keep option. Do not choose the Delete option (of course, unless you want to delete). The Keep option will save the data on your iPhone.
  7. Wait for the process to complete. It may take up to a minute.
  8. Now, toggle on the switch again. Since we selected the Keep option, you will be asked what you want to do with the saved iCloud data. A popup saying “Existing Local Notes” will ask if you want to Merge. Choose Merge to avoid losing Notes.
  9. Now close Settings, open Notes, and check if it’s working properly.

6. Reset All Settings On Your iPhone

If Notes app is still not working on your iPhone, reset all your phone settings. Reset All Settings restores your iPhone’s settings to factory defaults, but it doesn’t delete any of your apps or personal information. your iPhone Doing so should hopefully fix the Notes app problem on your iPhone.

To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer Or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings, enter your passcode, and tap Reset All Settings.

Notes app widget not working on iPhone

Is the Notes app widget on the iPhone Home Screen or Lock Screen not displaying the notes and instead shows Folder No Longer Available or some similar error? It’s pretty easy to fix this problem, just touch and hold the Notes widget, tap Remove Widget and then tap Remove again to confirm.

Now add the Notes Widget again. Once you do that, the Notes app widget should start working again.

Fixed Notes app Not Working on iPhone in iOS 17 Issue!

You’ve fixed the problem with the Notes app on your iPhone and you can now capture a quick thought, create checklists, sketch ideas, and more. Make sure to share this article on social media to teach your friends and family what to do when Notes is not working on their iPhones. Leave a comment down below if you have any other questions about your iPhone or Notes app.

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By Dave Johnson Executive Editor
Dave Johnson is the editor-in-chief of GeeksModo. He covers news, how-tos, and user guides for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
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