Thanks to the Apple Notes app, Mac users can write down and keep important information, creative ideas, and more. Moreover, it is able to sync your notes across all your Apple devices through one account. Of course, you can not only create notes but also delete them, which is where mistakes may happen. This tutorial shares five methods to help you recover deleted notes on your Mac computer or laptop.

Part 1: How to Recover Recently Deleted Notes on Mac

Much like the Notes app on iOS, Apple has added the Recently Deleted folder to the Notes app on Mac. When you accidentally delete a note, it will be moved to the Recently Deleted folder and stored here for up to 30 days. Before it is permanently erased, you can quickly recover deleted notes on a Mac.

Step 1. Open the Notes app from your Dock or Applications folder.

Step 2. Click the Recently Deleted folder on the sidebar.

Step 3. Now, you can see all recently deleted notes.

Step 4. Press the Command key and select the notes you want to retrieve.

Step 5. Click the Edit menu and choose Undo Delete Note.

Part 2: How to Recover Deleted Notes on Mac from iCloud

iCloud is able to sync all changes if you have configured Notes on Mac. Before your note deletion doesn't sync to iCloud, you can recover deleted notes on a Mac from iCloud. This method requires a stable internet connection.

Step 1. Make sure you have set up Notes for iCloud.

Step 2. Go to www.icloud.com in a browser, and log in with your Apple ID and password.

Step 3. Choose Notes to open the iCloud Notes page.

Step 4. Head to a folder where your notes were stored or the Recently Deleted folder.

Step 5. Run the Notes app on your Mac.

Step 6. Select a desired note, copy the content, and paste it into the Notes app.

Part 3: How to Recover Deleted Notes from a Mac Hard Drive

Mac has a folder to store temporary files. If you accidentally delete a note, stop doing anything and access the temporary folder to recover deleted notes from the Mac. Here are the steps below:

Step 1. Quit the Notes app and open the Terminal app on your Mac.

Step 2. Type in open $TMPDIR and press the Return key on your keyboard.

Step 3. Find the com.apple.Notes folder and open it.

Step 4. Choose the TemporaryItems subfolder to access temporary files.

Step 5. Run the Finder app, click the Go menu, and choose Go to Folder.

Step 6. Copy and paste the path below into the box, and press Return. ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Notes/

Step 7. Next, move the files in the TemporaryItems folder to the Notes folder.

Step 8. Start the Notes app again to check if the notes are recovered on the Mac.

Part 4: How to Recover Deleted Notes from Time Machine Backup

Time Machine is the built-in backup and restore feature on Mac. If you have created a backup before deleting your notes, you can try to restore your information. Of course, you must have the right Time Machine backup.

Step 1. Open your Finder app from the Dock.

Step 2. Head to the Go menu and choose Go to Folder.

Step 3. Go to ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Notes/

Step 4. Click the Time Machine button on the top menu bar and choose Enter Time Machine.

Step 5. Use the Arrow buttons to select the right version, select the temporary files, and click Restore.

Step 6. Now, re-open the Notes app, and the deleted notes should be recovered.

Part 5: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Notes on Mac

If you don't have a backup, it is difficult to recover deleted notes from a Mac. Fortunately, Apeaksoft Data Recovery can help you resolve this problem. It can scan your hard disk and retrieve lost data in a few minutes before the files are overwritten.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Notes from Mac

Step 1. Install note recovery software
Run the note recovery application after you install it on your computer. Choose Mac Data Recovery to enter the main interface. Select the disk where your note files are stored and begin scanning your disk. It may take a while to complete data scanning.

Step 2. Preview lost data
When data scanning finishes, go to the Path List tab, and navigate to the com.apple.Notes folder. Then, choose Data, Library, and Notes. If you cannot find the folder, type notes in the box above and click Filter.

Step 3. Recover notes from Mac
Select all desired files, and click the Recover button at the bottom right corner. Then, set an output folder and confirm file recovery. Next, reopen the Notes app, and the deleted notes should be back.

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