How to Restore Deleted or Broken Apple Notes on Mac

If you’ve accidentally deleted or encountered issues with your Apple Notes on your Mac, don’t worry; there’s a way to restore them. Apple Notes are not always stored in the obvious location, so follow these steps to recover your lost text or notes:

Note: Before proceeding, make sure you have a Time Machine (TM) backup of your Mac, as this method relies on it.

1. Quit the Notes App and Disconnect from the Internet

• First, close the Notes app if it’s open.
• Turn off your Wi-Fi or disconnect from the Internet to prevent your old notes from syncing during the restoration process.

2. Locate the Apple Notes Folder

• Your iCloud notes are not stored in the typical ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes location.
• Instead, navigate to ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes. This is where your iCloud-synced notes are stored.

3. Create a Backup of the Notes Folder

• Copy the group.com.apple.notes folder to a safe location, like your Desktop. This step ensures that you have a backup of your current notes configuration.

4. Restore the Notes Folder from Time Machine Backup

• Access your Time Machine backup system.
• Locate and restore the group.com.apple.notes folder to its original location, ~/Library/Group Containers/. This will revert your Notes app to a previous state where your lost notes should be available.

5. Open the Notes App

• Launch the Notes app to access your restored notes.

6. Copy and Paste the Lost Text

• To recover your lost text or notes, simply copy the content you need from the restored Notes app and paste it into another document, such as TextEdit.

7. Quit the Notes App Again

• Close the Notes app once you’ve copied the desired text.

8. Delete the Restored Notes Folder

• Delete the group.com.apple.notes folder that you restored from your Desktop. This step is essential to ensure that you’re using the restored version of the Notes app.

9. Move the Original Notes Folder Back

• Move the group.com.apple.notes folder from your Desktop back to its original location, ~/Library/Group Containers/.

10. Reopen the Notes App

• Launch the Notes app once more. You should now have access to your restored notes.

11. Reconnect to the Internet

• Finally, turn your Wi-Fi or internet connection back on to allow your notes to sync with iCloud.

By following these steps, you should be able to restore your deleted or broken Apple Notes on your Mac, ensuring that your important information is once again accessible.