11 Ways to fix Notes not syncing between iPhone and Mac

Key Takeaways

To fix Apple Notes not syncing across iPhone and Mac, verify iCloud server status, confirm matching Apple IDs, and enable iCloud backup for Notes on both devices.

You jot down an idea on the Notes app, but when you try to access it on your other Mac or iPhone, it’s not there! So what’s the reason behind this? Well, primarily, It’s because Apple Notes is not syncing data between iPhone and Mac. Don’t worry. I faced a similar problem and was able to solve them with the below fixes! Read along.

Quick Links

1. Check Apple System Status

Whenever you face any issues while using an Apple service, check Apple’s System Status page. Here, you can see which services are active. If the Apple Notes server is under maintenance or offline, Apple will inform that on the page, and you can wait until it’s back online.

If it’s green, move on to the next solution!

If you don’t know it, let me tell you: you must log in with the same Apple ID to sync data across all your Apple devices. To check the Apple ID on your:

iPhone: Settings → Apple ID. Here you can see which ID has been used on your iPhone.

As for your Mac, open System Preference → Apple ID. Here, you can see your Apple ID on the left.

If both IDs are different, sign out and back in with the ID you want to use for syncing Apple Notes.

3. Check if the notes are stored locally

If you have enabled local storage for Notes, it won’t be synced across your other devices. And as you can guess, you need to turn it off. Here’s how:

Open Settings.
Scroll down and tap Notes.
Toggle off “On My iPhone” Account.

To prevent local Notes storing on Mac, you have to open:

Open Notes.
Click Notes at the top left.
Select Preferences.
Uncheck Enable the On My Mac account.

4. Enable iCloud services for notes

You have to make sure if you have enabled iCloud backup for Notes on your iPhone and Mac. To enable notes backup on iPhone:

Open Settings.
Tap your Apple ID.
Select iCloud.
Under SYNC WITH ICLOUD, tap Show All.
(On iOS 15, you can toggle on Notes)
Then, tap Notes → enable Sync this iPhone.

Now, for Mac:

Open Notes.
Click Notes at the top right.
Select Accounts.
Select iCloud → check Notes.

By these, the Notes app will sync all Notes on your iPhone and Mac to iCloud and can be accessed from any device logged in with the same Apple ID.

5. Force quit and restart the Notes app

Since iPhone and Mac have good RAM management, we often keep apps in the background. But if you keep some apps in the background open for long, that may affect the proper working of the app. To solve this, you can force quit apps on your iPhone and Mac.

Now, restart and see if the app has resumed syncing notes.

6. Turn off VPN

As you know, VPN creates a virtual private network of a particular location, and sometimes, Apple’s cloud services won’t work properly in some of these locations. So, turn off the VPN and see if you are still facing the issues. If not, avoid VPN while using the Notes app.

When you sign out and sign in from any services, it makes the servers restart the services and checks if there are any unsynced data. So, sign out from iCloud on the devices where you have issues. After that, you can sign in and see if you still face the issue.

8. Restart iPhone and Mac

No matter what issues you have with your electric gadgets, most can be fixed with a simple restart. And even for this issue, you can do the same. Restart your iPhone or (force restart it) if you are unable to do a regular restart.

And to restart a Mac, you have to:

Click the Apple logo at the top right.
Select Restart.
Click Restart to confirm again.

After restarting your device, check and see if you still face any issues regarding note syncing.

9. Check internet connection

All the methods you have gone through will be in vain if you don’t have a proper internet connection. Remember that iCloud is an internet service and requires a stable internet connection to access its services.

You can also try to connect to some other Wi-Fi network if you have any and see if you still have the issue. If you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection, you can also try tethered internet via iPhone.

10. Contact Apple Support

If none of these methods help you, it’s time to contact Apple Support and inform them about your issue. They’ll help you find a proper solution.

Temporary solution to sync Notes between iPhone and Mac

Since you cannot sync data between iPhone and Mac, the next best way is to transfer these notes using AirDrop. To transfer notes from iPhone:

Open the Notes app.
Select the note you want to send.
Tap the share button at the top right.
Now, select AirDrop → select the device of your choice.

To transfer notes from Mac:

Open the Notes app.
Select the note you want to send.
Click the share button at the top right.
Next, select Airdrop.
Now, select the device of your choice to transfer the notes.

If the Apple ID is not in your contact, you must accept the AirDrop on the other device to accept the file.

Q. Does the Notes app sync across devices?

Yes, if you have enabled it in iCloud, the Notes app will sync the notes across your Apple devices.

Q. Why are my Apple Notes not syncing?

There are many reasons. The main among them are: limited iCloud storage, iCloud server issue, different Apple IDs, locally stored notes, and also if you are using a VPN.

Q. Can you view notes on iCloud.com?

Yes. You can view notes on iCloud.com. Visit the website and log in with your Apple ID. You can see all your synced data.

That’s it!

Since seamless data access is one of Apple’s ecosystem’s best features like locking the Notes, it’s frustrating if your Notes data is not synced across. Did you have a similar experience with any other Apple services? Mention it in the comments below. We can help you find solutions for it. 😉

Meanwhile, here are more fixes for your iPhone and Mac:

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