Are you a Mac user looking for answers to questions like “where are notes stored on Mac” or “how to retrieve deleted notes on Mac”? Perhaps you’re wondering about the process of deleting a sticky note on your Mac or how to recover deleted notes. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions on all things related to managing and recovering notes on your Mac. Whether you’re looking to find recently deleted notes or seeking ways to locate and restore deleted notes on your Mac, we’ll walk you through the entire process.
Part 1: Where are Notes Stored on Mac?
If you are wondering questions like “where are notes stored on Mac”, the answer is straightforward.
On hard drive:By default, your notes are locally stored on the hard drive of the Mac. They are typically saved in the following directory: ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes/.
On iCloud:if you’ve enabled syncing with iCloud, your notes will also be stored online. Just log into your iCloud account and you can find them.
Part 2: How to find deleted notes on Mac?
In most cases, you can find it in the “Trash” and recover deleted notes on Mac effortlessly.
However, there are situations where users are unable to locate their notes due to various reasons.
- Accidental Deletion: It’s possible to accidentally empty your Trash bin, resulting in the permanent loss of your notes.
- Malware Infestation: Macs are not immune to malware such as ransomware and viruses. These malicious programs can delete or lock your important notes.
- Faulty Hard Drive: As mentioned before, the Notes app stores your files on the Mac’s main hard drive. If this hard drive becomes damaged or corrupted, it’s common to lose files, including your notes.
- Failed MacOS Update: During the installation of a new MacOS update, it’s crucial to ensure the process is uninterrupted.
- Unexpected Situation: If there’s a power loss or accidental restart, there is a risk of encountering issues that may result in the disappearance of your notes.
Read on and you don’t have to worry about how to retrieve deleted notes on Mac.
Part 3: Easiest Way to Recover Deleted Notes on Mac (BEST)
If you’re facing the issue of disappeared notes and need a reliable solution to recover deleted notes on Mac, Tenorshare 4DDiG (Mac) is here to help.
Renowned for its data recovery capabilities, 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery software is specifically designed to retrieve various file types, including dynamic data. With it, you can effortlessly recover your lost or deleted notes, even without a backup. Whether your notes were accidentally deleted, lost due to system issues, disk corruption, or virus intrusion, 4DDiG has got you covered.
- Enjoy high productivity with an easy preview option.
- Safeguard the integrity of your data during the recovery process.
- Recover lost documents without overwriting any other files, thereby preserving the safety of your other data.
- Benefit from a high success rate in data recovery.
- Restore your data effortlessly with just three simple clicks, without requiring any technical expertise.
- Supports MacOS Monterey, MacOS Big Sur, MacOS 10.15 (Catalina), and earlier versions.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to retrieve deleted notes on Mac using 4DDiG:
Step 1: Choose a Location
Once you have installed 4DDiG-Mac, open the application and select a location on your Mac, such as your hard drive, where you want to initiate the recovery process. Click the Scan button to start searching for all the deleted notes.
Step 2: Scan and Preview
The scanning process will take some time as it searches the partition where the Mac notes were lost. After the scan is complete, 4DDiG will provide you with a list of all the deleted Mac notes. You can preview these notes before recovering them.
Step 3: Recover Deleted Notes from Mac
Choose a destination where you want to save the recovered files by clicking the “Recover” button. It is not recommended to save the recovered files to the same location where they were lost, as this could potentially lead to permanent loss.
Part 4: How to Retrieve Deleted Notes on Mac Without Software
Solution 1: Recover Deleted Notes on Mac using Time Machine
If you are looking for how to retrieve deleted notes on Mac without software, Time Machine can be your reliable assistant. Here are steps to recover deleted notes by this built-in application:
Applied: If you have not made a backup before deleting the files, Time Machine will not be able to recover them.
Step 1: Open “Finder”, go to “System Preferences”, and select “Time Machine”.
Step 2: Enable the option “Show Time Machine in menu bar” by checking the box. Then, from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar, select “Enter Time Machine.”
Step 3: Navigate and find a version of the Notes storage folder preceding the deletion of your notes using the timeline displayed on the screen’s edge.
Step 4: Select the desired notes and click on the “Restore” button to restore them. Once you launch the Notes app, your missing notes should reappear.
Solution 2: Recover Deleted Notes on Mac by iCloud
As mentioned earlier, if you have synced your notes with iCloud, you don’t have to worry about how to retrieve deleted notes on Mac. Follow these steps:
Applied: You need to have enabled iCloud sync functionality beforehand.
Step 1: Go to iCloud.com. Or go to “System Preferences” and click on “iCloud”.
Step 2: Use your Apple ID and password to sign in.
Step 3: Once you find the notes you want to restore, click on the “Recover” button to get them back.
Solution 3: Recover Deleted Notes on Mac via Recently Deleted Folder
If you have recently deleted Notes files and wish to retrieve them, there is a possibility to do so within the Notes app itself. Unlike other applications where deleted files go to the Trash Bin, Notes has its own version called the Recently Deleted Folder. In this folder, copies of deleted Notes are retained for a minimum of 30 days before being permanently removed.
Step 1: Open the Notes application. In the left menu panel, click on the “Recently Deleted” Folder.
Step 2: From the list displayed in the right panel, select the Note that you want to recover.
Step 3: Right-Click on the notes and select “Move to”. Then, You can recover it to a safe location.
Solution 4: How to Retrieve Deleted Notes on Mac from Trash Bin
Another solution to recover your deleted notes on Mac is retrieving from Trash, even if they were subsequently emptied along with other files. Here are steps to do it：
Step 1: Open the Trash on your Mac by double-clicking.
Step 2: In the Trash window, you will see a list of deleted files. Look for the notes that you want to recover. If you have a large number of files in the Trash, you can use the search bar at the top right corner to search for specific note names or keywords.
Step 3: Once you have located the deleted notes, Right-click on the selected notes and choose the “Put Back” option from the context menu.
Solution 5: How to Retrieve Deleted Notes on Mac by .storedata
The .storedata files serve as temporary storage for essential information, and you can access them to potentially find your missing notes. Follow these steps to locate and recover deleted notes on Mac:
Step 1: Enter the following address into the Finder’s address bar: ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.notes/Data/Library/Notes.
Step 2: Select all of the .storedata files in the folder and Copy the selected files to a folder of your choice.
Step 3: In order to open and view the notes, you will need to change the file extensions from .storedata to .html.
Step 4: Once you have renamed the files, you can open them in any web browser. The notes should now be displayed in a text format within the browser. Copy the content of the notes and store them securely in a safe location.
Bonus Tip: How to Delete a Sticky Note on Mac
Some Mac users may want to know how to delete a sticky note on their Mac due to the presence of duplicate or unwanted notes. Here is a guide for you:
Step 1: Open the Sticky Notes app on your Mac.
Step 2: Hover your mouse cursor over the note you want to delete.
Step 3: Click on the “x” button that appears in the top-left corner of the note.
Step 4: Confirm the deletion if prompted.
By following these steps, you can easily delete unwanted sticky notes and declutter your sticky notes on your Mac.
Conclusion
In conclusion, knowing where notes are stored on Mac and how to retrieve deleted notes is essential for efficient data management. If you accidentally delete a note, you can take advantage of the available recovery options to recover deleted notes on Mac. For instance, by promptly using 4DDiG Mac data recovery, you can restore your important notes and prevent data loss, even if you don’t have a backup file.
