Is anyone else experiencing problems with their notes following the iOS 18 update? Until yesterday my notes app was working fine and I was able to use it like I’ve always done. Since yesterday on September 17, 2024, the app’s been completely unusable and you can’t click on your notes without the app freezing or crashing.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iPhone 7, iOS 15
I had the same problem on my iPhone 11 Pro Max since yesterday when I updated to IOS 18 and the notes app appeared to be unresponsive and none of my notes would open. I had one large notes file which I desperately needed.
I tried all the solutions online and non worked. This included locking the note and applying a password. No good.
Some people suggested turning off syncing to iCloud but I never was using iCloud. I tried enabling and then disabling but that didn’t work. I tried logging out of iCloud then restarting the phone and logging back in to no avail.
I realised that even though the notes app appeared to be frozen some functionality was still working in that I was able to move the notes file to and from iCloud and between folders locally on the iPhone.
I realised that I could create a brand new test note file and this worked perfectly and would open and close and could be edited perfectly normally as long I kept away from my existing file. Having created a new file I disabled iCloud syncing and turned off 4G mobile data and clicked on my existing note and just left the app open apparently hung but after about twenty minutes it finally opened complete with all my data much to my relief.
I immediately copied all the text into an email that I sent to myself as a backup.
Problem Solved.
Notes now works fine as it did before the update. Just to be sure as I am an IT engineer I decided to delete my notes from both iPhone and iCloud and removed and reinstalled the notes app from the App Store to have a clean start recreating a new note from the data I copied out of the old file.
Everything now back to normal with no data loss but I really don’t like the new layout of IOS 18 and it’s caused a major headache with notes.
Hope that helps.
Good luck.
Same issue here on IPad Pro M2, large lecture notes with pure text are fine (mostly). Turned off ICloud sync which kind of helped. While taking notes with lots of math and calculations Notes tend to crash. Personally found two workarounds:
these are my personal tricks that helped, I hope this will be patched in next updates.
markolius wrote: "...Apple- Please fix this!..."
markolius ~ Apple isn't here; we're just users like yourself. Use these:
Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
õ¿õ¬
Sidonalisa wrote: Yes! I have scanned documents I’m trying to email and every time I open it and about to send them, the app crashes out and closes..."
Sidonalisa ~ What model of iPhone is it?...
Settings > General > About > Model Name
And what version of iOS is it running?...
Settings > General > About > iOS Version
õ¿õ¬
IronwoodsBossMan wrote: "Notes app is crashing after iOS 18 update on my iPhone"
IronwoodsBossMan ~ What model of iPhone is it?...
Settings > General > About > Model Name
And what point version of iOS 18 is it running?...
Settings > General > About > iOS Version
õ¿õ¬
CaptainMux wrote: "Come on, Apple, fix this already!"
CaptainMux ~ Apple isn't here in these user-to-user communities. Use this form:
õ¿õ¬
crawfords wrote: "...IS there ANYONE from Apple looking at these numerous complaints and actioning??..."
crawfords ~ Unlikely, as these are user-to-user communities. Use this form:
õ¿õ¬
Completely unusable for me on iPad Pro. I'm on iOS 18.0.1. I tried absolutely everything! I tried deleting the app and reinstalling, restarting the iPad, checking to see if there is an update, disconnected iCloud, and used the "on my iPad account," and yet nothing works. Nothing. Just constantly keeps crashing not matter what I do.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I followed your instructions and can now access my notes! Typing in my entries, though, is a pain. Lagging badly. I finish a sentence & have to wait for the entry to be completed! At least, I can get into it now!
I don’t know the name of the person who said to turn off cloud sync & cellular data & just leave the noes open for a bit. I did that & I don’t think it was more than 5 minutes when I glanced at my phone & my notes that previously wouldn’t open were right there! When I started to add a notation, I could, but the typing couldn’t keep up with my slow-typing finger! That’s another glitch, but I can live with that! Anyhow, to the techie who made that suggestion, THANK YOU!
Looks like you also have to delete all the notes as well for the sync to work—looks like there is no other option. Did you do that and it worked?
Found a work around in the meantime—open iCloud website on your phone—I am now able to access all of my notes.
There may be something right about very long, large notes affecting Notes syncing or freezing. Try offloading and see if that helps. But I suspect other bugs from iOS 18, like maybe the relatively new feature of folders, or just having tons of notes. In any case, the freezing comes and goes so an Apple fix is needed.
Lokeshpatel07 wrote:
Notes app is not working properly please fix this problem immediately
No one here in this user-to-user forum can do that. If you want help from Apple, use the Support link at the bottom left of every page of this forum.
Bifocal23 wrote: "Since an update about 3 months ago my notes is crashing. I called Apple support and they helped me through a rep hour process to re-sync to the cloud. The notes is still crashing?"
Bifocal23 ~ What model of iPhone is it?...
Settings > General > About > Model Name
And what version of iOS is it running?...
Settings > General > About > iOS Version
õ¿õ¬
tariq208 wrote: "Notes app has developed serious and irritating issues..."
tariq ~ What model of iPhone is it?...
Settings > General > About > Model Name
And what version of iOS is it running?...
Settings > General > About > iOS Version
õ¿õ¬
harwantdad wrote: "After loading 18.3 update on my XR I phone neither Notes nor Pininterest apps are working properly."
harwantdad ~ As your iPhone XR is an old model, it's worth checking for a weak, aging battery. So...
Does your iPhone XR still have its original battery?
And what's the Maximum Capacity % here?...
Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging
õ¿õ¬
Update: I rebooted my phone, but it was ineffective I haven't checked all the notes, but the one I use every morning as a journal, which is very large, freezes the app immediately. I left it like that for some minutes to see if the app would come back to life, but it didn't. My phone, however, became quite warm.
Notes app is crashing after iOS 18 update on my iPhone
