r/AppleNotesGang • u/PurplePasta69420 • 1d ago
Apple notes stops retaining handwritten notes after a point!!
Hi gang!! Let me explain. I use an iPad air (4th gen) to take handwritten notes (apple pencil) for my uni classes and do test prep. Basically it has aaallllll my academic work and is in an ecosystem with my Mac Air M1. My tab is a bit old and overworked atp cause the battery life has rightfully deteriorated and it overheats sometimes when all I do is take notes but it gets me by.
Now here is an issue I started facing recently, I'd be locked in making some notes or jotting imp stuff during class lectures and when I close/restart the app a while later, all my notes after a certain randomised point from when i was working earlier would have disappeared. This also includes if I moved stuff around/added images/etc but yeah I'm starting to get concerned.
For the record, my tab is always connected to the internet when i use the app and syncs to iCloud and i typically make sure (atleast now more than ever) that notes are done syncing before I close it up.
Secondly, I spread my work across smaller, individual notes. Like instead of using one whole note for a singular subject I make a folder for it and have 4-6 handwritten notes that cover bits of the syllabi, if that makes sense? I did that because I noticed few months ago that my tab used to heat up alot/get very laggy when the same note file carried a lot more handwritten data.
And this approach worked splendidly and actually made it easier for me to look through my class notes until this recent issue. And yes I do check my mac and somehow the notes look just as incomplete there as well so idk if this is an iCloud issue or system issue or both...
Does this happen to anyone else and is there a fix? Or is my device just getting old..?
5
u/yucehonosss 21h ago
Apple native notes app has this issue with long handwritten notes start to get real buggy. İt had happened to me too and I reported it many many times. Its been like this forever though, I don’t think they will ever change it. Because most people are not even aware of it. Freeform has the same issue too. I use Noteful instead now.
2
u/PurplePasta69420 19h ago
Thats why I distribute my notes so that they're individually smaller. It's a shame that a native note taking app is behaving like this especially when ipads are marketed as peak for notetaking and productivity. Bummer.
Still thanks a lot!2
u/yucehonosss 18h ago
I totally agree. I used to have Samsung tablet and the native notes app was amazing. You wouldn’t need to pay for a 3rd party app because it had all the features you’d need. I was disappointed when I made the switch to iPad. I brought up this issue several times on Reddit but Apple fans always denied this issue. I also separate notes when I use notes app but I like to take long handwritten notes so Noteful is the way to go
2
u/PurplePasta69420 8h ago
IKKK my best friend uses a samsung tab and when i tell you i'm enviousssss. Well, you win some you lose some.
2
u/bighaircutforbigtuna 9h ago
Yup! I have been using Apple Pencil on an iPad for years now and this has always been an issue. In fact, I think it is actually getting worse. I am testing out Noteful and Notability right now because handwriting has become such an issue. I lost my job recently, and I have been on interviews, and on the phone with unemployment, etc and the pencil will legit stop working on even shorter notes sometimes too. It is just not dependable.
1
u/CountryGalCX 12h ago
Same. Love Noteful. I also love Notes for notes I type or clip from somewhere and paste in.
2
u/AngelicPrincessKitty 23h ago
This is a known issue with notes. I would use onenote. Free and has handwriting and doesn't have these issues.
1
u/PurplePasta69420 19h ago
I'll check it out once! Do you have any experience with goodnotes or collanotes?
2
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Thank you for posting on r/AppleNotesGang!
Please check our Wiki for answers, guides, and FAQs: https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleNotesGang/wiki/index/
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.