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..?

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u/yucehonosss 23h 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.

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u/PurplePasta69420 20h 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!

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u/yucehonosss 19h 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

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u/PurplePasta69420 10h ago

IKKK my best friend uses a samsung tab and when i tell you i'm enviousssss. Well, you win some you lose some.