Move Notes from On My iPhone to iCloud

Transferring Notes from Your Device to iCloud

The Apple Notes application provides the flexibility to store your notes either directly on your device or synchronized through iCloud. When iCloud synchronization is activated, any previously created notes are retained on your device.

This guide details the process of transferring these locally stored notes to your iCloud account.

Scenario: Expanding Your Apple Ecosystem

Consider a situation where you initially acquired an iPad as your sole iOS device. You may have opted not to enable iCloud synchronization, assuming no other Apple devices existed for syncing purposes. Subsequently, you added an iPhone and potentially a Mac to your setup.

Now, you desire seamless synchronization of your Notes across all your Apple devices, and even access on a Windows PC. We will demonstrate how to effortlessly migrate your existing, locally-stored notes to your iCloud account.

Enabling Notes in iCloud Settings

First, verify that Notes is enabled within your iCloud settings. If you don't see an iCloud section in the Notes app, navigate to Settings > iCloud from your Home screen. Ensure the toggle next to Notes is activated – indicated by a green color.

Initiating the Transfer Process

Open the "Notes" application on your device’s home screen. This is where the actual note migration will take place.

Notes currently listed under “On My iPhone” (or “On My iPad”) are stored locally on your device. To transfer these notes to iCloud, tap on “Notes” or any other folder located under “On My iPhone” that contains the notes you wish to move.

Selecting Notes for Migration

Within a folder under “On My iPhone”, tap the “Edit” button situated in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Selection bubbles will appear next to each note. Tap these bubbles to choose the notes you intend to move to iCloud.

Moving the Selected Notes

After selecting the desired notes, tap “Move To” in the lower-left corner of the screen.

NOTE: A quicker method for moving a single note involves swiping left on the note and then tapping “Move”. This same gesture can also be used to delete a note.

Choosing the Destination Folder

Upon selecting the note(s) to move, a screen displaying available folders will appear. Choose the folder within iCloud where you want to place the selected notes.

The selected note(s) will then be moved from the local folder…

Verification and a Minor Workaround

…and transferred into the designated iCloud folder. You’ll observe an increase in the note count within the iCloud folder. However, the note count in the original “On My iPhone” folder might not immediately decrease.

This is a known, minor issue with a simple solution: double-press the Home button on your device and then swipe up on the Notes app preview to fully close the application.

Confirming the Transfer

Re-open the Notes app. The note count in the folder under “On My iPhone” should now accurately reflect the transferred notes.

Further Organization

This same procedure can be utilized to move notes between any folders located under either the “On My iPhone” or your iCloud accounts. Explore additional resources to learn more about utilizing Notes on iOS and Mac for effective organization of your ideas.