Sync iOS 9 Notes with Gmail - Easy Guide
Syncing iPhone/iPad Notes with Gmail
It is possible to synchronize notes created on your iPhone or iPad with your iCloud account. However, a lesser-known feature allows for synchronization with Gmail as well. By adding your Gmail account to the Notes application, you gain access to your notes on any computer—whether it runs Mac or Windows operating systems.
Adding Your Gmail Account
First, ensure your Gmail account is added to your iOS device if it hasn’t been already. Navigate to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account > Google. Enter the credentials for the Gmail account you wish to connect and follow the prompts displayed on the screen.
To enable note synchronization with your Gmail account, you must activate Notes for that specific account. Begin by tapping the “Settings” icon located on your Home screen.
Enabling Notes for Your Account
Within the Settings screen, select “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”.
Tap on the account for which you intend to enable Notes. Items enabled for that account are listed below the account name. For example, Mail, Contacts, and Calendars may be enabled, while Notes remains inactive.
A list of items available for synchronization with the selected account will appear. Activate Notes by toggling the “Notes” slider button.
The slider will turn green, confirming that Notes is now enabled.
Accessing and Creating Notes
Return to the Home screen and launch the “Notes” application.
Within the Notes app, a section dedicated to your Gmail account will be visible. Any notes created under this account will synchronize with your Gmail and be accessible through a web browser or the Gmail app on other devices. To create a new note for synchronization, tap “Notes” under the Gmail account name.
Important Note: The Notes app does not allow for the creation of custom folders within your Gmail account. All notes will be saved to the default “Notes” folder.
Tap the new note button in the bottom-right corner of the screen to begin composing your note.
After creating your note, tap the “Notes” back link in the upper-left corner.
The number of notes within your Gmail account will be displayed to the right of the Notes folder.
Viewing Notes in Gmail
Log in to your Gmail account using a web browser on your computer. A “Notes” label will be added to the sidebar. Any notes created in the Notes app will be available under this label, both in a web browser and within the Gmail app on other mobile devices. Click the “Notes” label to view all your notes.
The newly created note will appear in the list under the Notes label. Clicking on it will display the full content.
Synchronization Details
It’s important to understand that note synchronization with Gmail is a one-way process. While you can edit notes within the Notes app on your iOS device, these changes will not be reflected in your Gmail account; you can only view them there. However, deleting a note under the Notes label in Gmail will also remove it from your iOS device.
Conversely, deleting a note within the Notes app under your Gmail account will also delete it from your Gmail account. The deletion may not be immediate; clicking “Refresh” above the notes list will ensure the changes are reflected.
Disabling Notes within your Gmail account on your iOS device will remove the notes from your device, but they will remain stored in your Gmail account. Re-enabling Notes will resynchronize them to your iOS device.
Notes created within a Gmail account in the Notes app are synchronized only with your Gmail account and are not backed up to iCloud. To back up your notes to iCloud, ensure they are created under your iCloud account within the Notes app. You can also move notes between accounts, similar to moving notes from “On My iPhone” to iCloud.
While this method isn’t a replacement for iCloud synchronization, it provides convenient access to your notes on computers if you frequently use Gmail.