Iphone notes how to undo deleted text

Abigail Abesamis Demarest

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made. 

This article explains several options for undoing a typo, mistake, or deleted note in the Notes app on an iPhone or iPad.

How to Undo a Deleted Note

When you delete a note, you can undo that, as well. Apple gives you two ways to recover a deleted note.

If you just deleted the note, a Shake to Undo will bring up an Undo Trash Note option. Tap Undo to recover your note.

Otherwise, navigate to the main Folders menu in Notes. Tap Recently Deleted to access deleted notes. Apple places deleted notes in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days, after which the system permanently deletes your notes.

If you attempt to edit a note found in the Recently Deleted folder, a prompt will display. Tap Recover and the app will move the note out of the Recently Deleted folder and let you edit it.

To move several notes out of the Recently Deleted folder, tap Edit (above and to the right of the Recently Deleted folder name), then tap the circle (to the left of each note you want to recover) to select notes, then tap Move to and tap the folder where you want to recover the notes.

Shake to Undo or Redo

You may undo recent actions with a shake of your iPhone or iPad. When you shake your device after you type, the system will display an “Undo Typing” prompt and display the option to either tap Cancel or Undo. A shake also allows you to undo a recent cut or paste action.

The system makes a guess as to what you intend to undo. For example, if you type a phrase then shake your device, when you undo it will remove the phrase. 

An additional shake of your iPhone or iPad will give you a slightly different set of Undo Typing options to tap, which may include Undo, Redo Typing, and Cancel. Essentially, each shake allows you to undo or redo the next most recent action.

By default, Apple enables the Shake to Undo setting. To access the option, open Settings > General > Accessibility > Shake to Undo. Adjust the slider to the left, to the Off position, to disable the feature. In most cases, you’ll want to leave the feature enabled unless you have a specific reason to turn it off.

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iPad Keyboard Undo Icon

When you use the on-screen keyboard on an iPad, the undo and redo arrows display to the upper left of the number keys. Tap the arced arrow that points to the lower left to access undo options, which include cut, copy, and paste. (These on-screen option arrows are not available with the on-screen iPhone system keyboard.)

Undo With Keyboard Controls

If you use Notes on either an iPhone or iPad with an external Bluetooth keyboard, such as the Apple Magic Keyboard, use keyboard combinations to undo or redo recent actions. Press Command+Z to undo and Shift+Command+Z to redo. You can type these key combinations repeatedly to undo (or redo) several recent actions.

By the way, if you use a Smart Keyboard connected to the Smart Connector on an iPad, the undo and redo arrows remain available in a bar in the lower left. You may either tap the undo icon on-screen or press Command+Z to undo. To redo, similarly, either tap the redo icon on-screen or press Shift+Command+Z on the Smart Keyboard.

Delete or Select and Delete

If you enter text without having first selected something to type over, you can simply use the on-screen delete key or the one on your external keyboard as an "undo."

The on-screen delete key remains the best way to remove a single character quickly on any iOS device. To remove a longer selection of text, double-tap to select text (and optionally, drag the line with a dot that displays at either end of the selected text), then tap Cut.

FAQ

• How do I 'undo' in the Notes app on my Mac?

  To undo your last action in the Notes app—or nearly any macOS app, for that matter—type Command+Z.

• How do I 'redo' in the Notes app on a Mac?

  If you've change your mind and want to redo the last thing you undid, type Command+Shift+Z. The command key looks like a square with loops at the corners.

  How do you undo deleting text on iPhone Notes?

  The easiest method to undo typing in the Notes app is using the Shake feature. After typing some text or making an edit, give your iPhone or iPad a quick shake. This will bring up the Undo Typing popup. Tap on Undo to delete the text you just typed or undo the change you made.

  How do I undo accidental delete text?

  Tap on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and open the Recycle bin. Check your deleted text messages. Long tap the message you want to retrieve. Select Restore at the bottom and check the same in your main inbox.