NoteRescue vs Disk Drill, iMazing and Time Machine for recovering Apple Notes
By Kayabyte · Last updated 30 October 2026
Short answer: to get one deleted Apple Note back from a backup, you can restore the whole Notes folder from Time Machine by hand (free, but risky for today’s notes), use a general data recovery app such as Disk Drill (built to undelete files, and a note is a record inside a database, not a file), use an iPhone manager such as iMazing (it can read iPhone backups, check what it offers for Notes), or use NoteRescue, which reads Time Machine and iPhone backups directly and shows which notes are missing. We make NoteRescue, so check everything here against the other sites.
What each option is built for
| Time Machine by hand | Disk Drill (data recovery) | iMazing (iPhone manager) | NoteRescue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Restoring files and folders | Undeleting files from a disk | Managing and backing up iPhones and iPads | Finding lost Apple Notes in backups |
| Gets back one note without touching today’s notes | No: you swap the whole Notes folder and swap it back | Rarely: notes live inside one database file | Depends on the version; check their site | Yes: exports or adds it in a new “Recovered” folder |
| Reads Time Machine backups of your Mac | Yes (whole folder only) | No (it scans disks) | No (focused on iPhone backups) | Yes |
| Reads iPhone backups on your Mac | No | No | Yes | Yes, including encrypted ones with your password |
| Shows which notes are missing compared with today | No | No | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free scan, paid recovery; check their site | Paid license; check their site | Free scan, USD 24.99 once |
When something else is the better choice
- Time Machine by hand is the right answer if you only need a note or two, are comfortable going offline and keeping a safety copy, and have a backup from before the loss. Our guide How to restore a note from Time Machine walks through it.
- Disk Drill and similar suites are the right answer when you lost files such as photos or documents from a disk. On a modern Mac with an SSD, deleted data is usually erased quickly, so they are rarely the right tool for Notes.
- iMazing is a good choice if you already manage iPhone backups, transfers and messages and want one app for that. If notes are all you need, a focused tool is simpler.
Where NoteRescue fits
- It reads Time Machine backups (APFS and older Mac OS Extended disks, network backups the Mac has mounted) and iPhone or iPad backups made in Finder or iTunes.
- It never changes your backups or your current notes, and works offline with no account.
- It cannot recover notes that were never in a backup, iCloud-only notes, locked notes or handwriting as editable drawings.
- Mac only, macOS 14 or later. The scan is free and shows what your backups still hold before you pay; the full version is USD 24.99 once, one year of updates, 30-day refund.
Download NoteRescue and scan for free
Related guides
- How to recover deleted Apple Notes after 30 days
- The best ways to recover deleted Apple Notes on a Mac
- How to get notes back from an iPhone backup on a Mac