Kayabyte

Restored notes show today’s date and sit in a “Recovered” folder: where they went and why

By Kayabyte · Last updated 11 November 2026

Short answer: NoteRescue adds the notes you pick to the Notes app in a new folder called “Recovered” with today’s date in its name (you can change the name), inside your default Notes account. The Notes app gives a restored note today’s date, so NoteRescue writes the original date at the top of each note. It never edits or deletes your existing notes. If you want the original dates as file dates, use Export instead. This page is based on NoteRescue’s help page, not on Apple’s pages.

Where did my restored notes go?

Open Notes and look for the Recovered folder in your default account (set in Notes, Settings). If that account is iCloud, the notes also appear on your other devices. If you can’t see the folder, check the other accounts in the sidebar: the notes go to the default one.

Why do they show today’s date?

The Notes app stamps a note with the date it is added. NoteRescue can’t change that, so it writes the original date as the first line of each restored note. The notes themselves are the version found in the backup.

If you want the original dates to stay

Choose Export instead of Restore. Export saves one file per note as Markdown, HTML, PDF or plain text in a new folder, with a subfolder for each Notes folder. The note’s original created and edited dates are written in the file and set as the file’s dates in Finder. Attachments are saved in an attachments folder next to the notes. Export doesn’t touch the Notes app.

Photos, PDFs and other attachments

Photos, drawings as pictures, PDFs, audio and other files are added to the restored notes when the backup has them. If a note comes back without its attachment, the backup didn’t hold it. A newer or older backup may.

Nothing happened when you pressed Restore

The first time you restore, macOS asks whether NoteRescue may control Notes. This is the Automation permission, and it is used only to create the recovered notes. If you clicked Don’t Allow:

  1. Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Automation.
  2. Find NoteRescue and turn on Notes.
  3. Try the restore again.

Stopped half way

You can stop a restore. Notes added until then stay in Notes. Choosing Try Again adds the rest without adding the same note twice.

An older version of a note you still have

If a note is in Notes today but an older version in a backup is different, NoteRescue lists it as Changed. Restore asks before adding the older version, and adds it as a copy next to the current note, which is not changed.

Steps with NoteRescue

  1. Open NoteRescue, allow Full Disk Access and press Scan.
  2. Tick the notes you want in the Notes row.
  3. Choose Restore to add them to a “Recovered” folder, or Export to save files with the original dates.
  4. Allow the Automation permission if macOS asks.

The scan is free and only reads your backups. Notes is USD 24.99 once, or All apps USD 39.99 (USD 15 if you own NoteRescue 1). macOS 15 or later. Locked notes are counted but never opened.

Download NoteRescue and scan for free

Questions

Will a restore replace my current notes? No. It only adds notes, in a new folder.

Can I rename the Recovered folder? Yes, when you restore.

Do restored notes sync to my iPhone? If your default account is iCloud, they appear on your other devices. If iCloud is on, it can also sync an old state back over what you recover, so check the result.