Where did my Sticky Notes go? (2024)

Here are some things to try if your sticky notes suddenly disappear or aren't displaying correctly.

  • I don't see my notes associated with my account

  • My sticky notes closed unexpectedly

  • My list of notes disappeared

  • I deleted a note. How do I get it back?

  • My notes won't stay on top of other apps

  • Sticky Notes didn't open on start

  • Sticky Notes was uninstalled unexpectedly

  • I can't sign in to my Sticky Notes

  • I can't see sticky notes on my other devices

I don't see my notes associated with my account

Sometimes your notes won't appear because you are either currently signed out of Sticky Notes, your using a new computer that isn't signed in to Sticky Notes, or you have signed into a different account than the one you have previously synced notes with.

Try signing in to your Sticky Notes (In the upper-right of your list of notes, click or tap Settings > Sign in).

Or if you're signed into the wrong account, sign out and then sign in with a different account to find your notes.

Learn how to sign out and then sign in of Sticky Notes on different devices.

My sticky notes closed unexpectedly

In Windows 10, sometimes opened notes will close unexpectedly. Try opening the note again (version 3.0 and later only).

  1. Open the Sticky Notes app and view your list of notes.

    If only a single note is displayed when you open the app, click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) in the upper-right of the note and then click or tap Notes list.

  2. Scroll or search for your note in the notes list.

  3. To re-pin a note to the desktop, tap or double-click the note.

    You can also click or tap the ellipsis icon () and then click or tap Open note.

Note:Your sticky notes may have disappeared under other applications. You cannot currently have Sticky Notes stay on top of other applications. But you can pin Sticky Notes to the Windows taskbar to see your list of notes instantly or to create a new note quickly. Right-click the Sticky Notes icon in the taskbar, and then click Pin to taskbar.

My list of notes disappeared

Your list of sticky notes might have disappeared because the app was closed while a single note remained open. When the app is opened again, you'll see only the single note. Do the following to see your list of notes.

  1. Open the Sticky Notes app.

  2. If only a single note is displayed when you open the app, click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) in the upper-right of the note.

  3. Click or tap Notes list.

  4. Scroll or search for your note in the notes list.

I deleted a note. How do I get it back?

Note deletion is permanent. It cannot be undone.

You can minimize the chance of deleting notes by mistake by making sure you've turned on the note deletion prompt. Click or tap the Settings icon located in the upper-right of the list of notes, and then set the Confirm before deleting button to On.

My notes won't stay on top of other apps

You cannot currently have Sticky Notes stay on top of other applications. But you can pin Sticky Notes to the Windows taskbar to see your list of notes instantly or to create a new note quickly. When Sticky Notes is open, right-click its icon in the taskbar, and then click Pin to taskbar.

Sticky Notes didn't open on start

In Windows 10, sometimes your notes will seem to disappear because the app did not launch on start. Occasionally Sticky Notes won't open on start and you'll need to manually open it.

  1. Click or tap the Start button, and then type "Sticky Notes".

  2. Click or tap the Sticky Notes app to open it.

    If only a single note is displayed when you open the app, click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) in the upper-right of the note and then click or tap Notes list to see all your notes.

Sticky Notes was uninstalled unexpectedly

For Sticky Notes on Windows 10, try re-installing the app from the Microsoft Store. If you were signed into Sticky Notes before the app was uninstalled, your notes will reappear after you reinstall and sign in with the same account.

Important:If you choose not to sign in to Sticky Notes, uninstalling or resetting the app will cause local notes to be deleted.

I can't sign into Sticky Notes

When you try to sign in to Sticky Notes with a work account, you might see the following error message:

Sorry, there's an issue signing you in right now. Please try again and contact support if the problem persists.

You might also see an error code along with the message:

AadUnknownError 0x80070520 0xc0292007

Try the following:

  • Check for Windows updates: In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, select Settings Where did my Sticky Notes go? (1), and then in the Search box, type "updates". Select Check for updates to have Windows check for new updates.

  • Reboot: Reboot your PC or mobile device, and then try to sign in again.

  • Sticky Notes disabled: Check with your system administrator. Signing in to Sticky Notes might have been disabled for your organization.

I can't see my sticky notes on my other devices

In order to see your Sticky Notes synced on other devices, these devices must have OneNote installed and signed in to the same account. On devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Android phone, Sticky Notes are associated with OneNote . Learn how to Sign out and then sign in of Sticky Notes on different devices.

For Sticky Notes on Windows 10, if you are using the correct account but your notes are still not syncing, try forcing sync.

  1. Open the Sticky Notes app and view your list of notes. If only a single note is displayed, click or tap the ellipsis icon ( … ) in the upper-right of the note and then click or tap Notes list.

  2. Click or tap the Settings icon located on the upper right of the Notes list.

  3. Click or tap Sync now.

Where did my Sticky Notes go? (2024)

FAQs

How do I get my Sticky Notes back? ›

If you were signed into Sticky Notes before the app was uninstalled, your notes will reappear after you reinstall and sign in with the same account. Important: If you choose not to sign in to Sticky Notes, uninstalling or resetting the app will cause local notes to be deleted.

Why did all my Sticky Notes disappear? ›

Sticky Notes can be lost due to various reasons, and here you can see the common causes. Notes were deleted by mistake. Data loss due to computer viruses or malware. Notes lost due to power outage or system crash.

Where are my Sticky Notes saved? ›

Sticky Notes are saved in a hidden folder in the User Directory, so you need to show hidden files first. Open Windows File Explorer > click View > Check Hidden items. Tip: There are more ways to open hidden files on PC, look for more information in this guide – How to Show Hidden Files Windows 10 (CMD + 4 Ways).

How do I redownload Sticky Notes? ›

If you do not see Sticky Notes in your list of apps, open the Microsoft Store app and install Microsoft Sticky Notes.

Is there backup for Sticky Notes? ›

If you want to keep a record or backup of your sticky notes, you can export them. This only applies if you have signed in to Sticky Notes and synced your notes (version 3.0 or later). Sticky Notes are stored in Outlook.com along with your email, calendar items, and contacts.

Why are my Windows Sticky Notes not appearing? ›

In Windows 10, sometimes your notes will seem to disappear because the app did not launch on start. Occasionally Sticky Notes won't open on start and you'll need to manually open it. Click or tap the Start button, and then type "Sticky Notes". Click or tap the Sticky Notes app to open it.

How do I permanently get Sticky Notes on my desktop? ›

1. Use the built-in Sticky Notes app: Windows 10 comes with a built-in Sticky Notes app that is designed to stay on your desktop. To open the app, simply type “Sticky Notes” in the search bar and click on the app. Once you have created a note, it will stay on your desktop until you delete it.

How do I unblock Sticky Notes? ›

Click anywhere on the sticky. Select Unlock Sticky. Once a sticky is unlocked, it will be editable again.

Where are my Stickies? ›

Your Stickies notes are each stored as a separate . rtf file in the following location: ~/Library/Containers/com. apple.

Do Sticky Notes save after shutting down? ›

Do sticky notes get deleted when you shutdown a computer? Under default settings, Sticky Notes will close when you shutdown your computer. Although you can program to ensure that Sticky Notes stay when you shut down.

Why are my Sticky Notes not syncing? ›

First of all, check if you have logged in to your account and the sync process may need your account sign-in first. If you have logged into the account, you can try to sign out of the Sticky Notes account and then sign in to it. Or you can check if you have signed in with the same Microsoft account.

How do I recover lost Sticky Notes? ›

Method 4. Recover Deleted Sticky Notes from Previous Versions
  1. Find the Sticky Notes . snt file, right-click on it and select "Properties".
  2. Under the Previous Versions tab, you will see the previous versions of Sticky Notes. If there is a previous version, select it, and click on "Restore", "Apply", and "OK".
Nov 15, 2023

Does Windows 11 have Sticky Notes? ›

Sticky Notes is a pre-installed app from Microsoft that allows users to put virtual sticky notes on the desktop to help remember tasks or make to-do lists across their devices linked to their Microsoft account.

Why are my Sticky Notes not working? ›

Check for Windows updates: In Windows 10, click or tap the Start button, select Settings , and then in the Search box, type "updates". Select Check for updates to have Windows check for new updates. Reboot: Reboot your PC or mobile device, and then try to sign in again.

How do I turn on Sticky Notes? ›

Search is one of the fastest ways to start the Sticky Notes app. If you're using Windows 10, click or tap inside the search box on the taskbar, type sticky notes, and press Enter or click or tap on the Sticky Notes search result.

How to retrieve deleted notes on Windows? ›

Select the notebook section backup file you want to open, and then choose Open. If your deleted notes are included in the backup sections or pages, right-click the section tab or individual page tab that you'd like to restore, and then use the Move or Copy command to put the notes back in their original location.

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