Notes on Mac and iPhone

Michael Graubart · Jul 12, 2016

Phone: iPhone 5s, iOS 9.3.2
Mac: Mac mini, OSX 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion)

I am puzzled. I have several email accounts, including gmail and iCloud mail. Using gmail (in the Notes app. on both devices), if I type a note on my Mac, it appears on my phone; and vice versa. If I do the same in iCloud, nothing is transferred — either way, Mac to phone or phone to Mac.

A second mystery: notes (in gmail) on my phone stay there indefinitely. Notes in the Notes app. on my Mac spontaneously disappear after a while.

Can someone please explain?

J. A. · Jul 12, 2016

Both devices should sync their notes to iCloud. To make sure it's working, login to www.icloud.com, and take a look at your notes. You should find them from both devices.
The reason why they're not syncing to each other, is the software version on your Mac mini. Syncing notes between iOS and OSX only works with El Capitan installed.

Michael Graubart · Jul 12, 2016

J. A. said:
Both devices should sync their notes to iCloud. To make sure it's working, login to www.icloud.com, and take a look at your notes. You should find them from both devices.
The reason why they're not syncing to each other, is the software version on your Mac mini. Syncing notes between iOS and OSX only works with El Capitan installed.

Ah, of course, thanks very much, J.A. I had forgotten that. (I am not updating to El Capitan or later because I have a lot of expensive software that would not work on later systems.)

But what about my second question? Why do notes stay on my iPhone but disappear after a while from my Mac?

Michael Graubart · Jul 12, 2016

PS: Going to iCloud.com, I have now realized, solves one problem: I can actually write a note in iCloud.com and it appears in my phone! Thank you, J.A.! (Mind you, it's probably simpler just to email — or type in the gmail slot in Notes — but still…!) But I am still puzzled about notes disappearing from the Notes app. on my Mac.