Notes.app - how to access history?

No, there is no history of notes. Once modified and synchronised, the note is overwritten and older versions are not available. Per my answer on your last question, you may be able to obtain older versions if a device has been offline, but besides this, unfortunately not. You can provide feedback to Apple at apple.com/feedback.


If you use backup software such as Time Machine, you may be able to access your Notes.app history/older versions of your notes by restoring the 3 .sqlite files in:

~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes/

Restore Process

  1. Quit Notes.app
  2. Restore those 3 files to the date of the version of the notes you're trying to get
  3. If you use iCloud, make sure you disconnect from your internet so the notes aren't synced from iCloud when you re-open Notes.app
  4. Re-open Notes.app

Source for notes database location

Recover Notes from TimeMachine


My notes was not syncing with Exchange, and I unchecked 'Notes' in Internet Accounts and then check it back. When I did that, Notes resynchronised from the last synchronised version and so I lost a whole lot of Notes. My Time Machine was not turned on, but I managed to find another way:

  • /Users//Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library
  • Make a copy of NotesV7.storedata-wal with .html extension, like NotesV7.storedata-wal copy.html
  • Open in any web browser and you will see past notes - this is limited to the last saved version of NotesV7.storedata-wal, so make sure you get to here fast (as soon as you discover your Notes' been overwritten.