Sticky Notes Missing? 4 Things to Check With the New Sticky Notes

Hi everyone, it's Shii-chan!

Today I'm sharing a few things to check when your notes seem to have vanished with the new Sticky Notes. Knowing these ahead of time can save you a lot of panic!

What was announced?

Microsoft's JP Windows Support blog (written by the Windows support team) published "Things to check when using the new Sticky Notes".

The OneNote feed on Windows has been replaced by the new Sticky Notes experience. Other places where the OneNote feed appears, such as OneNote for the web and Outlook on the web, stay the same.

When your notes don't show up, check these four things:

• Are your notes synced in the classic Sticky Notes?
• Are you using the same account in classic Sticky Notes and OneNote that the notes are linked to?
• Are Sticky Notes and OneNote up to date?
• Is there a sync error?

The story so far

Classic desktop Sticky Notes was mainly viewed in the Windows Sticky Notes app. With version 3.0 or later, signing in with a Microsoft account let you sync notes across apps and devices.

Now, OneNote on Windows is where you see the new Sticky Notes. It shows the synced notes linked to the account you use in OneNote.

Features may roll out gradually, so behavior on your machine might differ.

What changes

Because notes are now viewed through OneNote, they can look like they disappeared if the account is mismatched or an old version isn't syncing.

This post tells you where to look, in order.

• Personal users: switching accounts and updating the apps may fix it
• Work or school device users: the Exchange Online mailbox matters, so it's something to ask your IT admin about
• IT admins and support staff: the post lists what to collect when escalating

Dive Deep

Check the classic Sticky Notes version

If the version is 3.7.106 or lower, you need to update to the latest version to sync with the cloud. Here's how to check:

• Open classic Sticky Notes and open "Settings" from the notes list
• Scroll to "About" and check the version number
• If it's 3.7.106 or lower, update via the Microsoft Store or your organization's distribution method

If the Microsoft Store is restricted in your organization, ask your IT admin how to update.

Sync manually

In classic Sticky Notes, open "Settings" at the top right of the notes list and choose "Sync now". Then confirm that no sync error appears.

An Exchange Online mailbox is required

This is an important one! Right now, saving and syncing notes in OneNote's Sticky Notes requires an Exchange Online mailbox. On-premises Exchange mailboxes are not supported for this sync.

In certain configurations, you may see an error to this effect:

Sticky Notes currently requires an Exchange Online mailbox and storage for sync.

Notes created or edited after this error aren't synced and are stored only inside the app, which means they aren't backed up! Before resetting or uninstalling the app, or replacing your device, copy their contents somewhere else.

If notes don't appear

• Check your account: make sure you're using the account the notes are linked to, in both classic Sticky Notes and OneNote
• Check sync status: run "Sync now" and look for errors
• Update the apps: bring Sticky Notes and OneNote up to date via the Microsoft Store or an organization-approved method
• Check another place: synced notes can also be viewed on the web, in Outlook, and in supported mobile versions of OneNote

Things to keep in mind

• If you uninstall or reset while not signed in to Sticky Notes, local notes are deleted. Don't uninstall, reset, or delete app data until you've confirmed the notes you need in the new Sticky Notes or another place
• Deleted notes can't be restored. Turn on "Confirm before deleting" in Sticky Notes settings to avoid accidents
• If notes are synced to an account, switching to another account may hide your earlier notes. Check that you're signed in with the previous account

When contacting IT in a managed environment

Talk to your IT admin before reinstalling or resetting. Recording the following helps the investigation:

• Sticky Notes version
• OneNote version
• Type of account you're signed in with
• Error message and error code shown
• When the error occurred
• The result of running "Sync now" in classic Sticky Notes
• Whether you can see the notes on the web or another device

Wrap-up

• The OneNote feed has been replaced by the new Sticky Notes experience
• When notes are missing, check the account, sync status, and app versions in that order
• Classic Sticky Notes at version 3.7.106 or lower needs an update to keep syncing
• Sticky Notes in OneNote requires an Exchange Online mailbox; on-premises Exchange isn't covered
• Don't uninstall, reset, or delete data until you've confirmed sync

This is a great read for daily Sticky Notes users and for IT admins who handle support questions!