Sync with iCloud, or take a backup
Nothing is lost when you change devices. The same contents on iPhone and iPad.
Left alone, what you save lives on this device only. There are two ways to make it survive a change of device.
iCloud sync (Pro)
Turn on iCloud sync under Data in Settings and every device holds the same contents. It is kept in your own iCloud; it is not stored on our servers.
- You need to be signed in to iCloud in iPhone Settings
- iOS 17 or later
- Change your mind and turning the switch off stops it
Lots of photos take a while. If you go offline, syncing continues from where it stopped once you are back.
Using two or more devices
Signed in with the same Apple ID, iPhone and iPad hold the same contents. What you save on the iPhone shows on the iPad, and deleting on either removes it from both.
Toss something in on your iPhone while out, then read it back on the iPad’s larger screen at home.
When you edit the same memo on both
If another device changed it first, opening it says Edited on another device. Compare opens Which one do you want to keep?, showing What you’re writing (this device) and The other device’s version side by side.
Neither one disappears quietly. You look, then choose Keep writing this or Use the other version.
When something hasn’t arrived
Use Sync everything again in Settings (When something hasn’t reached your other devices). Everything on this device is synced to iCloud once more.
- Nothing you saved is deleted
- Lots of photos take a while (Wi-Fi is recommended)
- Stop partway and it picks up from there next time
Back everything up
Even without sync, Back up everything puts everything — photos and PDFs included — into a single file. It needs no setup and anyone can use it.
To restore, use Restore from a backup. What is already there is not deleted. Anything newer on this device stays as it is.