OneNote keep freezing on iPad

jahan zaveri 0 Reputation points
2026-08-07T01:54:15.8+00:00

I have been using OneNote for years and have had no issues with it till recently. In the last few weeks it keeps freezing everytime I connect my iPad to WiFi. It tries to sync and then gets stuck on the page that is currently open and becomes completely unresponsive. Sometimes it eventually syncs the content I have been writing to the desktop app as well.

Most of my usage is handwriting notes. I have checked and have used 4.7 of the 5 gb available in my account.

Does anyone know how this can be solved?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | iOS
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  1. DINESHKUMAR S 0 Reputation points
    2026-08-07T02:05:01.3766667+00:00

    • Update the App: Ensure OneNote is updated to the latest version via the App Store, as recent updates have been reported as buggy.

    • Check iOS Version: Confirm your iPad is running the latest iPadOS version, as issues have been noted on specific versions like 18.7.7.

    • Manage Notebooks: Closing unnecessary notebooks can help, as having too many open simultaneously may cause crashes.

    • Restart iPad: A simple restart of your device can often resolve temporary software glitches leading to app freezes.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-07T01:54:38.33+00:00

    The most likely cause is OneNote freezing during sync on iPad, especially when notebooks are large or storage is tight. Since the issue starts when Wi‑Fi connects and sync begins, use this order:

    1. Update OneNote on the iPad.
      • Open the App Store app.
      • Tap Updates.
      • If OneNote appears, tap Update.
    2. Let initial or pending sync finish before heavy editing.
      • On iOS, syncing can take a while depending on network speed and the number of notebooks.
      • Wait until open notebooks complete syncing before continuing to write.
    3. Reduce notebook load.
      • Large notebooks and large sections can slow OneNote on iPad.
      • Create a new notebook for a particularly large section.
      • Reduce the number of sections in a notebook.
      • Reduce the number of pages in a section.
      • Reduce the amount of content on each page.
      • Close notebooks that are not currently needed.
    4. Check device storage used by OneNote.
      • On the iPad, go to Settings > General > iPad Storage.
      • Find OneNote in the app list to see how much space it is using.
      • Also check how much local storage remains on the device.
      • If OneNote is using more storage than expected, closing unused notebooks can free space and improve responsiveness.
    5. Reset the account session in OneNote.
      • In OneNote on iPad, tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
      • Under Account, tap the account name.
      • Tap the account name again, then choose Remove Account.
      • Confirm sign-out.
      • Close OneNote from the app switcher.
      • Reopen OneNote and sign in again.
    6. If sign-in prompts or credential issues appear, clear OneNote sign-in credentials.
      • Go to iOS Settings > OneNote > Reset OneNote > Delete Sign-In Credentials and turn it on.
      • Make sure OneNote is fully closed.
      • Reopen OneNote and sign in again.
      • Office apps on the device may also require sign-in again because they share credentials.
    7. Test whether the problem is sync-specific.
      • Open the notebook in OneNote for the web.
      • If the notebook works there, the content is likely intact and the issue is isolated to the iPad app sync/performance path.

    Important note: one Microsoft support article warns that signing in or out of OneNote, or removing and reinstalling the app, is not recommended while troubleshooting sync issues because this could result in data loss. Since notes are already appearing in the desktop app, verify recent changes are fully synced before any sign-out or reinstall step.

    Given the details provided, the highest-value fixes are: update OneNote, close unused notebooks, split any very large notebook/section, check iPad storage, and reset the account session only after confirming notes are synced elsewhere.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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