How to restore my deleted OneNote data on my OneDrive

Byron Shoh 0 Reputation points
2026-09-10T02:23:36.5233333+00:00

Hi,

Would appreciate your help. I was cleaning up my OneDrive files and folders and deleted my OneNote folders and sections.

I cleared the recycled bin and afraid the OneNote data is gone. I am still able to view the sections and folders on my mobile.

Would I be able to restore these from my mobile OneNote app? Many Thanks!

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | Other | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-10T02:23:51.55+00:00

    If the OneNote notebook was deleted from OneDrive, it was moved to the OneDrive Recycle bin first. After the Recycle Bin is cleared, standard restore options are very limited.

    What can still be checked:

    1. Check whether the notebook still exists in OneDrive folders:
      • Sign in to OneDrive.
      • Browse folders such as Documents or Notebooks.
      • If the notebook file is found, open it in OneNote for the web and then select Open in OneNote.
    2. Check deleted notes inside OneNote:
      • Open the notebook where the notes were expected.
      • In OneNote, choose View > Deleted Notes.
      • If the pages appear there, use Restore To and move them back to the correct section.
    3. Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin from mobile:
      • In the OneDrive mobile app, open Me > account > Recycle Bin.
      • Select the files and tap Restore.
      • This only works if the notebook files are still in the Recycle Bin.

    Important limitation:

    • The provided guidance only supports restoring notebook files from the OneDrive Recycle Bin or restoring deleted pages from OneNote’s deleted notes area.
    • If the OneDrive Recycle Bin was already emptied, the context does not provide a supported method to restore the notebook from the mobile OneNote app.
    • Seeing sections on the mobile app may mean cached or previously synced content is still visible there, but no supported mobile-app recovery method is provided here.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Lychee-Ng 28,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-10T07:45:13.12+00:00

    Hello Byron Shoh,

    I'm so sorry to hear that you accidentally deleted your OneNote content while clearing OneDrive. Since you have already emptied the Recycle Bin, there's a high chance that the notes are lost. Seeing the sections on your phone doesn't mean they are safely backed up as they could just be locally retained data. However, it's still something worth checking:

    • Turn off both Wi-Fi and mobile data on your phone > open OneNote while the phone is offline
    • Check whether the deleted sections and the actual contents of their pages are still available.
    • If they are, preserve anything you can still access. Depending on what the mobile app allows:
      • Export the OneNote content to your phone
      • Copying the pages/content elsewhere.

    Separately, you should also check OneNote's own deleted-notes recovery. Microsoft states that deleted OneNote pages or sections can be recovered for up to 60 days when they are still in the Notebook Recycle Bin. You can find Microsoft's instructions here: Recover deleted notes | Microsoft Support.

    Regarding OneDrive itself, emptying its Recycle Bin generally means that the data is permanently deleted. However, if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, there is an option to restore the entire OneDrive when something has gone wrong: Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive | Microsoft Support.

    I sincerely hope the complete pages are still available offline on your phone, as that may give you the best chance to preserve the notes.

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