Notes: missing attachments

When you view or export a note in iMazing, images or other attachments may appear missing, replaced by an [IMAGE] placeholder.

This happens because iOS excludes attachments from notes synced through iCloud when creating backups. iMazing reads the backup data and cannot recover what was never included. This is an iOS-level limitation, not an iMazing one.

The workaround is to move affected notes to the local On My iPhone or On My iPad account before backing up.

Enable the local Notes account on your device

On iOS 18 or later:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Notes.
3. Toggle on "On My iPhone" Account (or "On My iPad" Account on iPad).

On iOS 17 or earlier:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Notes.
3. Toggle on "On My iPhone" Account (or "On My iPad" Account on iPad).

Move notes to the local account

1. Open the Notes app on your device.
2. Locate each note that contains attachments you want to preserve.
3. Tap and hold the note, then tap Move.
4. Select On My iPhone (or On My iPad) as the destination.

Repeat for each affected note.