Notes error at Sequoia

I had this problem and managed to fix it with these steps:

• Quit Notes.
• Delete this file:

Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist

• DO NOT OPEN NOTES. Reboot first, then open Notes.

This fixed the issue for me and I get my Note Pane back. I'd love to hear back if this worked for others.

[Edited by Moderator]

I have just tested in Sequoia, and it is still showing the three panes, and I cannot even find a way to make it look like yours.

All I can suggest for now is to try and delete Notes preference file, and see how that goes (note: this does not delete your notes).

Quit Notes if it is running.

In Finder, press Command-Shift-G and paste

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist

Drag the file to your desktop

Start Notes again.

A fresh plist file is created.

Is the problem fixed? Fine. Adjust any preferences to your liking and trash the old plist file

If not, and you so desire, you drag the old plist file back, replacing the new one that was automatically created.

To get a single pane just select Gallery mode by clicking on the button with 4 squares. Chose you file from the Gallery and double click on it to display. To move back too the Gallery click on the [<] button.

I couldn't find that file in this location,

Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist

but I scrolled down further in containers and found three folders named 'Notes'. I followed this part

/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist and found the file.

I think it was in the first 'Notes' folder for me. I then followed the same directions to delete it and restart my computer, this worked for me.

Hi there,

I got same problem after I updated to Mac OS 15(M2 pro)

I solved this issue is this way,

1. make note view as gallery
2. quit note
3. restart
4. open note change it into list mode

Hope this will work for you.

Here is the solution that worked for me and others:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/1ef1tki/comment/lmxc65t/

Unbelievable though.

Brilliant – this worked for me, thank you!

Chabee66 wrote:

Hi,

I checked but I don't have this file there. I checked also manually, but nothing.

Did you include the tilde character? It is meant to be there.

There is a big difference between

/Library - the general folder

and

~/Library - the user specific folder. This is the one where user plist files are

My cleanly installed macOS 15.0 does not have ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist either.

FWIW instead there are these three folders here:

/Users/matti/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes

/Users/matti/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes.SharingExtension

/Users/matti/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes.WidgetExtension

Maybe this is the current preference file in the 1st folder:

/Users/matti/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist

I'd have an extra backup and (if possible) copy text and other items from Notes to a text editor etc before fiddling with those folders and files. Just in case.

To change 3 panes to 2 panes is simple. Just position the pointer on the vertical line, press & hold left click, then move the line to the left and it disappears. To revert to 3 pane click on the top leftmost button.

Did you try this specific path for that file?

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Notes.plist

Note that, unlike the previous posts, this has a `Containers` folder inside of `~/Library`.

The arrow pointing to the square box icon will toggle from 3 panels to 2 panels

First image is 3 panels

Second image toggles 2 panels