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macOS Text Replacements not working? What to check
Text Replacements are the Mac’s built-in text expander. When one doesn’t expand, it’s almost always one of four things.
By Anmol Sethi · Updated
Quick answer
Check the app has Edit → Substitutions → Text Replacement ticked, and that you finish the shortcut with a space or punctuation. Many apps outside Apple’s text system, like Electron apps and terminals, never expand them. If they’re missing on another device, check it uses the same Apple Account with iCloud on.
Four things to check
- The app’s own switch. In apps with an Edit menu (TextEdit, Mail, Notes, Pages), open Edit → Substitutions and tick Text Replacement. It’s per app, and can be off.
- Finish the word. A replacement expands after a space or punctuation, not as you finish typing the shortcut.
- The shortcut itself. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements… and check the spelling; shortcuts can’t contain spaces.
- The app. If it’s one that doesn’t use Apple’s text system, see below.
Snipora is a text expander that tells you why when it can’t expand. Try it in your browser →
Apps that ignore them
Text Replacements are a feature of Apple’s text system, so they work where an app uses Apple’s text fields. Many apps draw their own: Electron apps such as Slack, Discord and VS Code, terminals, and plenty of web apps. There, nothing you change in Settings will help; an app-level text expander will.
When they don’t sync
- Every device needs the same Apple Account, with iCloud on.
- Changes can take a while to arrive; give it some time before changing anything.
- If one device never gets them, signing out of iCloud and back in on it is the usual last resort. Make sure your other iCloud data is synced first.
The way Snipora handles it
Snipora reads your Text Replacements on first launch and brings them over, then expands them in every app, Electron and terminals included. It adds dates, forms and rules, and Esc undoes an expansion. Keep the originals for your iPhone. Snipora vs Text Replacements.
Questions people ask
- Where are Text Replacements on a Mac?
- System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements…. Click + to add one.
- Can a Text Replacement insert today’s date?
- No, they’re fixed text. See how to type the date with a shortcut.
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