(Archived) REQUEST: Plain-text-only option

[jhood 0]

Starting by saying I couldn't live without Evernote, there is only one thing (other than fixing the line break bug...) that would make it even better...

I -never- save notes with formatting... having an option on the application level to save ONLY AS TEXT would be a great feature... or even on the note level... that way, I don't have to fuss around with pasting a special way, or worrying about fonts and hyperlinks that get pasted in...

Does anyone else think this would be a good feature...? I use it to store text notes... and don't want any formatting...

Thanks,

JH

[emcnish 0]

I ***Need*** this option. I carry a Android HTC Incredible and an iPod Touch. I use the Windows XP software at work and Ubuntu w/ Firefox at home. With all these interfaces into my notes, the only common format is plain text. Where do I go to make a feature request?

[engberg 89]

Thanks for the feedback. On platforms that don't have "rich text" editing capabilities, we are somewhat conservative on editing the notes to make sure that you don't accidentally lose some important content or formatting by editing on a device that can't show WYSIWYG editing. We're investigating alternatives, but there's no simple silver bullet.

[katahdin 8]

I'm finally getting 'used' to the amazing things that EN can do, but it does seem that many of the problems folks have, can be bypassed if there was a KISS function ! ie only text to mess around with in the notes.

That's what I expected when I 1st joined.

[emcnish 0]

The 'silver bullet' for me would be a plain-text option in the web and PC interfaces. I just track information, I don't need/want formatting.

[rudini 0]

I would like to echo this request as well.

SIMPLE = good!

[nulall 0]

+1

[scolestock 1]

+1. Agreed on plain text option for web/PC clients when you create a note - it is just too easy to re-introduce formatting that then causes issues on the iPhone client, etc.

[QuackingPlums 0]

+1 This is the one feature that would have convinced me to pay for the premium upgrade. Pretty sure I've asked for this before but I think the folks at Evernote don't really see multi-device sync as a high priority.

Not only is this frustrating, but I lost a bunch of notes today because I opted for the "save a copy in plain text" option on my iPhone and all it did was delete the original note and create me a new one.

I'm off to investigate alternatives (Google Notes? MobileMe?) now and if I find one that syncs with my iPhone without all this fancy formatting malarkey then I'm ditching Evernote. Evernote is good, but it's just not designed for how we're trying to use it.

[asbenicio 0]

Hey

I want it too !!!!!

[Julian 40]

I agree. I can't believe what a mess some of my important notes are when I view them on my iPad after having created them on my desktop (Windows) PC.

At the very least could the windows client at least show us what the notes really look like instead of ignoring half the formatting so that a note might

look something just like this .......... when created on the PC but

look something like this ........... when viewed on the iPad.

- Julian

[mrgimli 0]

I cannot agree more! While Evernote is working on the preservation of rich text features on different media, it would be great to have the OPTION of saving your text as 'plain text'. It is wonderful to have this option now, but only when you attempt to edit your 'rich text' on your iPad. Please make this available while the document is being created on the PC or Mac in the first place. That would let the user plan on which additional features of the text to preserve vs. let go BEFORE the document is created/finalized.

[Razorclown 0]

I really want this feature, too. If I edit a note I created on my iPhone on my Windows client, it'll have extra spaces between each line when I open it again on my iPhone.

[xiance 1]

Vote for this! I need this feature badly.

At least a "remove all formatting" button.

[xiance 1]

Thanks for the feedback. On platforms that don't have "rich text" editing capabilities, we are somewhat conservative on editing the notes to make sure that you don't accidentally lose some important content or formatting by editing on a device that can't show WYSIWYG editing. We're investigating alternatives, but there's no simple silver bullet.

You are answering the wrong question. We just want a edit box WITHOUT formatting, even on those platforms that support rich text.

[Koinseb 0]

I have to agree with xlance: engberg is answering the wrong question.

I also want an option to just keep notes in plain text, no matter which platform I'm on.

Without that option it's impossible to have a note in sync between the iPad and the Desktop application. As soon as I changed a note on the Desktop it's not editable on the iPad anymore - which frankly makes Evernote almost useless for me.

[engberg 89]

If you only ever type text, then the note should be editable on the iPad/iPhone. The problem comes if you introduce formatting on the desktop via the formatting buttons or via pasting/clipping from a rich text source.

[QuackingPlums 0]

If you only ever type text, then the note should be editable on the iPad/iPhone. The problem comes if you introduce formatting on the desktop via the formatting buttons or via pasting/clipping from a rich text source.

This is DEFINITELY not the case. If this is the intended behaviour then there is a bug somewhere. I have notes that were typed in on iPhone, have never had formatting applied via PC or web, but subsequently throw up that error that tells me I can't edit rich text when I try to open it on iPhone.

I take it that the insistence of the current behaviour being 'correct' means that a 'no formatting' or 'text only' mode is off the cards?

[jbenson2 2,149]

To clean up my notes, I use two programs.

I use the free emailstripper program to clean up some of my emails

http://www.papercut.com/emailStripper.htm

But my number one choice is Readability. It removes all the clutter from most clipped webpages.

http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/

[msleslieb 0]

I have tried to copy the text into a 'textedit' document, convert it to plain text and then copy it back into Evernote as it instructs. Even this does not work to allow me to edit or create notes on my desktop: I still see the same message when I try to open it on my iphone, "Rich text notes cannot be edited on your iPhone."

The option to make a text copy of the note simply freezes the program - nothing happens.

Any solutions?

[GSnyder 0]

I'd like to echo this request.

I DETEST the rich-text implementation in Evernote. It just gets in the way and causes constant problems. Plus it's all moot anyway since half my use is on the iPad, which can't edit rich text.

[felix 0]

This would be really useful. Sometimes I just add a bit of extra text to an existing note, and it turns up in a different font because I've copied it from somewhere. It's a pain having to start sorting out the fonts when I just don't need that sort of formatting in that note, as well as stopping me from editing it on my iPhone. I looked all around the settings for an option to turn a note to plain text yesterday - I'm obviously not the only one who'd like the feature.

[Copperhead 0]

I use a Mac, iPod touch and iPad. The rich text bug kills me!

More than once I've written notes, Synced and found that I could NOT read them on my iPad!

I can't even read rich text on my iOS devices! Brutal.

If there were a Preference that allowed only plain text, or a quick conversion button, it would solve the problem for me entirely!

OR even better, support rich text on my iPad! I'd even settle for on-the-fly conversions!

[RogueWolf 0]

+1 from me, also.

A simple button that allowed a note to be toggled between rich-text and plain-text mode would solve no end of problems. It would prevent the need to paste formatted text into Notepad and copy it back out again to remove formatting and it would solve the dreaded "Rich Text notes cannot be edited on your iPhone".

[katahdin 8]

A simple button

Boy, If someone finally looks at the issue and says - oh that's what you want - no problemo !

A lot of folks should be really aggravated. I would expect its not that easy or they would have implemented it already.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

I can't even read rich text on my iOS devices! Brutal.

Then there's something messed up on your iOS devices. I can view RTF notes on my iPhone 4 & even append text to them.

[Metrodon 2,188]

Have you tried completely deleting the app from your ios devices and then installing again? It works fine for me on a 3gs and iPad..

[sinman 3]

WANT

[Lyle 1]

Just joined the forum just so I could add to the requests for a text-only mode.

On a per stack basis, per note, or just a preference toggle.

Please, please.....

Thanks...Lyle