Uncheck All Check Boxes In A Note

[rchusid 12]

Is it still possible to uncheck all of the check boxes in a note with a single command? There was an obvious command for this in the previous version, which I used frequently. Now I cannot find this function in the current version. 

[Mike P 2,643]

9 hours ago, rchusid said:

Is it still possible to uncheck all of the check boxes in a note with a single command? There was an obvious command for this in the previous version, which I used frequently. Now I cannot find this function in the current version. 

The function no longer exists. I raised this way back in the preview stage and was told that this wasn't on the immediate roadmap. Very unusual to get anything so definitive for EN, especially for something that sounds so easy to do.

If you have a simple checklist ie not lots of headings between, the easiest way is simply to select the list, unselect checklist and then recheck it. If you have lots of headings you can set it out in a table with the headings occupying merged cells. You can then select an entire column of checkboxes without the headings and again unselect and reselect checklist

However I note you specifically say check box rather than checklis and I don't beleive there is an easy way of unchecking all checkboxes at all.

[rchusid 12]

It is a shame that an "upgrade" has taken away functions. While check box lists are not a major use for Evernote, keeping this function makes Evernote far more functional for todo lists, as opposed to using a separate program.

My work around has been to download the old desktop version, which I used to uncheck monthly lists at the end of December so they are now ready for use regardless of which version I use during the month. 

[PinkElephant 8,117]

For repetitive lists: Save a note with unchecked boxes as a template, or as a „template note“. This serves as a master from which you can always draw a fresh copy.

[rchusid 12]

That would work too. For now I'll probably repeat what I did in December--using the old version to access the uncheck command. Should we get to a point where the old version stops working, this would be another possible work around. 

[IslanderFJ 0]

On 1/4/2021 at 10:28 AM, rchusid said:

It is a shame that an "upgrade" has taken away functions. While check box lists are not a major use for Evernote, keeping this function makes Evernote far more functional for todo lists, as opposed to using a separate program.

My work around has been to download the old desktop version, which I used to uncheck monthly lists at the end of December so they are now ready for use regardless of which version I use during the month. 

Omg I can't believe they took this feature away.  I had the same workflow.  For a new month I would copy and just uncheck all.  This is so frustrating!!!

[PinkElephant 8,117]

Create a template or a „template note“, and draw a fresh copy every month won’t work ?

[Mike P 2,643]

2 hours ago, PinkElephant said:

Create a template or a „template note“, and draw a fresh copy every month won’t work ?

I agree this is a possible solution. However I frequently modify checklists "on the fly" and do not need to keep the completed checklist. A packing list is a good example of this. You then need to remember to make a new template each time rather than just clear the checkboxes. Fortunately, for a simple list like this, my workaround described in an earlier post in this thread works reasonably well.

[rchusid 12]

The fact that I also make modifications is also why I don't go with the solution of copying from a template. It could work, but would require updating the template too. 

[pindy1 4]

I would like to see a native feature added to the new versions of Evernote.   The ability to uncheck all checkboxes within a note, would be important functionality for those users like myself using lots of lists.   I personally  find myself using other products even to maintain shopping lists and home maintenance tasks, because having to manually uncheck every item is a waste of time.  I have explored creating templates, but that is not very helpful when these lists are changing constantly.     I feel Evernote could easily implement this functionality and this would make the product that much better. 

 

 

[Mike P 2,643]

On 1/31/2021 at 5:51 PM, pindy1 said:

I would like to see a native feature added to the new versions of Evernote. 

It was in the old version and it seems such a simple thing to do. Have you tried my workaround described above?

On 12/24/2020 at 7:12 AM, Mike P said:

If you have a simple checklist ie not lots of headings between, the easiest way is simply to select the list, unselect checklist and then recheck it. If you have lots of headings you can set it out in a table with the headings occupying merged cells. You can then select an entire column of checkboxes without the headings and again unselect and reselect checklist

 

[Kerry P 2]

This is going to be a massive, daily headache for me at home and at work.  I feel disrespected.  Pretty much the last feeling you want to elicit in a customer.  You should also see the seemingly arbitrary way the upgrade decided to convert my original list to a mash of Checkboxes and Checklists.

 

[rchusid 12]

The last time I used the notebook with check boxes last week, I believe the command to uncheck all was back (unless I accidentally pulled up the old version). I'm not at the computer where I use it right now but I believe the command was back on the desktop version, but not the web or Android version--but I don't think the command was in all version in the past either. If not there, I think the best work around was to use the older version, which they did post for download. 

 

[Mike P 2,643]

9 hours ago, rchusid said:

The last time I used the notebook with check boxes last week, I believe the command to uncheck all was back (unless I accidentally pulled up the old version).

I certainly can't see it. Do you remember how tyou accessed the command?

[rchusid 12]

It isn't there. I probably did pull up the old version without realizing it as the next time I tried it wasn't there. 

[rchusid 12]

I just came back to this forum for the first time in months to see if any chance there is anything more on this. As of now the best solution remains to pull up the legacy version once a month to reset my monthly checklists. Then either version can be used. It remains a shame that they got rid of such a useful function. Most likely it is because of the addition of tasks, but that doesn't look very helpful for my purposes. 

 

[PinkElephant 8,117]

This is exactly what legacy is about - providing functions that not yet have made it into the new client. Everybody is welcome to use legacy, it is provided officially from EN, no need to go to shady 3rd party sites to find it.

"Not yet available" is not the same as "has been removed". When you create new software from scratch, you don't need to remove anything to have nothing. When you start, you have - nothing. Every piece of functionality must be added first. Not all will be added at the same time.

But sure, it feels much better to rant away about evil forces eating pizza and removing features to drive users first nuts and then to post in the forum.

[rchusid 12]

Except it does look like it has been removed based upon the limited information from Evernote, not that it is something which will available in the future. 

Using the Legacy version is a satisfactory workaround, which is why I raised it again for the benefit of others who miss the feature, but it would be far better if they added the feature back to the current versions. 

[PinkElephant 8,117]

There is no information available to me that the „uncheck all boxes“ will not return - and none about a return. Pretty normal - EN does only rarely comment on features unless they are right in the door already.

You can use the feedback function build into the app to drop your idea on EN PM.

[rchusid 12]

I don't know if it will influence them, but I did receive a survey from them which was sent to people using the legacy version asking why. Hopefully others also responded that they are using it for the same reason.

[agsteele 2,950]

I've never been aware of a keyboard command to uncheck all items in the Legacy version.  I'd certainly be dlighted to know where it was.  Such an option would have real potential for those lists of things are done repetitively.  At the moment the Template approach is the only one that works for me

[PinkElephant 8,117]

Found nothing about it for Windows, not legacy nor v10. For v10 Mac there is a shortcut „Toggle checklist“ (not checkbox) cmd-Shift-C, none for legacy.

Here is a blog article about how to use filterize to do it:

https://filterize.net/blog/using-filterize/3-ideas-how-to-clear-all-checkboxes-of-a-checklist-automatically/

[PinkElephant 8,117]

Hi everybody, there is great news about refreshing a checklist to be completely unchecked - at least for the Mac users among us .

And you need to use the Checklist format introduced with v10, this solution does not work with Checkboxes.

1. You have a Checklist, partially filled (or completed, whatever)
2. Select it all (or the part of it you want to refresh)
3. Now hit cmd-shift-C on the keyboard. It converts the whole checklist into a normal text, removing everything, even the indenting. Boooh !
4. Now hit cmd-shift-C again (everything still selected). This toggles the whole list back to be a checklist, and all new boxes are unchecked. Wooooah !

I couldn't try on Windows, maybe somebody does using ctrl instead of cmd.

[Mike P 2,643]

1 hour ago, PinkElephant said:

Hi everybody, there is great news about refreshing a checklist to be completely unchecked - at least for the Mac users among us .

And you need to use the Checklist format introduced with v10, this solution does not work with Checkboxes.

1. You have a Checklist, partially filled (or completed, whatever)
2. Select it all (or the part of it you want to refresh)
3. Now hit cmd-shift-C on the keyboard. It converts the whole checklist into a normal text, removing everything, even the indenting. Boooh !
4. Now hit cmd-shift-C again (everything still selected). This toggles the whole list back to be a checklist, and all new boxes are unchecked. Wooooah !

I couldn't try on Windows, maybe somebody does using ctrl instead of cmd.

This works on Windows with shift-ctrl-C

It is though just a shortcut version of the workaround I posted in this thread on 24 Dec 2020!

On 12/24/2020 at 7:12 AM, Mike P said:

If you have a simple checklist ie not lots of headings between, the easiest way is simply to select the list, unselect checklist and then recheck it. If you have lots of headings you can set it out in a table with the headings occupying merged cells. You can then select an entire column of checkboxes without the headings and again unselect and reselect checklist

 

[rchusid 12]

8 minutes ago, Mike P said:

This works on Windows with shift-ctrl-C

It is though just a shortcut version of the workaround I posted in this thread on 24 Dec 2020!

 

It isn't doing what I need. It will remove the entire check box. I need the check boxes unchecked but preserved for the next month. 

[Mike P 2,643]

1 hour ago, rchusid said:

It isn't doing what I need. It will remove the entire check box. I need the check boxes unchecked but preserved for the next month. 

The point is that when you then hit shift-ctrl-C again it reinstates the unchecked check boxes.

[PinkElephant 8,117]

To be precise, it toggles between a checkLIST and no checkLIST. It doesn’t work for checkBOXES.

@rchusid If you read my post, I have described you need to apply it twice to go from the used checklist over no checklist to a rejuvenated checklist with all empty list items. The important thing is it converts the checklist format to no checklist and back, it doesn’t change the items at all. If you always use the same checklist, you get a new empty version of it with all content and no checklist item crossed out.

[rchusid 12]

Yes, that works. Thank you. Your previous description from December sounded like it was more complicated than my work-around (using the legacy version), but now that you have it down to highlighting the check boxes I want to revert and then using the command twice it becomes a worthwhile solution. 

[Orion6 0]

Might be late to the party but....

Although I have tried the workaround and it does work - this is pretty lame for a feature that shouldn't have been removed in the first place.

I've gone from 1 simple click to a 4 step process in order to accomplish a very simple task.

Just one more thing I find disappointing as Evernote continues to "improve" it's program. I've tried switching to OneNote, if it would actually import Evernote info properly, I'd have switched a long time ago.

I used to love Evernote, now I tolerate it.

 

[rchusid 12]

Agree. The workaround does work, but it is disappointing that it is clumsier than what was present in the past. Workarounds in computer programs are generally accepted when they let us do something a program isn't designed to do. They shouldn't be needed because a function was removed.  

[PinkElephant 8,117]

You can discuss if the current way is more or less elegant.

Just for the argument: The treatment of checklists is all new - there was nothing like the checklist feature in the legacy apps. There were checkboxes, but they did not do the same.

Example: You can very easily drag & drop a whole checklist item into a new position in the list. When you hover with the mouse over an item, 4 dots arranged as a square show in front of the checklist symbol, forming a handle. Pull it to a new position, drop it - done. No need to first select the whole item character by character.

So maybe it takes more clicks to reset all checked items - but it takes significantly less effort to do other useful operations.

It is a different concept, and you can’t evaluate it by just pointing on what you don’t like.

[HenryV 4]

I haven't used checkLISTs much, but they would not work in many areas where I use checkboxes. For instance I will put 5 checkboxes next to an item in a monthly todo list that I want to do weekly.

I too have a mish mash of check boxes that have been converted to checkLISTs. At least stop the automatic formatting. If I have inserted a checkBOX I want it to stay a checkBOX.

I'm there are good uses for checkLISTs, but they should coexist peacefully with checkBOXes

[Mike P 2,643]

11 hours ago, HenryV said:

I'm there are good uses for checkLISTs, but they should coexist peacefully with checkBOXes

They do, provided you are prepared to not have the checkbox at the beginning of a line. I simply put a period before the (first) checkbox and can create all sorts of combinations of checkboxes and checklists

 

[roddaut 1]

What is the difference between a checkbox and a checklist? Is it just the quantity of items 1 vs. more than one?  

[PinkElephant 8,117]

Checklist is a list (sic), made to tick items off. Each line of text is treated as a checklist item, the box is always at the beginning of the line.

When you hover the mouse over it, a handle appears at the beginning of the line, making it easy to rearrange the list. Once checked the item is striked out.

Checklists are a new feature with v10.

Checkboxes are individual elements to format text. You can have more than one checkbox in a single line of text, in between. Checking will not strike out text, no help with sorting.

Checkboxes have been around a long time, before v10.

What has drawn a lot of comments in the forum is that EN automatically converts lists formatted with checkboxes into checklists once you edit them in v10. This may come as a surprise, and some users have reasons not to want their checkbox lists converted into checklists.

For those who don’t have an issue, checklists are a more modern tool to create lists that need to be ticked off.

[Tricia H 1]

On 12/23/2020 at 11:12 PM, Mike P said:

The function no longer exists. I raised this way back in the preview stage and was told that this wasn't on the immediate roadmap. Very unusual to get anything so definitive for EN, especially for something that sounds so easy to do.

If you have a simple checklist ie not lots of headings between, the easiest way is simply to select the list, unselect checklist and then recheck it. If you have lots of headings you can set it out in a table with the headings occupying merged cells. You can then select an entire column of checkboxes without the headings and again unselect and reselect checklist

However I note you specifically say check box rather than checklis and I don't beleive there is an easy way of unchecking all checkboxes at all.

I appreciate this workaround Mike, thanks for posting!