To Do list converted to bullet list in Android version 8.13.3

[BatchMann 5]

Today I went shopping, and as usual wanted to use my shopping list that I keep in Evernote. It's actually a To Do list in reverse, a list of all the things I buy repeatedly, even if not often. I check the box for an item when I need it, and clear the box when I buy it.  Today, my shopping list is no longer a To Do list on my Android devices, it is a bullet list, which is pretty useless for tracking anything. In the Windows app and Evernote Web it's still a To Do list. What happened?

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,960]

Hi, and welcome to the forums. That's weird, is about all I can say. You should be able to convert it back to checkboxes:

1. Select all the text.
2. Tap the a at the top, which will open the formatting menu.
3. Tap the bulleted list icon to get rid of the bullets (tap it twice of necessary).
4. Tap the checkbox icon to put boxes at the start of every line.

Hope this helps!

[BatchMann 5]

Thanks. That did work, and is even an improvement. The original note in the Windows app was the type that drew a line through the text when the box is checked. I did the editing on my tablet and now in the Windows app the check boxes are the type that turn green when checked, no more striking through the text. 

[agsteele 2,950]

Hi @BatchMann,

The strike through and green boxes is a feature of Evernote version 10 but you are posting in the V8 for Android threads. If you are mixing V10 on desktop and V8 on Android that might explain why you are confused...

[BatchMann 5]

That could explain a few things. I do have V10 on the desktop (I always take updates when offered) and V8 on Android. I don't know how to upgrade on Android, as the "check for updates" item is greyed out. Or should I revert to V8 on the desktop, and if so, how? And the success I reported above is temporary. Here's what I've found so far: if I create a "checklist" on the desktop, it's the type with grey boxes and strike through, and it shows up as a bullet list in Android (this is only happening since the last desktop update a few days ago). If I edit the list in Android, removing the bullets and then adding check boxes, on the desktop the list then has the green boxes and no strike through. If I then edit that list on the desktop by adding an item, it turns into grey boxes with strike through, and turns back into a bullet list in Android. But if I edit it in Android by adding an item, it remains a checklist, and still has green boxes on the desktop. This is very confusing behavior. 

[PinkElephant 8,117]

If you are on Android, check the Android version. EN v10 can only be installed on Android 10 and upwards.

For desktop legacy you won’t get „version 8“.

You get v6.25 for Windows or v7.14 for Mac:

https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052560314-Install-an-older-version-of-Evernote

[BatchMann 5]

OK, thanks. I'm still on Android 9. Maybe I'll try the legacy app until I'm ready to get a new phone and tablet (I'm in no hurry). 

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,960]

Here's a suggestion. V. 10 of Evernote has 2 types of check items: checkboxes inserted from the large blue + button, and checklists inserted from the formatting toolbar. The former are green boxes that can be inserted anywhere in a line, with text before and after them, and they do not result in a strikeout of following text when they are checked. The latter are gray boxes that only go at the beginning of a line, produce strikeout when checked, and can be grabbed by the mouse cursor and moved up and down in the list.

Entering 2 brackets [] followed by a space in the middle of a line of text creates a green checkbox; doing so at the start of a line produces a gray checklist item. It is the checklist boxes that turn to bulleted lists in the Android app v.8 (and the Windows legacy app v. 6).

But here's the trick: if the 2 brackets at the start of a line are preceded by any non-space text, such as a period or hyphen, they create a green checkbox, which should show up as a checkbox in the older Android app. This could allow you to get the same checkbox format between the two versions of Evernote, at the cost of an extra character before each one.

[PinkElephant 8,117]

... or insert a checkbox from the blue + submenu (available in v10). To avoid it to be converted if at the beginning of a line, place a space or similar in front of the checkbox.

The auto conversion AFAIK only takes place in v10 - the old clients don't know the checklist feature of the new clients.

[Wim D. 0]

Having exactly the same issues as described above.  I don't remember having them earlier (with the same type of checklist); I ran into this issue only yesterday.
I am on Android 9 (the latest supported version on Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus).  Evernote is at version 8.13.3 (June 3, 2020).
I am using the (latest) web client in parallel, on a Firefox Web Browser 100.0.2 (64-bit) on Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS.

I think it would be nice to still receive some essential Evernote app updates (bugfixes and security updates) for Android 9...

Web client:

Android app:

[Boot17 1,450]

 @Wim D. - thanks for the screenshots -- that helps to visualize the issue. A workaround (and good solution to your issue) was posted by the previous two commenters  above to use the checkbox(in case you might have missed that). There aren't going to be any new updates for the old Evernote versions (especially updates that would support new types of content like tasks and checklists in v10). The only options for you are the workarounds listed above or buying a newer phone.

Use Checkboxes for compatibility with old Evernote Android and the new version 10. Use checkboxes with a bulleted list. If you don't use a bulleted list, then Evernote will auto-convert your list of checkboxes to a checklist unless you take other precautions (as listed above)

[Wim D. 0]

3 hours ago, Boot17 said:

 @Wim D. - thanks for the screenshots -- that helps to visualize the issue. A workaround (and good solution to your issue) was posted by the previous two commenters  above to use the checkbox(in case you might have missed that). There aren't going to be any new updates for the old Evernote versions (especially updates that would support new types of content like tasks and checklists in v10). The only options for you are the workarounds listed above or buying a newer phone.

Use Checkboxes for compatibility with old Evernote Android and the new version 10. Use checkboxes with a bulleted list. If you don't use a bulleted list, then Evernote will auto-convert your list of checkboxes to a checklist unless you take other precautions (as listed above)

Thanks for your reply.  Indeed I have read the previous posts.  Checkboxes seem to be workable (without putting them in a bulleted list).
Nevertheless I like the advantages of Checklists (having draggable items, and strike-through effect).

Pity to hear the Android 9 version would not be receiving updates any more.

Thanks, have a nice day.

[BatchMann 5]

Thanks for the suggestions. Putting hyphens before the check boxes works for me. Having the check box lists convert to checklists in the Windows app (after editing) has been a problem for a while, but having the checklists convert to bullet lists in Android started shortly before my first post, right after the last update. Why that now causes different behavior in the Android app, which hasn't changed, is a bit baffling. Must be some sort of server side change. 

[Walder 33]

Having exactly the same issues as described above. So pity. I have to buy a new Android phone with Android 10. It is more easy than convert all my checklists.

[agsteele 2,950]

You could just use the Legacy app on desktop then you will be working on a consistent environment across devices. 

Mixing v10 on desktop and v8 on mobile raises a few conflicts such as this one.

[Walder 33]

1 minute ago, agsteele said:

You could just use the Legacy app on desktop then you will be working on a consistent environment across devices. 

Mixing v10 on desktop and v8 on mobile raises a few conflicts such as this one.

Agree. Better to use same version across devices. But actually, one month ago no such conflicts with checklists between v10 on desktop and v8 on Android. The problem appeared the last month, I have not noted what date. Seems after desktop app updating.

[agsteele 2,950]

Possibly, but the cause is the same. v10 is developing and changing all the time. Changes to some features and functions are hidden in the background that might well improve the v10 experience but, sadly, will make working across versions less reliable.

Unfortunately there is no sign that v10 will ever run on an OS below Android 10 so your best option is to stay with Legacy on the desktop until your mobile device comes around for upgrade/change.

And just to note... v8 on Android has never supported CHECKLISTs - they are a v10 only option. v8 and Legacy only have CHECKBOXes which v10 stubbornly attempts to convert to lists unless you use the tricks described earlier in the thread

[Walder 33]

1 hour ago, agsteele said:

v8 on Android has never supported CHECKLISTs

I used it. It looked like this:

• ☐ item 1
• ☑︎ item 2

[agsteele 2,950]

That's not a checklist. That's a bullet list with check boxes. Checklists didn't exist until v10.

[Walder 33]

37 minutes ago, agsteele said:

That's not a checklist. That's a bullet list with check boxes. Checklists didn't exist until v10.

Yes. The checklist in v10 looked like the bullet list with check boxes in v8. And it worked well until now. In any way, it is in the past. Need move ahead.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,960]

There appears to be an update to this situation. I've just noticed that a list (rows of items beginning with checkboxes) created in pre-v.10 Evernote (either the Android app v. 8 or the Windows desktop program v. 6) can now be checked off in the Windows desktop program v. 10.45, and it will not be converted to a bulleted list in Android. Likewise an item checked off in the old Android app will show up properly in the new Windows app. See the screen clips below. OTOH, a genuine new-style checklist created in the Windows program will show up in the old Android app as a bulleted list only, no checkboxes.

The first screen clip shows checked items as they appear in the old Android app, the second shows them as they appear in v. 10.45 of the Windows app.