Disable auto format

[Margarida Afonso 10]

Create an option, as exists for Evernote on other devices, to disabel auto format on android 

[Ron Bauerle 30]

I've been notified by the android team that they will be adding the option to disable autoformatting on android, unfortunately I don't know exactly when.  For reference, the autoformatting article contains information on what autoformatting is supported on each platform and how to disable it (where possible).

[ARNeto 3]

@gazumped

Hi! I don't want autoformat. I need my text as I have typed it. I have disabled this feature when using Windows and iPad versions of Evernote but I cannot do it in Android.

[ARNeto 3]

Yes! When I need a line beginning with a dash followed by a space I can not do that. It's a common use case for me.

In my workflow with Evernote I disable autoformat and I do special formatting explicitly when necessary.

Thanks for your interest!

[dstringvc 6]

This is definitely a new problem that was introduced in the 8.3 update. I have started new lines with "- " (dash space) using earlier versions with no trouble. I tried the undo button as suggested in another post. It reverted ALL changes to the current note. Like other people in this thread, this is a huge problem for me! Android dev team, please DO NOT introduce new "features" without allowing the user to configure them.

[rimboma 35]

This is infuriating! Glad to see the team working on it. Upvoting of course.

[AggieInOregon 1]

I heartily agree with both suggestions in this string: 1) give us the option to disable autoformat in Android, and 2) don't make significant changes without giving us the ability to opt-out.

[gazumped 7,128]

Hi.  Can you explain how autoformat is interfering with what you're trying to accomplish?  What's actually happening?

[gazumped 7,128]

Do you get automatic bullets occurring where they shouldn't?  Capital Letters in the wrong places?

[gazumped 7,128]

Hmmn.  I'd never noticed before that there's autoformat. 

Attempting a " - " + <space> immediately gets you to a bulleted line.  There doesn't seem to be a way to cancel that.  I had a good look through settings and the various tools,  and I agree there's no obvious way to turn that off either.  If anyone knows otherwise perhaps you can enlighten us!  Meantime I voted (top left of the page).

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

I agree that this should be configurable--for those for whom it exists! I tried starting a series of lines with dashes (various kinds of dashes, too), and never got a bullet. What version are you using, @ARNeto, and on what device?

[ARNeto 3]

@Dave-in-Decatur 

Hi! 

I'm using Evernote for Android 8.3. 

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

2 hours ago, ARNeto said:

@Dave-in-Decatur 

Hi! 

I'm using Evernote for Android 8.3. 

OK, I guess I need to update! Haven't had time lately.

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

I just installed 8.3, and find this happens for me too. - or * and a space produce a bullet; [] and a space produce a check box. Weirdly, and unhelpfully for those who might actually want this, nothing produces a numbered list! Wrong; see my correction below.

Two kludges: type - followed by any nonspace character, then a space, then go back and delete the extra character; if your keyboard has it, type an em dash — or en dash –  instead of a hyphen -.

[dstringvc 6]

Awkward and very inconvenient, but the kludge works. Thanks for sharing your solution!

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

20 hours ago, Dave-in-Decatur said:

Weirdly, and unhelpfully for those who might actually want this, nothing produces a numbered list!

My bad! I should have checked the autoformatting article linked by @Ron Bauerle. There it indicates that 1. or 1) followed by a space does produce a numbered list. Also, ---, ===, or *** at the beginning of a line followed by Enter produces a horizontal rule.

[rimboma 35]

Food for thought: What is the most important bit about auto-formatting features in the latest generations of MS Office? It's that you can stop it immediately.

[gmc 8]

Regarding Dave-in-Decatur's hack (thanks!), I've found that just doubling up on the character suppresses the auto-formatting , then enter your space, then your text.  Works and might be a little quicker and it's still almost the same as what we're used to (although I don't want to HAVE to do this!)

Example:

** how is this

   -- You got me

Yes, this issue is a major PITA and should absolutely be disableable.  Let me dream...could we be allowed to program the tab spacing???

Android 8.6.1

[Xyduh 0]

It is still a problem and its infuriating! please, fix that. Thanks.

[L.K. 23]

It's been basically a year. How is this still an issue? I'm so sick of having to add unwanted spaces when I'm writing dividers (******) between scenes in stories because Evernote decides I need a horizontal rule or having to type an empty space in front of a line and backtrack to put 1), 2), etc. when I want a list which isn't indented. Pressing undo usually doesn't work - and even when it does, retyping the content caused auto formatting to happen all over again. Surely it can't take that much effort to enable a toggle to turn this nonsense off!

[gazumped 7,128]

7 hours ago, L.K. said:

It's been basically a year. How is this still an issue?

The problem with some changes is that getting to the toggle is like moving the bottom can in a supermarket display pile.  Not something you want to do until you have to change the whole display for something else.  Otherwise a minor change costs a whole lot of time and effort...

[BMXer_V 1]

Hello! Just to push up the topic.

The problem is still existing. Seriously, how could it take more than a year to just let users disable a feature they never wanted?.. Why on the other platforms you can do that but on the Android you can not? Very sorry, but I am sick and tired of not being able just simply to type the text the way I want...

[gazumped 7,128]

On 10/19/2019 at 10:51 PM, BMXer_V said:

Hello! Just to push up the topic.

The problem is still existing. Seriously, how could it take more than a year to just let users disable a feature they never wanted?.. Why on the other platforms you can do that but on the Android you can not? Very sorry, but I am sick and tired of not being able just simply to type the text the way I want...

https://evernote.com/blog/mid-year-review-progress-so-far-how-you-can-help/

 

[gmc 8]

Thanks for the topic push! (BMXer_V, hit the upvote button please [top left].)This issue still annoys and messes me up ever time I make a note!  Keep pushing people. Changing code in software (back to what it was) is really hard when you're a professional programmer...

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

I don't care for this feature, and would also like to have the option to disable it. But it's fair to remember that they didn't put it in place just on a whim. I imagine there are people who use it gladly every day. It's not a bad idea, just one that many of us would like to be able to turn off.

[dstringvc 6]

The lack of ability to disable this annoying feature, which I commented about on 27-Aug-2018, has caused me to start looking for an alternative to Evernote. From what I can tell, the product works well on iOS and MacOS. Based on personal experience, it works just OK on Windows, though the editor has some quirks that take getting used to. But on Android, where I basically run my entire life, Evernote is VERY DISAPPOINTING! As others have commented, it's been over a year and we're still dealing with this issue. I understand and support the team not catering to free-level users. But as a paying user (Plus level subscription), I would think this issue would get more attention than it has. Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas...

[bigkagi 2]

Yes, this is a real problem.  For me, specifically: I use Evernote primarily to take notes on books I'm reading.  Normally, I start each note with the page number followed by a period.  On MacOS, this works fine.  But on Android it starts a formatted list, which I do not want.  Please, please make it possible to disable automatic numbering!

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

Everyone in favor of this change, be sure to click the upward arrow at the top of the page to show your support.

[TotalDeath 0]

It's been nearly 2 years since this request was made, and still no resolution or workaround. Unbelievable.

I use the app to record albums I review for the magazine I write for. Albums and band names frequently start with numbers or punctuation  which results in a numbered list that begins with 1 regardless of the number or even letter I typed. Additionally, I can copy/paste a numbered list to a note, but as soon as I edit or try to add to it, the app starts a new list that begins with 1. regardless of the numbering system and format already in use.

This is a really stupid and easily remedied issue to have to deal with for so long.

Edited April 27 by TotalDeath
Included more information.

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,136]

Hi, and welcome to the forums. Be sure to click the upward arrow at the top of the page to register your support. So far, this only has 28 "votes," which may be more significant than the 20 months it's been up.

FWIW,  a number followed by a space does not start a list in the current version  of the app, only a period or ). They're working on a major overhaul of the editor across all platforms, so hopefully this may get done in that process. I hope that might also be true of the changing of formatting of a numbered list pasted in, which sounds really irritating. Of course, lists are controlled by underlying HTML code, and they way it comes off the clipboard could be affecting what EN thinks it has to do.

[Max23 0]

So it's been over a year and a half since I checked last time on this issue.... Still unresolved... Unbelievable ! Does Android team even know about it ? Is there any way to check the status on this issue and if it's ever gonna be implemented ? I mean it's ridiculous! Why did they decide that we need bulleted list if we type [dash] [space] ???What if I wanna have nested bullet list ???? 😠 If anyone has any updates, please let me know, thanks !

[DuvidJay 2]

This is coming up to 2 years since disable autoformatting in Android was requested by many. I have been with Evernote since almost the beginning and paid on the spot every single year even though my usage is extremely minimal. When Evernote cease listening to paying customers, then I cease paying money to Evernote. If this unwanted "feature" still cannot be disabled come my renewal date you will not get another penny from me. After 2 years the time of polite requests is long past. Fix it!

[gazumped 7,128]

On 6/2/2020 at 8:53 PM, DuvidJay said:

After 2 years the time of polite requests is long past. Fix it!

Hi.  Two things - when you buy into a software app you pay for the features that you see,  not for the right to dictate what the next developments will be.  And with 30 votes (so far) this is not the most pressing request that Evernote have in these forums.  There are thousands of others,  several with many more votes.  Evernote's issue is priorities,  not customer service.  Oh and - 

Evernote are already (they say) in process of completely re-coding all of their apps for all operating systems (See the Evernote Blog), so they may have already included some upgrades. But they don't preview details, so we'll probably have to wait until the new versions hit the streets to see what new features exist. 

(Strikes me that few users seem to be aware of this, so I'll boiler-plate this paragraph for inclusion with more answers...)

[DuvidJay 2]

Why, thank you very much, gazumped, with a typical reply from a company (or shill) who does not believe that *paying* customers should be listened to.

I, nor *ANYONE ELSE* has attempted to *DICTATE* the next developments.

Everyone, so far as the posts I can see on this subject had politely requested over a period of almost TWO YEARS for this anomaly to be fixed. Only after Evernote apparently ignoring these requests did I add my 2 cents, "FIX IT". I have paid *MUCH* money to Evernote over the years though only using their service on what I could have had for free. I believe in paying for things I find useful *BUT* I also sincerely believe in Companies listening to fee-paying customers, *especially* Premium fee-payers.

I too am a Premium subscriber though I only use Evernote for a few notes per day for mainly personal medical notes which I must keep up to date for health reasons. You seem to be saying that I should have no input despite paying many dollars over the many years I have supported Evernote. Fair enough. If I am denied my voice then as I said earlier, Evernote will be denied my money and you, sir, have *JUST CONFIRMED THAT DECISION*.

NOW, "gazumped", you sound just like an Evernote employee trying to defend the absolute ignoring of polite requests from users, *especially* as you have 27,234 posts registered to you. My word!  Do you ever even get time in the day to use Evernote for what it was intended?

So, "gazumped" - go stick your "advice" where the sun don't shine and you have just confirmed that I will NOT be renewing my many, many years of Evernote subscriptions.

[gazumped 7,128]

6 hours ago, DuvidJay said:

a typical reply from a company (or shill) who does not believe that *paying* customers should be listened to.

Just for the record I'm not an employee, I have no connection with the company other than being a user,  and I do not get paid by Evernote for anything. 

I do use Evernote for its intended purpose - been doing that (and paying) for 11+ years,  and while I have also suggested various improvements from time to time,  I've not made Evernote's compliance with my suggestions a condition of renewing my subscription. That is,  by my definition,  an attempt to 'dictate' the way in which the application is developed.

You seem to have missed the last part of my post which was suggesting that it is possible Evernote are already doing something about your issue while rebuilding their app - I hope that gets released before your deadline expires.  Good luck either way...