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Notes sort order

MarsViolet

MarsViolet

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 6, 2003
415
361
Anyone know how to force Notes to sort notes alphabetically? Pre-El Capitan, there was a menu command which let you switch between Alphabetical and Recently Modified, which is gone now. Instead, my notes are alphabetical except for those notes which I have recently modified which move to the top of the list, creating a disorganized jumble.
 
MarsViolet said:
Anyone know how to force Notes to sort notes alphabetically? Pre-El Capitan, there was a menu command which let you switch between Alphabetical and Recently Modified, which is gone now. Instead, my notes are alphabetical except for those notes which I have recently modified which move to the top of the list, creating a disorganized jumble.
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i feel your pain, i HATE this. i can't understand why the option to organize alphabetically isn't here, or on ios9; hate my notes flying around based on new text. can't believe apple doesn't see this, but...everyone has their pet peeve, and i guess for some, this isn't an issue. so it goes...
 
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fisherking said:
i feel your pain, i HATE this. i can't understand why the option to organize alphabetically isn't here, or on ios9; hate my notes flying around based on new text. can't believe apple doesn't see this, but...everyone has their pet peeve, and i guess for some, this isn't an issue. so it goes...
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I have filed this behavior as a bug. If it’s a feature, it cannot be allowed to stand. It’s nonsensical and counter-intuitive, but no doubt there’s some apologist out there who is willing to defend it to the death.
 
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MarsViolet said:
I have filed this behavior as a bug. If it’s a feature, it cannot be allowed to stand. It’s nonsensical and counter-intuitive, but no doubt there’s some apologist out there who is willing to defend it to the death.
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actually...i don't see anyone defending it. but perhaps it's not important to a lot of people. but i agree, it should be an option. i feel like i make notes, then a magician shuffles them like a card deck...and i have to pick my card. :eek:

anyway, seems like such a basic idea, to alphabetize; like contacts, folders, files, etc. hope we get it...one of these days...
 
fisherking said:
actually...i don't see anyone defending it. but perhaps it's not important to a lot of people. but i agree, it should be an option. i feel like i make notes, then a magician shuffles them like a card deck...and i have to pick my card. :eek:

anyway, seems like such a basic idea, to alphabetize; like contacts, folders, files, etc. hope we get it...one of these days...
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What’s extraordinarily lame is that the previous version of Notes for OS X had this feature. There was a menu command from which you could configure sort order — Alphabetical or Date Modified — but it’s been stripped out of this “new and improved” El Capitan version. I get the feeling that once again we’re seeing Mac software deliberately crippled in order to enforce feature parity with iOS. I’m sick of Apple taking a dump on its Mac apps like this.

Lowest Common Denominator Syndrome strikes again.
 
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after some research (and a few trial runs, ie simplenote, evernote)i installed Purple Notes (on my mac, and my iphone), and everything works. you can alphabetize (my main wish), and the app is simple to use. i wanted a 'lightweight' app. sync worked out-the-box, nothing to configure (it syncs thru icloud drive). very nice! am happy my notes will stay right where i left them...
 
I agree. The app doesn’t cover of what I would consider essentials of a basic note taking application. Shipping apps without a decent preferences menu seems to be the norm now, including Photos.

I don’t Purple Notes is a good replacement though. It seems to offer sorting, but lacks some of the admittedly good formatting options of Notes. I think Evernote is the app I will continue using, even though it is a bit too cluttered.
 
KALLT said:
I agree. The app doesn’t cover of what I would consider essentials of a basic note taking application. Shipping apps without a decent preferences menu seems to be the norm now, including Photos.

I don’t Purple Notes is a good replacement though. It seems to offer sorting, but lacks some of the admittedly good formatting options of Notes. I think Evernote is the app I will continue using, even though it is a bit too cluttered.
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so far, (for me), purple notes is good. all i do is text, some bold... an occasional image. i want it as simple as possible, so my time is spent on the content, not the organization. anyway...will see how i feel in a week, i JUST installed this. :D
 
Can animated GIFs be added to Purple Notes, and if so, do they continue to animate on the page? This worked in the previous version of Apple’s Notes app, but in the New and Improved update, they no longer animate unless you select one and press the spacebar.
 
MarsViolet said:
Can animated GIFs be added to Purple Notes, and if so, do they continue to animate on the page? This worked in the previous version of Apple’s Notes app, but in the New and Improved update, they no longer animate unless you select one and press the spacebar.
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ha! not something i would ever need, but...just tried it, and the gif plays automatically...and keeps playing (but only on the mac; on the phone, it shows as a still image).
 
this is HUGE for me; just updated my iphone to the 9.3 beta, and...alphabetized notes. have been asking for that since...forever.

is this also happening on today's OS X beta, 10.11.4 (PB1)? won't be able to update for a few days, but just wondering. still, even on the phone, it's awesome...
 
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Sweet. I can confirm that alphabetical sorting is back in Notes in OS X 10.11.4 Beta (15E27e):

Screen Shot 2016-01-14 at 3.27.53 PM.png

[doublepost=1452814330][/doublepost]I, for one, had sent Apple feedback about this using the Feedback Assistant app, but I swear — it's like Apple is a child. You have to watch it constantly otherwise it breaks everything and scribbles on the walls, and you can't watch it constantly.
 
just updated (couldn't wait, lol). great to see this...finally. i also asked a million times (including through feedback assistant).
 
MarsViolet said:
Sweet. I can confirm that alphabetical sorting is back in Notes in OS X 10.11.4 Beta (15E27e):

View attachment 610523
[doublepost=1452814330][/doublepost]I, for one, had sent Apple feedback about this using the Feedback Assistant app, but I swear — it's like Apple is a child. You have to watch it constantly otherwise it breaks everything and scribbles on the walls, and you can't watch it constantly.
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Thanks for sharing MarsViolet. I also sent numerous feedback to Apple. I still can't believe Apple would take out such a handy simple feature in Notes and then take forever to put it back in. Very frustrating.

It makes me not want to upgrade to the next major iteration no matter how much the new so called features may be enticing. In most cases the new features Apple touts are fickle or lame.....example fickle AirDrop or the lame full screen Split Screen (use HyperDock instead). Also, good ole El Capitan nixed the 4 finger swipe up to reveal desktops Spaces which I used all the time. Prior to El Capitan, I could see what was actually in the thumbnails, but with El Capitan, no more. Gone, just like that. Hot corner on the top left is a temporary fix.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to Yosemite, but I upgraded my Notes in iOS 9 to the new iCloud setting and I would be screwed if I did that. Sorry for the rant.
 
How does one download the Beta?

MarsViolet said:
Sweet. I can confirm that alphabetical sorting is back in Notes in OS X 10.11.4 Beta (15E27e):

View attachment 610523
[doublepost=1452814330][/doublepost]I, for one, had sent Apple feedback about this using the Feedback Assistant app, but I swear — it's like Apple is a child. You have to watch it constantly otherwise it breaks everything and scribbles on the walls, and you can't watch it constantly.
Click to expand...
 
MarsViolet said:
Anyone know how to force Notes to sort notes alphabetically? Pre-El Capitan, there was a menu command which let you switch between Alphabetical and Recently Modified, which is gone now. Instead, my notes are alphabetical except for those notes which I have recently modified which move to the top of the list, creating a disorganized jumble.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1480023285][/doublepost]
YES I DO! Yaaaaaay!
With existing list you SIMPLY
" simplify" your headings first on each note eg BOOKS, SONGS, IMPORTANT, MEDICAL, etc.

Then starting at the LAST letter in the alphabet;

1 Select your first note
2 ALTER this note by simply adding a full stop.
( It will now jump to top of list!)
MAKE CERTAIN you
do this with ALL your notes commencing with the letter " z"
Then with those starting with the letter " y" and continue UP the alphabetic ladder.
SUGGEST WHEN ADDING NEW NOTES that you try adding to an existing heading instead of creating a new note.
Ps "Inspire with Wire" customer service and products fantastic.
Double ps - I am almost 70!
So us oldies are not altogether useless after all!
 
Lindajga said:
[doublepost=1478036524][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1478036625][/doublepost]It seems as though it goes again in 10.12.1. Can anyone confirm or have I missed something.
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It's still there!!!!

You can still do it but it's under Notes>Preferences>Sort Notes By> then choose 'Title'.
 
lunefruit said:
It's still there!!!!

You can still do it but it's under Notes>Preferences>Sort Notes By> then choose 'Title'.
Click to expand...

The way Apple moves things arbitrarily and quietly eliminates features and then (even more quietly) puts them back is symptomatic of a mental disorder. I've used Macs since 1988. It wasn't like this in the early days. Apple worked hard to get it right the first time, and then left things where they were so that people didn't have to re-learn how to use the same app over and over. The Mac operating system and apps were legendary for their consistency and ease of learning. Now from version to version even figuring out how to change the sort order of notes is a challenge. Ugh.
 
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