I'm using the Notes app that ships with iOS 10.1.1 on an iPad Pro 9.7. I copied some text from a web page and attempted to paste it into the Notes app but found that formatting (links, bold text, etc.) was brought over as well. I know this is possible in macOS, but how do I paste without the formatting in iOS? If that is not possible, can I at least highlight the newly-pasted text and remove the formatting?
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Resolved: How do I paste without including formatting?
- Thread starter ardchoille50
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I'm inclined to agree, I cannot see any way to do this. I wonder if I would be better off using a different app for notes.
Edit: Notability allows for pasting text without including formatting and it has iCloud sync. I'll try using that and see how it fits my needs.
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You might be able to do it if you perhaps paste somewhere where formatting isn't supported--perhaps some app that supports just plain text, or some web site that has a text field that doesn't support formatting, or something like that--and then copying it from there without formatting and pasting that in where you need it.
That's an idea, I was doing that on my Mac mini before I learned that I could paste without formatting. Thank you.
That's pretty much where my line of thought came from--from doing this on a computer at some point in time where I would use just the regular Notepad/TextEdit for these types of purposes.
When you can, click Share... instead of Copy, and use the copy button in the share sheet.
Thank you, Jessica, that worked perfectly! This proves that iOS has two forms of copy - one with formatting and one without. I'll have to remember to try that from now on.
Good to know.
Unless one has some bug somewhere. But given the usefulness, hopefully it's by design.
Oh, it's by design. If you were to AirDrop someone it, they get it as a .txt and you're prompted to open it in whatever.
That makes sense, .txt doesn't support markup. Perhaps the stock Notes app uses .rtf format by default.. that would explain some things.
I just used the Notability trick and it works. It's nice to have options. Thanks for sharing that one.
Not sure if you are still interested in additional solutions, but I found that you can save text snippets to Copied, then when you paste them, the formatting is stripped out as well.
Oh, nice, a clipboard manager for iOS. You can even upgrade and have iCloud sync! Thank you for that information!
Thanks to all that have helped, I have tried the shared>copy and works fine now.
the glitch hopefully will be fixed by apple.
the glitch hopefully will be fixed by apple.
How do you copy-paste without formatting on Mac? I usually first copy-paste from a web page to the adress bar.. that removes all the formatting then again copy from there and paste... sounds silly, but fast enough to do. I would like to know if there a better way to do this...though I am on windows PC.
[doublepost=1481561135][/doublepost]That is very helpful to know... always wondered why that copy option is there in the share sheet... never used it though because the most obvious way to copy-paste is to press-hold and copy.
I don't have my Mac in front of me, but if I remember correctly, the Edit menu in macOS has a couple different paste options.
I use this trick where you just remap Paste and Match Style to Command-V (what Paste is to begin with) with the built-in OS shortcuts feature (under Keyboard in System Preferences). You set it so it works in All Applications.
Thanks for solution. But note: does not carry over format like billeted number lists (1-5 became a series of zeroes for me).
I was struggling with copying text without format myself and wrote an app which takes the text you copy and strips it of the format. Feel free to check it out: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plain-text-copy/id1299543536
Pasting into and copying from the address bar can remove formatting on the iPhone, but I think a better way would be to do the same thing from within the Messages app (i.e., text messaging field). This method retains spaces (produced by return key), whereas the browser address field doesn't.
Another solution:
I created a shortcut with the Shortcuts app with two actions:
I created a shortcut with the Shortcuts app with two actions:
- Get Text from Input
- Copy to Clipboard