Start here
Mac Basics
How to Create a .txt File on Mac Without TextEdit
TextEdit adds hidden formatting that breaks scripts and configs. Here's every way to create a clean, honest plain text file on macOS — from Terminal to your browser.
5 min read · Mac Basics
Mac Basics
Plain Text vs. Rich Text on Mac: What's the Difference?
RTF, DOCX, and TXT look similar in a text editor. Under the hood they're completely different — and choosing the wrong one can break your workflow.
4 min read
How-To
How to Force TextEdit into Plain Text Mode Every Time
By default TextEdit opens in Rich Text mode. One setting buried in Preferences changes that permanently. Here's where to find it.
3 min read
Terminal
3 Ways to Create a .txt File in Mac Terminal
touch, echo, and cat — three Terminal commands that create text files instantly. Which one you use depends on what you want inside the file.
4 min read
Mac Basics
How to Open a .txt File on Mac (Every Method)
Double-click doesn't always work the way you expect. Here's how to open any text file on Mac — with the right app — every single time.
3 min read
How-To
How to Save a Webpage as a Plain Text File on Mac
Strip out the HTML, ads, and styling. Just the words. Here are three ways to save any webpage as a clean .txt file directly on your Mac.
4 min read
Convert
How to Convert a Word Document to .txt on Mac
Stripping a DOCX down to plain text sounds simple — but the encoding and line endings can catch you off guard. Here's how to do it without the surprises.
4 min read
Tools
The Best Plain Text Editors for Mac in 2025
TextEdit, BBEdit, Nova, Zed, iA Writer — not all text editors are built the same. A quick breakdown of what each one is actually good for.
6 min read
Under the Hood
UTF-8, ASCII, UTF-16 — Which Encoding Should Your .txt File Use?
Most people never think about encoding until something breaks. Here's a plain-English explanation of what encoding is and when each one actually matters.
5 min read
How-To
How to Rename a .txt File on Mac Without Changing the Extension
macOS hides file extensions by default, which makes renaming text files surprisingly tricky. Here's how to rename them safely without losing the .txt.
3 min read
Power User
How to Batch Convert Files to .txt on Mac Using Automator
Converting 50 files one by one is brutal. Automator can process an entire folder of documents and spit out plain text versions in about two minutes.
6 min read
Opinion
Why Developers Still Reach for Plain Text in 2025
Notion, Obsidian, and a hundred other note apps exist. Plenty of developers still keep a folder of .txt files. Here's why that still makes sense.
5 min read
Compare
.txt vs .md — When to Use Markdown and When to Stay Plain
Markdown is plain text with a layer of meaning on top. That layer is useful in some situations and completely unnecessary in others. Here's the breakdown.
4 min read
Mac Tips
How to Change the Default App for .txt Files on Mac
Tired of every .txt file opening in TextEdit? Here's how to set any app — BBEdit, VS Code, Nova, whatever — as the default in about 30 seconds.
3 min read
Productivity
A Simple .txt File Note-Taking System That Actually Sticks
No app to install, no subscription, no sync issues. Just a folder of text files and a naming convention. This is the note system that outlasts every shiny app.
6 min read