What Is TextEdit?

TextEdit is the text editor that ships with every Mac. It's been part of macOS since the very beginning and is often overlooked in favour of shinier alternatives. But TextEdit is surprisingly capable — it supports Rich Text Format (RTF), plain text, HTML source viewing, and even basic word processing features. If you've only ever used it to open a stray .txt file, this guide will change how you think about it.

Rich Text Mode vs. Plain Text Mode

TextEdit operates in two distinct modes, and understanding the difference is fundamental.

Rich Text Mode (Default)

By default, TextEdit opens in Rich Text mode. This means you can apply formatting: bold, italics, font size, colour, lists, tables, and even images. Files are saved as .rtf or .rtfd (rich text with attachments). This mode is handy for quick formatted documents when you don't want to open a full word processor.

Plain Text Mode

For most technical users, Plain Text mode is more useful. In this mode, TextEdit behaves like a no-frills editor — what you type is exactly what gets saved. Files are saved as .txt. No hidden formatting, no smart quotes converting your apostrophes into curly characters, no surprises.

To switch to Plain Text mode:

  1. Open TextEdit
  2. Go to Format in the menu bar
  3. Click Make Plain Text (or press ⇧⌘T)

To make Plain Text the default for all new documents, go to TextEdit → Settings → Format and select Plain text.

Key Features You Might Not Know About

Opening and Editing HTML Files

TextEdit can open HTML files and, by default, renders them as formatted text — showing the result rather than the source code. To view and edit the raw HTML, go to Preferences → Open and Save and check Display HTML files as HTML code instead of formatted text. This turns TextEdit into a basic HTML source editor.

Smart Quotes and Smart Dashes — and How to Disable Them

TextEdit's autocorrect features can frustrate developers and anyone pasting code. Smart quotes turn straight quotes (") into curly ones ("), breaking code syntax. To disable them:

  1. Go to TextEdit → Settings → New Document
  2. Uncheck Smart quotes and Smart dashes

Word Count and Statistics

While TextEdit doesn't have a dedicated word count button, you can access it under Edit → Emoji & Symbols — actually, the simplest approach is to use Edit → Find → Find… and count manually, or select all text and check the status bar. For serious word count needs, a more specialised tool is a better fit.

Saving as PDF

Like any macOS app, TextEdit can export directly to PDF via File → Print → Save as PDF. This is useful for sharing formatted documents without requiring the recipient to have any particular app.

TextEdit Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Toggle Plain/Rich Text ⇧⌘T
New document ⌘N
Find & Replace ⌥⌘F
Bold ⌘B
Italic ⌘I
Show Fonts panel ⌘T

When TextEdit Is Enough

TextEdit is the right tool when you need to:

  • Quickly jot down a plain text note
  • Edit a config file without installing anything
  • View or lightly edit an RTF document
  • Paste text and strip all formatting (use Edit → Paste and Match Style)
  • Open an HTML file to inspect its source code

When to Look Beyond TextEdit

TextEdit starts to feel limited when you need syntax highlighting, multiple tabs, code folding, plugins, or Markdown preview. For those needs, apps like BBEdit, Nova, or VS Code are better choices on macOS. But for everyday plain text tasks, TextEdit remains a clean, fast, and always-available option.