Editing a footnote.

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Level 1

9 points

Editing a footnote.

Previously this question was asked:

I think I'm going crazy. All I want to do is edit footnotes in a document in Pages on my new Mac Pro. There simply doesn't seem to be any way to access, open or change the footnote once its been entered. The numbering in the body-text is also wierd. I'm stunned that I even have to search for how to do this most basic, common scholarly writing operation

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)

Posted on Jan 6, 2017 3:22 AM

An answer was given to click the footnote three times then click again.

Apart from being a very strange approach for an apple product, it doesn't seem to work.

If there's an answer to this problem I'd like to know how to do this.

This is, as the previous questioner said, a horrible, inexcusable oversight.

Apparently if you have a typo, or need to change the text of the footnote in some way, you have to delete it and start over. Fine if its a two word footnote. Not so fine if its more complicated than that.

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jun 30, 2020 5:03 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Community+ 2024

Level 10

116,405 points

Jun 30, 2020 8:03 AM in response to Quolla6

Alittle more clarity for you.

In Catalina 10.15.5 and Pages 10, one double clicks on the actual footnote number associated with the word in the body text to jump to the footnote text with the insertion beam already in that text. Similarly, a rapid, double-click over the footnote text will allow you to edit that footnote text. This is also how it works on macOS Mojave 10.14.6 and Pages 10.

My original post with a different Pages 10 document on macOS Mojave acted differently, as was the basis of my originally erroneous reply to you.

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Answer 2

Jun 30, 2020 5:27 AM in response to Quolla6

One should not be without the Pages User Guide for Mac, or a particular section of it named, Use footnotes and endnotes in Pages on Mac.

Despite what Apple says in the above link, in Pages 10, you have to triple-click the footnote in rapid succession to place the insertion beam in the footnote content, though only one click will expose the footnote tab in the right panel.

Footnote behaviour has changed little since Pages v5 was introduced in Oct 2013. If you think it can be improved, use the Provide Pages Feedback menu item from the Pages application menu. It will be sent directly to the Pages product team.

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Answer 3

Jun 30, 2020 7:37 AM in response to Quolla6

I found that the triple-click effectiveness is a factor of mouse (or trackpad) tracking speed adjustment in System Preferences. Mine for the Magic Mouse 2 is four increments from the right (fast) setting.

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Answer 4

Quolla6 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 30, 2020 7:37 AM in response to Quolla6

Well, lets see...

Originally I checked with the Help link on Pages

and got the the part about double clicking to get to the insertion point

Didn't work

Then I checked here and read an old post about triple clicking and then single clicking

Didn't work

Then I posted here and got the reply that I should have looked at the help file, even though it gave the wrong answer

Then that bit about triple clicking etc was repeated

So I tried that and got exactly the same result as previously---that is to say it didn't work.

double click-single click, triple click-single click etc. same result.. Nothing.

I guess I'll struggle on with having to retype footnotes for any changes needed,

Well, I suppose it's better than iBook Author which seems to lack footnoting capability altogether.

But then again I probably wouldn't be asking this question if iBooks Author wasn't going away. And pages does have a number of useful features over its cousin.

But thanks, I appreciate the response, even if it didn't seem to work.

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Answer 5

Quolla6 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 30, 2020 7:55 AM in response to VikingOSX

I wouldn't have thought of that possibility, but it is a reasonable explanation.

I just tried that, trying various combinations of the setting from ultra slow to ultra fast.

Still get the same null response.

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Answer 6

Quolla6 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 30, 2020 8:26 AM in response to VikingOSX

OK!! Rapid clicking seems to do it, though it's a bit erratic---that may be related to mouse clicking speed. Perhaps Apple needs to update their user's guide.

Thanks you. Your help is much appreciated.

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Answer 7

Quolla6 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 30, 2020 7:08 AM in response to VikingOSX

I tried that, previously, but it didn't seem to work. I'll try again.

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Answer 8

Jun 30, 2020 8:40 AM in response to Quolla6

You are welcome.

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Editing a footnote.

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