I use the Find and Replace function quite frequently for my work, and with this new update, it no longer works. The Find / Find and Replace window appears, but it doesn't actually find (or highlight) the word, even though it is absolutely within the document. And then of course, it will not replace it, either. Any solutions?
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.5
With all respect UncleFlinsky, I followed your advice and discovered I could fix this problem in one minute:
fix it now in less than one minute
the problem occurs when the computer is shut down with open documents and the option "reopen windows when logging back in" is chosen on shut down. each document that is "reopened" automatically will no longer be able to use find
With all respect UncleFlinsky, I followed your advice and discovered I could fix this problem in one minute:
fix it now in less than one minute
the problem occurs when the computer is shut down with open documents and the option "reopen windows when logging back in" is chosen on shut down. each document that is "reopened" automatically will no longer be able to use find
Okay, I fixed this problem after a couple of hours.
First, I quit out of everything and then restarted my computer.
Next, I opened Pages and closed every single open document.
Next, I quit Pages again and restarted.
Next, I opened pages and then only one document. Then the find feature worked again.
I have the same exact issue. It's frustrating when someone responds by telling you how the feature works. It's a waste of everyone's time. I have been using Pages for years and then suddenly the find feature stopped working. I can't find any solutions online. If you figure this out, please post the solution. Thanks.
I have the same issue — it's definitely not working at all in my version of Pages 11.2. Clicking the ">" makes no difference.
Am reporting the issue to Apple, suggest OP does the same, clearly a bug.
Well, there you go! I did the same thing more or less — I quite Pages, restarted the computer, opened Pages, closed all docs, quit and restarted Pages, created a new doc, entered text and tried Find/Replace ... and it worked!
Opened the previous doc that was having problems, and it works there too. So does Spell Check, which was also not working.
So something here is buggy after the upgrade, and resets eventually. Note that I HAD quite Pages and restarted the computer several times prior to this, with no success. So if you're having a similar issue, you should try UncleFlinsky's advice!
Hi there. I really hoped I had made it clear in my post but I fully understand how Find and Replace works. I use it every single day. I am saying that the function does not work anymore. In fact, I had already selected the same settings as you before I posted my question. When I pull up the find box using Command + F, I type the word to find, and the word to replace it with. It simply doesn't "find" the word, or highlight it, so I therefore cannot make use of the "replace" feature, either.
You can see in first screenshot that I have selected the same settings, and in the second screenshot, you can see "find" is highlighted in the box, indicating I have pressed "enter", which would normally find all instances of the word I'm trying to find and highlight them, as well as highlighting each found word one-by-one in a different color (usually yellow, for me) as I replace the individual words I would like to replace the found word with.
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Hopefully that clears up my question. I know how to use Find and Replace, but the feature is simply not working.
I test before I post and certainly tested this Find/Replace issue with the OP's exact sentence. I have no issues with Find/Replace here and Pages v11.2, or I might have submitted a bug report myself.
If there is any anti-virus software running on the Mac (not on mine) that may cause nagging issues with running applications.
Sometimes, a simple boot into Safe Boot Mode, followed by a normal reboot clears up Pages gremlins. Usually, but not always.
Sometimes merely restarting pages doesn't work. The following solution worked for me, M1 Macbook Pro:
This subset of the above got Find/Replace working again:
I did not have to quit all apps before restart.
I also work on very large files, but I don't think the size of the files is the issue, as for me the problem occurs in small files fas well.
The trigger for the problem is leaving a pages document open when you log out. When you return say after a restart, find does not work for that file. I haven't checked explicitly but it probably won't work on newly opened file either.
But the trigger is leaving a document open when you shut down.
There are two solutions
Either way find magically works again.
Making a Partial Clone is my answer to this ridiculous find problem. This problem has haunted me for a long long time.
I have the latest M1 mac pro and all the latest software and even though the Pages files work well on the iPhone not on the Mac with find. Sometimes an emergency replace is done on the phone.
The only successful way I have found is to create a new copy of the text in a new formatted sheet:
If you are looking for a specific word, you need to advise the Find/Replace tool of that fact. And if relevant, case sensitivity.
These settings allow me to find and replace a single title-case word in my Pages v11.2 document.
Did the same and it did work. Next time, Find doesn't work again. Repeatedly.
Since the last update (11.2), when I try to use Find, I just get the message "Nothing selected. Select an object or text to format." under Format (see the screenshot) in most cases. Looks like Find and Format somehow got mixed up?
Last evening I've installed macOS Monterey, today starting with clean Pages, opened one document, trying to look up something using Find - again, just "Nothing selected. Select an object or text to format."
So, at this moment, I have to restart Pages and/or the computer most of times I need to use Find. Frustrating. Ridiculous. Unusable.
For me the problem does reoccur after some HOURS! This is sooooo annoying🤬Have been with Apple since 2010 - anything like this has NEVER happened! And now it doesn't find the word if the first letter is capitalized either! And they didn't fix the PROBLEM in the latest update Version 12.1. Do they even read our complaints? And I have got other problems too. Instead of Helvetica I'm getting font Times which I hate. I check Fonts and it shows that Helvetica IS √checked!!! I have to select the text, click on Helvetica (which IS ALREADY checked!!!) and only then I see me text in Helvetica. Have to do it 100 times a day! Besides the SIZE of the fonts - though is 18 by default - appears anything BUT 18 - from 2 to 45! And the font colour changes at its will too. I've been using 3 languages and they switch at will too NOW! Never been a problem in years! And another disgusting glitch - If I copy and past a text from FB and it has emojis it it, they appear HUGE and I have to delete them and replace using Emoji and Symbols from Pages! Have to do it 100 times a day too! It's absolutely user UNFRIENDLY NOW‼️ And I have many other problems - I keep a list - there are 64 problems now. Do I need to spend the rest of my life complaining? Even when I had a session at the Apple store with some of my questions earlier, the tech support people (those geniuses, you know) could NOT fix ANY! Only the 4th genius could fix some but as soon as I got home ALL the problems are BACK! I'm 75 and a PWD and I have difficulty walking and + Covid fear + old age aches and pains but if I kill myself, it will be because of Apple that upsets me every MINUTE of every day! What a waste of my TIME!
A lingering issue with Pages Find/Replace is that it may show no matches until you click the right-most > button, and then suddenly, it wakes up and highlights the found items. Or randomly, it shows two matches in your exact sentence without the need to help it with that > button. I just now experienced both kinds of results with the Find/Replace and Pages v11.2.
When Whole Words is selected, then it finds both of these words in your example sentence. With whole words deselected, it does not find squat until one clicks the > button.
Pages 11.2 - Find and Replace Not Working
