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iOS Notes - Duplicating vs Moving Checklist Items

I need info on the "new" iOS Notes feature which duplicates a checklist item when trying to drag/move it.


Specifically: what the difference is, how to control it, and most of all, how to turn it off.


It's been a maddening few months with this "new feature" suddenly in effect.

iPhone 14 Pro

Posted on May 15, 2023 7:20 AM

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Posted on Nov 20, 2023 1:20 AM

Oh, I get it.


If you tap once anywhere on your list, you enter "Edit Mode." (Indicated by the word "Done" in top right corner.) If you then press, hold, and drag the circle next to a given list item, it will always be duplicated – no matter how long you hold it, or how hard you press it. (Out of frustration and blossoming anger, no doubt.)


If you do not tap your list first, I guess you're just in "View Mode" or something. (Indicated by the absence of the word "Done" in top right corner.) In this mode, you can check and uncheck list items, but not type anything. More importantly, when you press, hold, and drag the circle next to a list item, it will be moved instead of duplicated.


I can kind of understand the logic here, but still; thinking of the amount of time and energy I have wasted deleting duplicate lines fills me with a rage so potent it could charge my iPhone for a year.

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Question marked as Best reply

Nov 20, 2023 1:20 AM in response to Travellin

Oh, I get it.


If you tap once anywhere on your list, you enter "Edit Mode." (Indicated by the word "Done" in top right corner.) If you then press, hold, and drag the circle next to a given list item, it will always be duplicated – no matter how long you hold it, or how hard you press it. (Out of frustration and blossoming anger, no doubt.)


If you do not tap your list first, I guess you're just in "View Mode" or something. (Indicated by the absence of the word "Done" in top right corner.) In this mode, you can check and uncheck list items, but not type anything. More importantly, when you press, hold, and drag the circle next to a list item, it will be moved instead of duplicated.


I can kind of understand the logic here, but still; thinking of the amount of time and energy I have wasted deleting duplicate lines fills me with a rage so potent it could charge my iPhone for a year.

Jun 15, 2023 10:58 AM in response to ShannonM1

ShannonM1, there is a "new" iOS Notes feature which, when inside a note, sometimes duplicates a checklist item when trying to drag/move it.


Like, if you create a grocery list and milk is below eggs in the list then you want to move milk above eggs, you'd normally tap and drag milk, but now a green plus sign seemingly randomly shows up and milk gets duplicated, instead.


Nowhere in the link you sent or any other resource online or via chat mentions this "feature", or how to control it, and most of all, how to turn it off. Please advise.


This makes a previously very easy-to-use app, incredibly not easy to use and not functional for many of us.

Jun 8, 2023 5:32 PM in response to Mrgordo

Why is there NO information on this feature anywhere (& why can’t anyone here reply)?

Clearly, it’s a feature created by Apple to allow either MOVING or DUPLICATING an item in a checklist, and I’m finding it very useful. But the performance is very subtle and unpredictable; it appears to be related to haptic touches, where either different pressures OR different lengths of touching before moving, determine which action is performed.


Can anyone please provide some absolute clarity?

Jul 13, 2023 10:40 PM in response to artee127

Brilliant artee127!

I can not believe I’ve been struggling with this essential feature for so long and hadn’t picked that up!

It certainly illustrates how non-intuitive the feature is, and underscores Apple’s neglect to educate us. But more importantly, who in their right mind determined that you’d only want to MOVE an item when you WEREN’T editing the text? Surely, you’re either ‘working with your checklist’ or not.


PLEASE Apple, amend this essential feature so that it functions intuitively (haptic OR length of press) whatever mode you’re in…

Nov 17, 2023 3:11 PM in response to Travellin

This works reliably for me. You can either copy and paste, or move.


COPY & PASTE happens whenever editing a note, which is activated by typing anything anywhere in a note. Press the circle in front of the checklist item you want to copy, the item will “lift” and you can drop it wherever you want. The item is duplicated.


MOVE happens when you first open a note, or when you press “Done” top right hand corner while editing. Press the circle in front of the checklist item you want to move, the item will “lift” and you can drop it wherever you want. The item is moved.

Dec 28, 2023 11:42 AM in response to Zack_Zwieback

I don't know how you got this information - it seems to be like some kind of puzzle that Apple wants us to solve - but THANK YOU for posting this. Especially that bit at the end there ... I laughed right out loud since I share your rage.


I'm still trying to figure out the use case for copying an element from a list. It continues to elude me.

iOS Notes - Duplicating vs Moving Checklist Items

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