johncla

Q: how to permanently disable spell check in Notes

How can I permanently disable spell check in Notes?

 

Here's my steps:

  1. Using Notes in OS X 10.11.5, click Edit/Spelling and Grammar and then clear the 2 options 'check spelling while typing' and 'correct spelling automatically'.
  2. Close, and then re-open Notes.

 

What I expected:

that the two options 'check spelling while typing' and 'correct spelling automatically' are still disabled when Notes is re-opened

 

Actually:

the two options 'check spelling while typing' and 'correct spelling automatically' are once again enabled

 

Spell check in Notes for some reason seems especially disruptive and unhelpful. Any way to turn it off permanently?

OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Sep 10, 2016 7:55 AM

Close

Q: how to permanently disable spell check in Notes

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Eric Root,Helpful

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 11, 2016 12:31 PM in response to johncla
    Level 9 (69,991 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 11, 2016 12:31 PM in response to johncla

    System Preferences/Keyboard/Text and uncheck Correct spelling automatically.

  • by Brunooon,

    Brunooon Brunooon Sep 11, 2016 12:32 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 11, 2016 12:32 PM in response to Eric Root

    this is not helpful, it does not work - I send to Apple 3 years requests for fix - I only hope that they fix it in new version Sierra - with app Mail threads

  • by johncla,

    johncla johncla Sep 11, 2016 12:36 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 11, 2016 12:36 PM in response to Eric Root

    Looks like it works for me.

    Now, in Notes when I check Edit/Spelling and Grammar the option 'check spelling while typing' is still enabled, but 'correct spelling automatically' is disabled.

    Also, in Notes when I type in mis-spelled words they are not corrected, which is the desired result.

    Thanks!

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 11, 2016 12:37 PM in response to Brunooon
    Level 9 (69,991 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 11, 2016 12:37 PM in response to Brunooon

    After you have done that, try going to Notes/Edit/Speech and Grammar and turn  it off there.

  • by Brunooon,

    Brunooon Brunooon Sep 11, 2016 12:42 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 11, 2016 12:42 PM in response to Eric Root

    Thank you Eric for message - I have unchecked "Correct spelling automatically" everytime and everytime I have to uncheck Notes "Check Spelling While Typing" and on every note in new window too.

     

    Q any idea how to fix it?

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Sep 12, 2016 5:17 AM in response to Brunooon
    Level 8 (49,742 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 5:17 AM in response to Brunooon

    When preferences don't stick, it is often because writing to the preference file fails. Deleting the preference file and resetting all preferences may fix your issue.

    The preference files is user Library/Preferences/com.apple.notes.plist

    To open the user Library, hold down the Option key and select Library from the Go menu in Finder.

  • by tygb ,

    tygb tygb Sep 12, 2016 8:17 AM in response to johncla
    Level 2 (185 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 8:17 AM in response to johncla

    If you open notes , write some thing in notes and go to edit and uncheck spelling and grammar and uncheck - check spelling while typing the check marks will be semi greyed and you quit the note .

     

    when you once again open notes they will be again having check marks in front of them .

     

    Suggested article : OS X El Capitan: Check spelling and grammar

  • by Brunooon,

    Brunooon Brunooon Sep 12, 2016 10:32 AM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 12, 2016 10:32 AM in response to Barney-15E

    When preferences don't stick, it is often because writing to the preference file fails.

    it makes sense

     

    Deleting the preference file and resetting all preferences may fix your issue.

    I don't have any in "/Library/Preferences/com.apple.notes.plist" nor "/Users/bruno/Library/Preferences/com.apple.notes.plist"

     

    Library/Preferences/com.apple.notes.plist

    if I created new one empty nothing changed

     

    Q any idea?

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Sep 12, 2016 5:17 PM in response to Brunooon
    Level 8 (49,742 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 5:17 PM in response to Brunooon

    Sorry, my bad. I just ran the defaults command in Terminal and didn't look for the file.

    Notes is a "sandboxed" app so the preferences are in the Containers folder which is you /Users/bruno/Library.

    Look for com.apple.Notes. That folder will have aliases and real folders that mimic the Library folder. You should be able to find the Preferences file in:

    /Users/bruno/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/

     

    However, I'm not sure what will happen if you delete items within the Container folder. You may just have to delete the entire com.apple.notes container folder. At this point, I'm not able to test both options. At one point, I think it was not advisable to delete items out of the individual "Containers." Deleting the entire container folder will force it to be recreated by the app, just like a plist would be recreated. I would suggest starting with a good backup, and try out both options.

  • by Brunooon,

    Brunooon Brunooon Sep 12, 2016 8:17 PM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 12, 2016 8:17 PM in response to Barney-15E

    Notes is a "sandboxed" ... in the Containers ... /Users/bruno/Library

    OK

     

    /Users/bruno/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes/Data/Library/Preferences/

    OK

     

    what will happen if you delete items within the Container folder ... Deleting the entire container folder will force it to be recreated

    yes recreate whole "com.apple.Notes" it and nothing changed

     

    --

     

    I remember that I have some sync issue with "System preferences / Keyboard / Text / Replace With" with iPhone @2015

     

    Q maybe problem is there - have it some preferences folder too?

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Sep 12, 2016 9:30 PM in response to Brunooon
    Level 8 (49,742 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 9:30 PM in response to Brunooon

    I'm out of ideas, then.

    I can disable the settings, quit Notes, re-open and they are still disabled. Besides a preference file issue, I don't know what would prevent it from sticking.