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Text replacement not working in Sierra

Apple engineers and Apple support please note and add it to the list of broken features inside Mac OS.

Before Sierra, text replacement synced between iPhone, iPad and iMac seamlessly.

No longer.

Since Sierra, text replacement no longer syncs. Furthermore, you may add all your text replacement inside your iMac keyboard, but when you restart your computer, it will have deleted them all.

Below screenshot example of some of my text replacement shortcuts before restarting my iMac.

Below screenshot of the text replacement window, with nothing saved after my restart.

iMac, macOS Sierra (10.12), iPad Pro, iPhone 6S

Posted on Mar 5, 2017 3:03 PM

36 replies

Nov 23, 2017 10:20 AM in response to pagemakers4

Now this is interesting.... Logged out of my iCloud account on my MacBook. Rebooted and all of the shortcuts are still there on the device. Before they would delete. So, what are the shortcuts now tied to?

Macbook still not synching with other devices on the same icloud account.

Nov 23, 2017 10:43 AM in response to mkpub

I only have the problem on my MacBook - other iOS devices x 2 and Mac OS devices x 2 all OK. I’m loathed to logout on all devices because on iOS I’ll have to re-set up apple pay etc etc.

Where does the PLIST live on my Mac And I’ll delete that.

PS I am onlatest iOS and MacOS

Nov 23, 2017 11:37 AM in response to mkpub

WOW! Thank you.

That seems to have fixed it. So now I have 2 iOS and 3 MacOS devices synching keyboard shortcuts correctly fot the first time in 2 years!

I hope they also add offline safari reading list to CloudKit because that has been broken for the same amount of time!

Nov 23, 2017 1:19 PM in response to mkpub

Strange, I am unable to locate that file on my machine at all? Maybe that's the issue?

I've tried spotlight, I've tried Macintosh HD>Library>preferences or via Mac HD>System>Library>preferences.

Any clue why the file would be missing for me and does it matter?

I am a little concerned about signing out of iCloud on my Mac in connection with my photos and other files.

Having said that my photos and videos in iCloud match 100% those in my photos app on my Mac.

Will everything re-appear when I log back in.

Any suggestions on how to proceed. No urgent answer is need I'm in the UK and I won't be tackling this so late at night in case of any major issues. Enjoy your thanksgiving evening.

Best, Michael

Nov 24, 2017 3:31 AM in response to pagemakers4

I've looked on my old Mac, which my wife now uses and the file is not on there either?

I did also find this post, which seems to confirm thew procedure.

I'm a chicken when it comes to signing out of iCloud and it removing all files and photos and if I don't have that file to begin with, it probably won't work either.

Aargh Apple, why did you do this!!

https://www.spdmedia.com/blog/2017/7/19/how-to-fix-broken-text-replacement-sync- between-macos-and-ios

Dec 7, 2017 2:41 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

Quick update.

Even better news. When I delete items from the text replacement on my Mac, it automatically removes it instantly on my iPhone. I had it open at the same time and you can see it disappearing. Wow finally it has been fixed. 🙌

dialabrain

Level 10

122,549 points

Mar 6, 2017 3:42 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

FWIW, Apple is not here. This is a user's forum.

You can send Apple feedback here…

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

Mar 6, 2017 4:00 AM in response to dialabrain

Thank you so much, really appreciate that link, didn't have it previously.

Success!

dialabrain

Level 10

122,549 points

Mar 6, 2017 5:53 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

You're welcome.

theolog

Level 1

122 points

Jun 10, 2017 3:45 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

Were you ever able to find a fix for this? I'm having the same issue :-(

Jun 10, 2017 5:01 AM in response to theolog

Not yet.

Nov 23, 2017 6:32 AM in response to mkpub

Update 2.

I added a new text replacement to my iPhone and nothing happened on the desktop, but it did pull through to my iPad, so that's good. Nearly there?

Nov 23, 2017 7:00 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

There's another thread going on about this topic on MacRumors macOS High Sierra and iOS 11 May Fix Long-Standing Sync Issues With iCloud Text Replacements [Update: Soon] | MacRumors …

Nov 23, 2017 7:05 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

Agree with you a hundred percent.

Text replacement hasn’t worked reliably for 2 years or more.

Pathetic really.

Nov 23, 2017 9:52 AM in response to stayingaliveuk

Just tested again and iOS to iOS and iOS to MacOS seems to be working with the exception of my MacBook which still refuses to sync to anything. I’ll trying logging out of iCloud on that device.

Text replacement not working in Sierra