Why i'm not able to select non contiguous text like i was used to? Why apple ruins the operating system every time? How can i do it now? i Have a lot of notes to tidy up and i can't select them by holding down cmd, anybody solved this apple problem?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Can't Select Non-Contiguous Text in Mac
- Thread starter soloohara
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I think you're confusing the standard behavior of macOS with the customized text selection behavior in Microsoft Word, which has always supported non-continuous text selection using the command key. There may be other apps you've used in the past that also had customized text selection features like this. But it would be app specific.
I've been using Macs since 1984. The basic Mac operating system has never had the ability to select non-contiguous text.
I've been using Macs since 1984. The basic Mac operating system has never had the ability to select non-contiguous text.
Last edited:
Chabig has it right.
While a few apps (like MS Word) allow "non-contiguous text" selection, I don't think that has EVER been a feature of the Mac OS itself.
While a few apps (like MS Word) allow "non-contiguous text" selection, I don't think that has EVER been a feature of the Mac OS itself.
What do you mean by "in Mac"? This behavior is different in different applications. Which ones are you using?
What do you guys mean? i've been using my previous macbook pro and this macbook pro m1 pro 2021 since 8 years and i have been always been able to select multiple non cintigous part of next like in notes, since 8 months or last macos version this feature has been deleted for no reasons whatsover and i'm not the only one online with this problem, everybody has it, now its 20 times more difficult to tidy up my notes because i have to select one by one and can't select them all at once because they are not close
Ok so it looks like you're using Notes.
I just tried Notes (which I didn't use for many years) and I can confirm the problem you report: on Ventura, you indeed can select non-contiguous text by holding the Command key. On Sonoma this doesn't work anymore (you can't select non-contiguous text using the Command key).
So your outrage is well justified. The only thing you can do is submit this bug to Apple and hope they pay any attention to this.
P.S. Alternatively, you can switch to Microsoft OneNote where non-contiguous text selection does work on all systems. OneNote, of course, has its own set of annoying bugs and shortcomings.
Maybe you can export the notes and edit them in another app, then import the result back into Notes.app.
Import and export notes on Mac
In Notes on your Mac, import text files as notes, and export your notes as PDF files.
support.apple.com
Not always. Just tested on Ventura and yes, can select text in a "simple" note.
If the text is in a table, no joy.
Seems to work in checklists, but wonky in that drag to select keeps wanting to move the item to a new location. If I double click the entry + command-key, will select the line(s).
Last edited:
You can get OneNote in the App Store:
Microsoft OneNote
Capture your thoughts, discoveries, and ideas in your very own digital notebook using OneNote for Mac. Now it is easier than ever capture your thoughts, add pictures or files, and share notes across your devices and with others. Share your notes and collaborate in real time with colleagues or...
apps.apple.com
Just keep in mind that it has some bugs and shortcomings in its search function on both desktop and mobile versions. Notably, on the mobile app there's no "Find Next" option (that is, you can't iterate through search results). Hard to believe that Microsoft neglected to implement this basic function, but it's the sad shameful truth. This option is available if you access OneNote via a browser, of course, but this has its own set of inconveniences.
The "Find Next" option does exist, of course, in the desktop version, but the app has another problem: the search field doesn't become focused when you press Cmd-F. You have to manually place the cursor there (or you end up typing your search terms in the note itself). I have a custom AppleScript script that fixes this.
Oh and its paradigm of Notebooks-Sections-Pages may at first require large quantities of alcohol and/or drugs to understand. After that it feels quite intuitive.
Other than that, OneNote is a great tool.