The fastest way: open TextEdit and save as plain text

Open TextEdit from your Applications folder or by pressing Command+Space, typing "TextEdit", and pressing Enter. When the blank document appears, go to Format menu and click "Make Plain Text" — this is the step most people skip, and it matters. If you skip it, TextEdit will save your document in a format called RTF that includes hidden formatting, which defeats the purpose of a plain text file.

Type your content. When you are done, press Command+S to save. Give your file a name and make sure the file extension is .txt — TextEdit will ask you to confirm this choice when you try to save. Choose "Use .txt" when it prompts you. Save it wherever you want: your Desktop, Documents folder, or anywhere else on your Mac.

That is the whole process. You now have a plain text document that contains only your words, with no hidden metadata, no formatting codes, and no tracking of who opened it or when.

Key Takeaways

  • TextEdit is built into every Mac and requires no read, account, or internet connection to create a plain text file.
  • You must click "Make Plain Text" in the Format menu before saving, or TextEdit will add hidden formatting to your document.
  • Always save with a .txt extension so your document stays plain text and opens correctly in any text editor.
  • Plain text documents contain only your words — no tracking, no cloud sync, and no data collection unless you choose a different app.

Why TextEdit is the plainest option on Mac

TextEdit comes with macOS and does not phone home to Apple or anyone else when you create a document. It does not require you to sign in, does not sync your files to iCloud unless you explicitly save them there, and does not collect information about what you write. If you save your document to your Desktop or Documents folder instead of iCloud Drive, it stays only on your computer.

The tradeoff is that TextEdit has almost no features. You cannot change fonts, add colors, insert images, or do anything beyond type plain text. If you need any of those things, you are no longer using plain text — you are using a formatted document, which is a different choice with different privacy implications.

Other built-in Mac apps that create text documents

Notes app syncs to iCloud by default and stores your content on Apple's servers. If you turn off iCloud sync in Settings, Notes will keep documents only on your Mac, but the app is designed around cloud storage and the experience is awkward without it.

Pages is Apple's word processor and creates formatted documents, not plain text. It also syncs to iCloud by default. If you want to use Pages but keep documents off the cloud, you can turn off iCloud sync in Settings, but again, the app expects to sync and you lose features if you disable it.

Word (Microsoft Office) requires a subscription or a one-time purchase and creates .docx files that contain metadata — information about when the document was created, who edited it, and sometimes tracked changes you thought you deleted. Word also syncs to OneDrive by default if you are signed into a Microsoft account.

How to know if your document is actually plain text

After you save your file, right-click it and select "Get Info". Look at the "Kind" field. If it says "Plain Text Document" or "Text Document", you have plain text. If it says "Rich Text Format" or "Word Document", your file contains hidden formatting or metadata.

You can also open the file in TextEdit again and check the Format menu. If "Make Plain Text" is highlighted or grayed out, the document is already plain text. If it is clickable, the document still has formatting and you should click it, then save again.

Saving to your Mac versus the cloud

When you save a document to your Desktop or Documents folder, it stays on your computer. No copy goes to iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, or any cloud service unless you explicitly move it there or have cloud sync turned on for that folder.

If you want to be certain your documents never leave your Mac, go to System Settings, click your name at the top, then iCloud. Turn off "iCloud Drive" entirely, or at minimum turn off sync for Documents and Desktop. After that, anything you save to those folders will stay local.

The tradeoff is that you lose automatic backup. If your Mac breaks or your hard drive fails, your documents are gone. Many people keep important plain text files in both places — one copy on their Mac and one copy in a cloud service they trust, or on an external hard drive they control.

Moving between TextEdit and other text editors

Plain text files move freely between apps. A .txt file you create in TextEdit opens the same way in any other text editor on Mac or any other device. This is one of the main reasons to use plain text: you are not locked into one app or one company.

If you later decide you want a different editor — maybe one with better search, or dark mode, or the ability to organize files into folders — you can open your .txt files in that editor without converting them or losing any content. The file itself does not change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use TextEdit to edit a document someone else sent me?

Yes, if it is plain text. If someone sends you a .docx, .pages, or .rtf file, TextEdit will open it but may not display the formatting correctly. For those file types, use the app that created them or a universal document viewer. For plain text files (.txt), TextEdit works perfectly.

What happens if I forget to click "Make Plain Text" before saving?

TextEdit will save your document as RTF (Rich Text Format) instead of plain text. You can fix this: open the file again, go to Format menu, click "Make Plain Text", then save. When you save, TextEdit will warn you that you are converting to plain text and ask if you want to proceed. Click "Use .txt".

Is plain text safe from hackers?

Plain text files on your Mac are as safe as your Mac itself. They are not encrypted by default, so someone with physical access to your computer or your hard drive could read them. If you need encryption, you would need to use a different tool — that is a separate privacy choice beyond plain text.

Can I password-protect a plain text file?

Not directly in TextEdit. Plain text files do not have built-in password protection. If you need that, you would need to encrypt the file using Mac's built-in encryption (FileVault for your whole drive, or Encrypted Disk Utility for a single folder) or use a different app designed for sensitive documents.

What is the difference between .txt and .rtf?

.txt is plain text — only your words, no hidden codes. .rtf (Rich Text Format) includes invisible formatting instructions for fonts, colors, spacing, and other styling. Both are text-based, but .rtf is not plain text and takes up more space because of the hidden codes.