Support

PlainType is a small Mac utility for turning copied rich text into clean plain text. Here is how to get started, fix common issues, and reach a human.

Need help? Email support@plaintype.app. Every message reaches the person who makes PlainType.

Getting Started

  1. Open PlainType. It runs as a compact Mac utility with a main panel and a menu-bar presence.
  2. Turn on auto-clean. With Auto-clean on copy enabled, PlainType watches for rich text on the clipboard and writes back a cleaner plain-text version.
  3. Copy from anywhere. Copy formatted text from a web page, document, email, issue tracker, or design tool, then paste the cleaned result where you need it.
  4. Clean on demand. Use the Clean button or the default Command-Option-C shortcut when you want to clean the current clipboard manually.

Common Questions

What does PlainType clean?

PlainType strips formatting, hidden markup, smart quotes, common Markdown artifacts, and stray whitespace from copied text. The goal is plain text that pastes cleanly into notes, docs, chat, email, and task trackers.

Is my clipboard sent anywhere?

No. The Mac app has no account, app analytics, backend, or network connection. This website uses Vercel Web Analytics for page views, but PlainType never sends clipboard data. Recent clipboard history stays on your Mac, is capped at five items, and can be cleared from the main window.

Auto-clean is not doing anything.

Check that PlainType is running and Auto-clean on copy is enabled. Some apps already copy plain text, so there may be nothing to clean. For a quick test, copy formatted text from a web page or rich-text editor and paste it into a plain text field.

The shortcut does not work.

Open Settings and confirm the shortcut is registered. The default is Command-Option-C, but you can record another shortcut if macOS or another app already uses it.

Where are recent cleans stored?

PlainType keeps only the five most recent cleans locally on your Mac. They are re-copyable from the main window and can be cleared whenever you want.

What do I need to run it?

PlainType requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later. It is built as a native Mac app and is prepared for the Mac App Store.