In the app where the shortcut fails, open Edit > Substitutions and make sure Text Replacement is checked. Then type the shortcut followed by a space or punctuation. If the app has no Substitutions menu, as with Microsoft Word and many browser-based or Electron apps, macOS text replacement will not work there and you need the app’s own feature or a text expander.
Published by LazyBoard, with AI-assisted drafting. Steps checked against Apple’s Mac User Guide on October 27, 2026. Menu names can differ slightly between macOS versions and apps.
macOS text replacements are set in System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements. They are handy for signatures, addresses, and short replies, but they depend on each app’s text system. That is why a shortcut can expand in Notes and Mail and do nothing in Word, Slack, or a web form. Work through the fixes below in order; most problems are solved by the first two.
1. Turn on Text Replacement in the app
Text replacement is switched on per app, and it is easy to turn off by accident. Click into a text field in the app where the shortcut fails, then open the Edit menu and choose Substitutions.
- If Text Replacement has no checkmark, choose it to turn it on.
- If it is already checked, choose it twice to switch it off and on again.
- Type your shortcut again and finish with a space, return, or punctuation.
Some apps show the setting only while a text field is active, so click into one before opening the menu. If there is no Substitutions menu at all, skip to fix 3.
2. Check the shortcut itself
Open System Settings > Keyboard and select Text Replacements. You can also search for “Text Replacements” in Spotlight.
- Type the exact shortcut. An extra space or a different spelling in the Replace column will stop it matching.
- Finish with a delimiter. macOS waits for a space, return, or punctuation after the shortcut before it replaces it.
- Avoid real words. A shortcut such as
addrcan clash with spelling correction. A prefix such as;addris safer. - Look for duplicates. Two entries with the same shortcut make the result unpredictable. Keep one.
3. Know which apps ignore it
Text replacement works in apps that use Apple’s standard text system, such as Notes, Mail, Pages, Messages, and TextEdit. Many popular apps use their own text engine instead, so the shortcut never reaches macOS.
- Microsoft Word. Word uses its own AutoCorrect list rather than macOS text replacements. Add the entries you need to Word’s AutoCorrect settings, or use a text expander that works in Word too. See how to set up shortcuts in Word for Mac.
- Chrome and Electron apps. Results in Chrome, Slack, Discord, and similar apps are inconsistent and can change between versions. If there is no Substitutions menu, do not rely on it.
- Web editors. Google Docs, help desks, and other rich web editors handle typing themselves. Google Docs has its own substitutions list under Tools > Preferences.
A quick workaround for a one-off message: press ⌘ Space, type the shortcut and a space into Spotlight so it expands, then copy the result and paste it into the app.
4. Remove and re-add the replacement
A replacement that stopped working after an update can sometimes be fixed by recreating it. Before you start, back up your list: select the entries in Text Replacements and drag them to the desktop. macOS saves them as a property list file you can drag back in later.
- Select the replacement and click the minus button to delete it.
- Click the plus button and add it again with the same shortcut and phrase.
- Test it in Notes or TextEdit first, where text replacement is supported.
5. Restart and update macOS
If several replacements stopped at once, restart your Mac. Then open System Settings > General > Software Update and install any available update. Bugs in text input and keyboard services are often fixed in point releases.
6. Fix syncing with iPhone and iPad
Text replacements sync through iCloud, so a shortcut you add on your iPhone should appear on your Mac. When it does not:
- Check that every device is signed in to the same Apple Account in System Settings or Settings.
- Leave the devices connected to the internet and give the change some time to arrive.
- Add a new test replacement on one device and see if it reaches the other. That tells you whether syncing works at all.
For problems on the phone itself, see iPhone text replacement fixes.
Sign out of iCloud only as a last resort, and export a backup of your replacements first. Signing out affects much more than text replacements.
7. Use a text expander for every app
If you need the same shortcuts in Word, Chrome, Slack, and your Mac apps, a dedicated text expander is more reliable than built-in text replacement. It watches what you type and inserts the text itself, rather than relying on each app’s Substitutions menu.
LazyBoard for Mac is a free text expander you can try alongside your existing replacements:
- Type a shortcut in a supported app and LazyBoard inserts the full text.
- Forgot a shortcut? Press ⌘ Shift Space to search your library and insert a snippet.
- Add fill-in fields for names, dates, and choices, which macOS text replacement cannot do.
- Use the same library in websites with the Chrome extension, and on Windows.
LazyBoard needs Accessibility permission to insert text, and some apps and secure fields restrict insertion. When that happens, choose Copy in the picker and paste with ⌘ V. Start by recreating the five replacements you use most, then follow the Mac setup guide.
Common questions
Why does text replacement work in Notes but not in Word?
Notes uses Apple’s standard text system, which handles macOS text replacements. Microsoft Word uses its own AutoCorrect feature instead, so it ignores the list in System Settings. Add the entries to Word’s AutoCorrect settings or use a text expander that works in both.
Does Mac text replacement work in Chrome?
Not reliably. Support in Chrome and Chrome-based apps has varied between versions and websites. If the Edit menu has no Substitutions option in the app, expect text replacement not to work there.
Why does my shortcut not expand until I press space?
That is how macOS text replacement works. It waits for a space, return, or punctuation after the shortcut so it does not replace text in the middle of a word.
How do I back up my Mac text replacements?
Open System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements, select the entries, and drag them to the desktop. macOS saves a property list file. Drag that file back into the window to import the entries again.
Do text replacements sync between Mac and iPhone?
Yes, through iCloud, when both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account. Changes can take a while to appear, and syncing has been unreliable for some people over the years.