Open this guide in Safari and use the editor below to turn typed or pasted text into a .txt download. Find the result in the Downloads folder in Files. If you need to make text files regularly, you can also set up a reusable shortcut.
Method 1: Download a TXT in Safari
1. Open the editor in Safari
Open the editor on this page and type what you want to save. If the text is in a message, email, or note, copy just the part you need and paste it into the editor. This makes a new file that you can attach, move, or send separately from the original message.
2. Name and download the file
Enter a recognizable name such as packing-list.txt. Keep UTF-8 for text that includes typographic punctuation, accented letters, or emoji. Tap Download. If Safari asks you to confirm the download, accept it and wait for the file to appear in its download list.
3. Find the file in Files
Open Files, tap Browse, then look in iCloud Drive › Downloads. If Safari is configured to save locally, check On My iPhone › Downloads instead. You can also tap Safari's Downloads control by the address field just after downloading. If you chose a custom folder for downloads, look there or search Files for the full filename.
Choose local or iCloud storage
On recent iOS versions, check Settings › Apps › Safari › Downloads to see where the browser puts new files. On My iPhone saves to the device. iCloud Drive can make the file available on your other devices signed in to the same account. The webpage prepares the text file in Safari, and the location you choose determines how iOS stores it afterward.
If you plan to attach the file from another app, open it in Files before leaving Safari. Remember the folder name and check that the most recent edits are there. When the app opens its file picker, browse to that location and select the downloaded copy.
Method 2: Save a TXT with Shortcuts
- Open Shortcuts and create a shortcut. Add the Text action and put your sample text in it. Make it a single line for the first test so you can easily check that the resulting file matches.
- Add Save File after Text, using the preceding action's text output as the input. Choose a destination when prompted. You can rename the output in Files to a descriptive name ending in
.txt. - Run the shortcut, then open the result in Files. If you want to reuse the shortcut for other snippets, edit the Text action before running it again.
A shortcut is handy when you need to create the same kind of file repeatedly, for example a plain text checklist you fill out each week. Test it with a disposable file first. If you run it again and want to keep the previous copy, pick a new name or a separate destination. Apple's guide to file-sharing actions in Shortcuts
Method 3: Export plain text from Pages
- Open a word-processing document in Pages. This method is useful if the writing is already in Pages and you want to share a text-only copy.
- In the toolbar, tap More › Export and choose Plain Text.
- Choose Save to Files, pick a folder, and save the copy. Open it afterward and check that it contains the sections you expected.
Pages exports the document's body as text. Text boxes, photos, tables, and charts can be omitted, and page-layout documents cannot be exported as TXT. If the option is unavailable or a table contains information you need, copy the relevant values into the editor and arrange them in separate lines before saving.
Can I export a note from Notes as .txt?
Apple documents export options such as PDF and, on versions that offer it, Markdown. For a regular .txt file, copy the note's text into the editor or use Pages to produce a plain-text copy. If the note contains an image, drawing, or scan, decide what needs to be written out before you export. A text-only checklist can use visible characters like [ ] for incomplete items and [x] for completed ones.
How to open and edit a .txt file on iPhone
Tap the file in Files to see how iOS opens it. If you only get a preview, open it from an editor that supports plain-text files, or load the file into the editor on this page, edit it, and download a new copy. Keep the original until you have opened the new copy and checked it. If a file came from an older computer and the text looks wrong, ask the sender which encoding they used. See what the TXT format stores.
FAQ
How do I send the downloaded TXT?
Locate it in Files and use its share action or attach it from within the receiving app. When an app asks you to choose an attachment, browse to the folder where you saved the actual .txt.
Why did I get two copies of the same text file?
Downloading again can create another copy. Check the date and filename in Files before attaching it, or give revisions distinct names such as notes-v2.txt.
Can a Mac or Android phone open my file?
Yes. A UTF-8 TXT works across current platforms. See the Mac text file guide or Android text file guide for ways to open and save the same file on another device.