A .txt file contains characters and line breaks. No fonts, no bold, no images. Just text. Every platform can make one, but the method differs. On a Mac you must avoid the rich text trap. On a phone or tablet, a browser-based text tool with a download button gets it done fastest.

Windows Using Notepad or File Explorer

Windows gives you two straight paths to a .txt file.

Start in Notepad

  1. Open Notepad from the Start menu or by searching for it.
  2. Type or paste your text.
  3. Click File > Save As.
  4. In the "Save as type" dropdown, pick Text Documents (*.txt) if it is not already selected.
  5. Name your file, for example notes.txt, and choose a folder.
  6. Click Save. Current versions of Notepad default to UTF-8 encoding, so your text saves correctly.

Create Without Opening Notepad

You can also spawn a .txt file directly in a folder.

  1. Open File Explorer and go to the folder you want.
  2. Right-click an empty area.
  3. Select New > Text Document.
  4. A file named "New Text Document.txt" appears. Rename it.
  5. Double-click to open and edit it in Notepad.

Both methods produce a plain text file with no formatting.

Mac Avoiding the TextEdit Rich Text Trap

TextEdit creates rich text by default. Save without changing that and your file carries hidden formatting other programs choke on. Do this once to fix it.

Switch the Default to Plain Text

  1. Open TextEdit from Applications or by searching.
  2. Click TextEdit in the menu bar and select Settings, or Preferences on older versions.
  3. Under "New Document," find the "Format" dropdown and choose Plain text.
  4. Close the window. Every new document now starts as plain text.

Strip Formatting From an Existing Document

Already typed something in rich text? Convert it.

  1. With the document open, click Format in the menu bar.
  2. Choose Make Plain Text. The shortcut is Shift-Command-T.
  3. A dialog warns that formatting will be removed. Click OK.
  4. Save as usual. The file lands as .txt.

A third-party editor or a browser-based text tool sidesteps this issue entirely.

IPhone Creating a .txt File

No iPhone comes with a plain-text editor that saves .txt by default. You need a browser-based writing tool or an app.

The browser route works immediately:

  1. Open Safari, Chrome, or any browser.
  2. Go to a site that offers a clean text workspace that saves as you type and lets you download the result as a .txt file.
  3. Type or paste your content into the text area.
  4. Tap the Download .txt button.
  5. The file appears in your Downloads folder or the Files app, depending on browser settings.

Alternatively, install a text editor from the App Store that exports .txt. Pick one with strong reviews and a simple interface.

Android Creating a .txt File

Android has the same gap: no default app saves .txt directly. A browser-based writing tool is the quickest fix.

  1. Open Chrome, Firefox, or your usual browser.
  2. Visit a site that provides a private text workspace. These pages save your content in the browser's local storage and upload nothing.
  3. Write or paste your text.
  4. Tap the Download .txt button.
  5. The file lands in your Downloads folder. Access it through the Files app or any file manager.

A third-party editor from the Google Play Store also works. Plenty of free ones exist, but confirm they export in plain .txt format before you rely on one.

What a .txt File Actually is

A .txt file holds characters and line breaks. Nothing else. It strips away fonts, bold, italics, and images. That austerity is its strength. Any text editor, on any operating system, opens it without a compatibility fight.

Common uses:

  • Quick notes or to-do lists.
  • Code snippets and configuration data.
  • A simple journal or log.
  • Text that must be read by any program, anywhere.

Because they carry zero overhead, .txt files are tiny and open instantly.

Using a Browser-Based Text Tool for Any Device

If you move between devices, a browser-based text tool creates and saves .txt files with no installation. SimpleText is one: a clean, private workspace in your browser. It saves as you type and never uploads a thing. Its built-in tools handle the rest.

  • Live word, character, and line counts.
  • UPPERCASE, lowercase, Title Case, and Sentence case converters.
  • Trim, which tidies stray spaces and blank lines.
  • Join lines, collapsing text into one paragraph.
  • Sort and Dedupe for lists.
  • Copy and Download .txt.

Type your content, click download, and the file saves to your device as a standard .txt.