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Automatically recognizing contact data

When you enable contact data recognition, TextEdit automatically detects location data (for example, “123 Main Street” and “Cupertino, CA”) and phone numbers (for example, “408-555-1000”) when you move the pointer over them.

TextEdit outlines the data as a field with a pop-up menu. Click the arrow and choose an option to instantly create or update an Address Book contact, view a map, and view an enlarged version of the contact information.

To enable contact data recognition:

  • To enable contact data recognition in the current document, choose Edit > Substitutions and then select Data Detectors in the submenu.

  • To enable contact data recognition in all new documents, choose TextEdit > Preferences, click New Document, and then select “Data detectors” under Options.

Related Topics

Automatically recognizing dates and times