macOS Text Replacement Export/Import Works Great Until It Doesn’t

@Mark_Nagata Mark Nagata
Wed, 06 May 2026 01:05:12 +0000

Adam Engst:

You’ll find them in System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements on the Mac;

In the Japanese macOS, it is called System Settings > Keyboard > User Dictionary….
User Dictionary for text input has existed from the beginning of Japanese OS, at least from System 6.0.7/KanjiTalk and System 7/WorldScript of 1990s. Dictionary is an essential part of Japanese text input, where we type phonetic expression on the keyboard, and then the OS instantly translates it into Kana/Kanji characters onscreen. An advanced, self-learning System Dictionary is built into the OS, but User Dictionary is a natural and essential method for user to manually customize the System Dictionary.