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.osx: Use plain text smileys in Messages
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Messages in OS X 10.9 Mavericks automatically substitutes e.g. `:)` with `😊`, with no way to disable this feature through the app’s preferences pane.

After analyzing the `defaults read` output it turns out there is a hidden preference for it.
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@mathiasbynens
mathiasbynens committed Oct 23, 2013
1 parent 813f813 commit f10eb80
Showing 1 changed file with 9 additions and 2 deletions.
11 changes: 9 additions & 2 deletions .osx
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -547,6 +547,13 @@ defaults write com.apple.appstore WebKitDeveloperExtras -bool true
# Enable Debug Menu in the Mac App Store
defaults write com.apple.appstore ShowDebugMenu -bool true

###############################################################################
# Messages #
###############################################################################

# Disable automatic emoji substitution (i.e. use plain text smileys)
defaults write com.apple.messageshelper.MessageController SOInputLineSettings -dict-add "automaticEmojiSubstitutionEnablediMessage" -bool false

###############################################################################
# Google Chrome & Google Chrome Canary #
###############################################################################
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -621,8 +628,8 @@ defaults write com.twitter.twitter-mac HideInBackground -bool true
###############################################################################

for app in "Address Book" "Calendar" "Contacts" "Dashboard" "Dock" "Finder" \
"Mail" "Safari" "SizeUp" "SystemUIServer" "Terminal" "Transmission" \
"Twitter" "iCal" "iTunes"; do
"Mail" "Messages" "Safari" "SizeUp" "SystemUIServer" "Terminal" \
"Transmission" "Twitter" "iCal" "iTunes"; do
killall "$app" > /dev/null 2>&1
done
echo "Done. Note that some of these changes require a logout/restart to take effect."

7 comments on commit f10eb80

@riddle
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@riddle riddle commented on f10eb80 Oct 23, 2013

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Is there a preference to use old school image-based emoticons? Emoji emoticons look like ass on non-retina displays and previous style was just okay.

@mathiasbynens
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Doesn’t look like it :( I could only find these settings:

$ defaults read com.apple.messageshelper.MessageController SOInputLineSettings
{
    automaticDashSubstitutionEnabled = 0;
    automaticDataDetectionEnabled = 0;
    automaticEmojiSubstitutionEnabledLegacy = 0;
    automaticEmojiSubstitutionEnablediMessage = 0;
    automaticLinkDetectionEnabled = 0;
    automaticQuoteSubstitutionEnabled = 1;
    automaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled = 0;
    automaticTextReplacementEnabled = 1;
    continuousSpellCheckingEnabled = 1;
    grammarCheckingEnabled = 0;
    smartInsertDeleteEnabled = 1;
}

Note that these are all the default values, except for automaticEmojiSubstitutionEnablediMessage which is set to 1 (true) by default.

@lazydaze13
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I ran the command you suggested on apple.stackexchange,

defaults write com.apple.messageshelper.MessageController SOInputLineSettings -dict-add "automaticEmojiSubstitutionEnablediMessage" -bool false

and it now causes Messages to crash out every time I try to open it with a warning:

"The last time you opened Messages, it unexpectedly quit while reopening windows. Do you want to try to reopen its windows again?
If you choose not to reopen windows, you may have to open and position the windows yourself."

HELP.

@mathiasbynens
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@lazydaze13 Try defaults delete com.apple.messageshelper.MessageController SOInputLineSettings.

@syntruth
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Actually, there is a UI for it: Edit menu --> Substitutions, under Text Replacement, uncheck Emoji.

(Won't argue that this really should be in Preferences too.)

@mathiasbynens
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@syntruth Ah, good catch!

@fletom
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@fletom fletom commented on f10eb80 Oct 25, 2013

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This hidden setting works great for me. Plain text smileys FTW. Thanks!

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