Where Does TextEdit Save Files on Mac?
TextEdit saves documents where you choose or iCloud Drive, with autosave recovery in its app container.
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TextEdit documents go where you put them: any Finder folder, or iCloud Drive for roaming. New documents default to rich text (.rtf) unless plain text mode is set in Preferences. iCloud copies appear under iCloud Drive TextEdit on every signed in Mac.
Unsaved work hides in the sandbox container under Autosave Information. That rescue data survives crashes but not app deletion. For durable notes, press Save early so the file exists outside the container. Versions browsing covers saved files through File and Revert To.
Where TextEdit stores this, by platform
User-chosen folder or iCloud Drive/TextEdit
Autosave recovery in ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.TextEdit/Data/Library/Autosave Information. Switch plain versus rich text in Preferences before starting long notes.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the TextEdit autosave folder?
Inside the sandbox container path above. macOS manages it automatically; open TextEdit after a crash and it offers the recovered documents itself.
How do I make TextEdit default to plain text?
Open Preferences and pick plain text for new documents. Existing .rtf files keep formatting until you convert them with Format and Make Plain Text.
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