Settings
Settings can be used to customize the app’s behavior and appearance, so that OmniOutliner is fully configured for your needs.
This chapter is structured to help you easily find the information you need, with each section organized for a different purpose.
- Mac Settings — Listed in app order, for ease of reference.
- iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro Settings — Listed in app order, for ease of reference.
- Settings Reference — Listed in alphabetical order. A good place to start if you would like more information about a setting, want to see which platforms support the setting, or need to locate the setting on different platforms.
To open Settings:
- On Mac, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro,
choose
![]()
Settings…
from the
OmniOutliner menu,
or press Command+, - On iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro,
tap
![]()
More
in the
Toolbar,
then tap
![]()
Settings
Where appropriate, sections of this chapter may link to a related section of the Commands and Shortcuts chapter.
Mac Settings
Settings panes are listed in the order they are displayed in the app.
- General Settings
- Keyboard Settings
- Text Import & Export Settings
- RTF Export Settings
- Audio Recording Settings
- Update Settings
On Mac, each settings pane has a Reset button in the bottom corner. If you press the Option key, the button updates to Reset All. Clicking on either option will present a confirmation before making any changes.
- Reset will restore settings in the pane you are viewing to the state they were in when OmniOutliner was first installed.
- Reset All will restore all settings to the state they were in when OmniOutliner was first installed.
General Settings ![]()
General settings affect app-wide interactions in OmniOutliner.
Keyboard Settings ![]()
Adjust how OmniOutliner interprets certain keys:
Text Import & Export Settings ![]()
View or change the characters used to represent elements when importing a plaintext document, or exporting an OmniOutliner document to plaintext.
You can update:
- Bullets for rows with no children
- Bullets for rows with children (expanded)
- Bullets for rows with children (collapsed)
- Checkboxes that are checked
- Checkboxes that are unchecked
- Checkboxes that are indeterminate (a mix of checked and unchecked children)
There is also a popup menu that lets you select the Text encoding for import/export, which defaults to Unicode (UTF-8).
RTF Export Settings ![][richtext.page.prepend]
View or change the characters used to represent elements, when exporting an OmniOutliner document to RTF.
There are preset characters and sizes, based on the object types for bullets and checkboxes, as well as spacing for indents, and the distance between columns.
You can update:
- Bullets for rows with no children
- Bullets for rows with children (expanded)
- Bullets for rows with children (collapsed)
- Bullet minimum width
- Bullet width
- Checkboxes that are checked
- Checkboxes that are unchecked
- Checkboxes that are indeterminate (a mix of checked and unchecked children)
- Checkbox minimum width
- Checkbox width
- Indent width per level
- Space between columns
Audio Recording Settings ![]()
See which microphone you’re using for recording, change the compression level, or access in-progress recordings.
Input Device displays the currently selected input, and an Edit Settings button to quickly open System Settings and change the selected input.
Input Device:
- Displays the currently selected input.
- The Edit Settings button opens System Settings, so you can change the selected input.
Compression:
- Best Performance — Smaller file sizes, less processor power, and basic audio quality.
- Best Quality — Larger file sizes, slightly more processor power, and the best quality sound.
Compression allows you to select between Best Performance and Best Quality, allowing you to strike your preferred balance.
Temporary Recording Folder:
- OmniOutliner creates a temporary file to store audio while you are recording.
- When you finish recording, that temporary file moves into your OmniOutliner document.
- If OmniOutliner unexpectedly quits while you are recording, your audio is safe, as the temporary file is still there!
- Click the Open Folder button, and the temporary file will show in the Finder.
- Drag the file into OmniOutliner, or put it in the Trash if you would rather start over.
Update Settings ![][arrow.down.circle.prepend]
Update settings control how frequently OmniOutliner checks for updates to itself (for non-App Store builds), and offers the option to help Omni improve future versions of OmniOutliner by sending us anonymous data about your device.
iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro Settings
Settings rows and groups are listed in the order they are displayed in the app.
The options on this screen are particularly helpful if you are using an external keyboard:
Settings Reference
This section lists all OmniOutliner settings (or commands found in Settings on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro) in alphabetical order.
Each entry contains links to where the setting (or command) can be found on each platform. If no platforms are specified, it is available on all devices.
- App Lock
- Apply Named Styles With
- Color Palette
- Command-V Pastes as Plain Text
- Configure Plug-Ins
- Check for Updates (Omni Store Only)
- For New Documents
- Full Screen Mode
- Higher-Quality Audio Recording
- Include Handles in Text Export
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Links
- New Rows Are Created
- New Rows Use Peers’ Style
- OPML Display Theme
- Pasting From Other Apps
- Send Anonymous System Information to the Omni Group
- Send Anonymous Data
- Show Keyboard Shortcuts in Inspectors
- Styles
- Tab Navigates Between Cells
- Warnings
- When Pressing Escape
- When Pressing Return
- When Pressing Tab
App Lock
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
If you use OmniOutliner on a device that you occasionally share (with your children, coworkers, or clients, for example), there may be times you would prefer that your OmniOutliner data be hidden. The App Lock feature prevents accidental taps and casual glances by adding a password-locked privacy screen that must be dismissed before accessing any of your OmniOutliner data or settings.
App Lock does not encrypt your OmniOutliner data, nor does it prevent someone with physical access to your device from connecting it to another device and copying your data file, or deleting OmniOutliner from your device outright.
The Files app can also be used to retrieve your OmniOutliner data file regardless of whether App Lock is turned on.
App Lock is solely intended as a privacy feature, to prevent accidental exposure or corruption of data when others are using your device. It is not meant to thwart serious attempts to access or compromise your data. Device-level security measures are recommended for those with additional security needs.
App Lock is turned off by default. To turn it on, tap App Lock.
When you turn on App Lock, you will be prompted to choose (and confirm) a new App Lock password, which is distinct from both your OmniOutliner sync password and encryption passphrase.
If you use OmniOutliner on multiple devices, you need to configure and set an App Lock password on each device where you would like the additional privacy.
Warning
If you forget the App Lock password, OmniOutliner can no longer be used on your device.
If you are syncing your OmniOutliner data, the easiest way to recover is to delete OmniOutliner, then reinstall the app from the App Store, and use your existing sync credentials to restore your database.
If you have chosen not to sync, you can retrieve your OmniOutliner data by connecting your device to the Finder or iTunes, and copying your OmniOutliner data (the OmniOutliner.ofocus file) to a safe location.
You can also use the Files app to retrieve your data file, and share it using email, or another option in the Share menu, to another location.
After saving a backup of your data, delete OmniOutliner from your device and reinstall it from the App Store. Once you have reinstalled OmniOutliner, you can set a new App Lock password, and use Finder or iTunes to load your OmniOutliner.ofocus file back onto your device.
After choosing a password, App Lock is turned on.
App Lock Settings offer the option to turn App Lock off, change your password, or use Touch ID, Face ID, or Optic ID to unlock OmniOutliner on supported devices.
To change your App Lock password, Tap Change Password…. You are prompted to enter your old password, and then to choose and confirm a new one.
With App Lock turned on, the next time you open OmniOutliner you will see a privacy screen with a field to enter the password you chose. Enter the password, and jump into your action list!
If you choose to use Touch ID, Face ID, or Optic ID, a prompt for your fingerprint, face, or eye will appear instead. You will still have the option to enter a password, or you can tap the icon next to the password field to unlock with Touch ID, Face ID, or Optic ID if you dismissed the prompt initially.
To minimize interruptions while using OmniOutliner, App Lock will not engage for 90 seconds after switching away, in case you are quickly switching between apps.
Apply Named Styles With
Available on Mac in Keyboard Settings
You can use these keyboard shortcuts to apply one of the Named styles to the current row.
On Mac, Named styles are found in the lower portion of the Styles section of the Sidebar.
- Function keys — Press and hold the Fn key, then press a numbered function key (F1 through F9) to apply the style. For example, to apply the Heading 1 named style in the default Blank template, press Fn+F1.
- Control + number — Press and hold the Control key, and then press a number to apply the style. For example, to apply the Heading 1 named style in the default Blank template, press Control+1. These are the keyboard shortcuts used on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro.
For iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro, see Show Keyboard Shortcuts in Inspector.
Color Palette
Available on Mac in General Settings
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
Command-V Pastes as Plain Text
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
When turned on, Command+V (the standard paste keyboard shortcut) pastes copied text without any of its original style attributes, and Option+Shift+Command+V pastes rich (formatted) text.
When turned off, Command+V pastes rich text, and Option+Shift+Command+V pastes plain text.
For Mac, see Paste and Paste with Original Style.
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
Open a sheet with a list of connected locations that the app will check for template files.
Tap Add Location to open a file browser and navigate to the desired folder, then tap Done to link it.
Not all cloud storage providers are capable of acting as linked resource folders for OmniOutliner. Providers that aren’t compatible have their names greyed out in the browser list.
–>
Configure Plug-Ins
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
Open a sheet with a list of the Omni Automation Plug-Ins available in connected folders on your device.
To add Plug-Ins to this list, choose Add Linked Folder at the bottom of the list, and navigate to the folder on your device that contains them.
For more information about this feature, see the Omni Automation in OmniOutliner website, as well as the OmniOutliner Plug-In Collection.
Check for Updates (Omni Store Only)
Available on Mac in Update Settings
OmniOutliner will periodically check for updates. You can choose the interval you prefer, or uncheck the box to turn off automatic checking.
You can manually check for updates by clicking on Check Now, or with the Check for Updates… command.
For New Documents
Available on Mac in General Settings
Choose what happens when you create a new document using the New command:
- Open Template Picker
- Use Template
Opening the Resource Browser allows you to choose a template for a new document, or open a recently edited document or template. To change the default template, click Change Template… and select a different template from the Resource Browser.
Full Screen Mode
Available on Mac in General Settings
Select which Full Screen mode you would like to use:
- Standard — The Toolbar, Sidebar, and Inspector are visible at all times.
- Distraction Free — The Toolbar, Sidebar, and Inspector are hidden, until you move the cursor to the edges of the screen.
Higher-Quality Audio Recording
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
When turned on, Audio Recordings are recorded at high quality (a higher sample rate).
Turn this off to save space on your device.
Include Handles in Text Export
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
When turned off, row handles are not included when exporting to plain text.
When turned on,
row handles are represented as a single dash (-) when exporting to plain text.
This applies to text export from OmniOutliner or OPML files.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Available on Mac in Keyboard Settings
Keyboard shortcuts make it easy for you to quickly access menu options without having to use a mouse. You can create, export, and import sets of keyboard shortcuts customized for your needs.
To open the Keyboard Shortcuts window, click on the Customize button in Keyboard Settings, or choose Keyboard Shortcuts… from the OmniOutliner Menu.
The Keyboard Shortcuts window is divided into two sections:
- Outline — The top section contains commands used when navigating and manipulating The Outline. Keyboard shortcuts for Outline commands can be a single letter or number, without needing to use a modifier key (Control, Option, Shift, or Command).
- Menus — Menus found at the top of the screen, along with each menu item or Command in that menu. You can expand and collapse each menu section by clicking the disclosure arrows to the left of each menu name.
You can use the Search field at the top of the window to search for a menu item or command. This makes it easy to see how the assigned keyboard shortcuts relate to each other, and to set or reassign keys, if desired.
Editing Keyboard Shortcuts
To set or change a keyboard shortcut, click the field to the right of a menu item or command, and press keys for your new shortcut. You can use one or more of Control, Option, Shift, or Command, along with a letter or number.
The changes are immediately available, without needing to quit and restart OmniOutliner.
If you enter a shortcut that is already used by another menu item or command, the Keyboard Shortcuts window displays a warning symbol in both shortcut fields. In addition, the normally-grayed out warning button at the top of the window becomes available. This makes it easy for you to identify and correct the conflict.
Clicking the Warning button at the top of the Keyboard Shortcuts window focuses on the conflicting items, and a revert arrow is placed to the right of each item causing the conflict. Clicking the revert arrow changes that item back to its default keyboard shortcut, or removes the shortcut if none was previously assigned.
To remove a keyboard shortcut for an item, click the field to the right of a menu item or command, and press Delete. This removes the keyboard shortcut for that item.
The first time you make a change to the Default keyboard set, the name of the current keyboard set (used in the drop-down menu) becomes editable. By default, OmniOutliner places your user account name in the field, but you can change this to whatever you’d like.
If you would like to change the name of a keyboard set,
click the
Action menu,
and select Rename.
Enter a new name,
and press Return to apply it.
Sharing Keyboard Sets
To export your keyboard set:
- Click the
![]()
Action menu,
and select Export Shortcuts…. - OmniOutliner will create a shortcuts file named after your set, with an .outliner-shortcuts file extension (such as Rapid Edit Set.outliner-shortcuts).
To import another keyboard set:
- Click the
![]()
Action menu,
and select Import Shortcuts…. - In the window that opens, locate and select the .outliner-shortcuts file to import, then click Open to add that keyboard set to the Keyboard Shortcuts drop-down menu.
- You can also double-click a .outliner-shortcuts file in the Finder. The Keyboard Shortcuts window will open with that shortcuts file already selected in the popup menu.
Pasting from Other Apps
Available on Mac in General Settings
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
This setting only applies to styled text copied from outside of OmniOutliner, and pasted into an OmniOutliner note.
By default, OmniOutliner attempts to Merge Styles when pasting text copied from outside of the app. Selecting another option for this setting will update the Paste method for styled text:
- Merge Styles — Uses Paste and Merge Styles for styled text. Preserves only essential styles such as bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, subscript or superscript, ligatures, and writing direction, as well as links with titles, and attachments.
- Match Style — Uses Paste and Match Style for styled text. Discards all formatting from the copied text, including the URL for links with titles.
- Keep Original Style — Uses Paste with Original Style for styled text. Preserves all styles from the copied text.
When copying and pasting styled text within OmniOutliner, Paste with Original Style is always used, so that all formatting is retained.
Links
Available on Mac in General Settings
OmniOutliner automatically creates clickable hyperlinks when you type or paste URLs, such as omnigroup.com or https://omnigroup.com.
If you turn off this setting, any URLs you type or paste will remain text, and clicking them will not open the URL.
New Rows Are Created
Available on Mac in Keyboard Settings
Choose what happens when you create a new row:
- Indented if there are children — Return creates a new child row, if the selected row already has children; but creates a row at the same level, if the selected row does not have children.
- Always at the same level — Return always creates a row at the same level as the selected row.
OPML Display Theme
Available on Mac in General Settings
Select the Theme to use for OPML files in OmniOutliner.
Unlike theming for OmniOutliner documents, where text and row styles are saved with the document, this setting only affects the display of OPML documents, and is not saved.
To change the default theme, click Change Theme… and select a different theme from the Resource Browser.
Send Anonymous System Information to the Omni Group
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
Available on Mac in Update Settings
Available on Mac in System Information Settings
If you would like to help improve future versions of OmniOutliner, you can choose to send us anonymous information about your OmniOutliner data and device.
On iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro, all the information that will be shared is visible in this Settings screen.
On Mac, click on Learn more about what kind of information is sent.
Show Keyboard Shortcuts in Inspectors
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
You can use Control+1 through 9 to apply one of the Named styles to the current row.
Named styles are found in the Apply Styles section of the Inspector.
When this setting is turned on, keyboard shortcuts appear next to the related style. When this setting is turned off, keyboard shortcuts do not appear, but can still be used to apply styles.
Keyboard shortcuts on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro use the Control + number presentation, which is also an option on Mac.
For Mac, see Apply Named Styles With.
Styles/New Rows Use Peers’ Style
Available on Mac in General Settings
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
When turned on,
adding a new row
(by pressing Return,
Shift+Return,
or using the
New
button)
applies the styles of the previously selected row to the newly created row.
When turned off, new rows are created using the default styles from the theme you are using.
When turned on, new rows use the selection styles applied to the previously selected row.
Warnings
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
Set whether compatibility warnings will appear when you open older OmniOutliner documents or OPML documents.
When Pressing Escape
Available on Mac in Keyboard Settings
Select which Esc key behavior you would like:
- Unchecked — Esc opens the system-wide completion menu.
- Checked — Esc begins or ends editing.
The system-wide completion menu can be very useful, when you aren’t quite sure how to spell something. You can type in the first few characters of the word, press Esc, and a popup menu appears with a list of possible options. To accept one of the options, you can click it with your mouse, or use the Down Arrow and Up Arrow keys to highlight the word you want, then press Tab or Return to accept that option.
Beginning or ending editing is useful for quickly moving around your outline, editing rows and cells more efficiently. Pressing Esc after entering text in a row will highlight that row. Pressing Esc again places the cursor at the end of the line, so you can continue typing.
When Pressing Return
Available on Mac in Keyboard Settings
Select which Return key behavior you would like:
- Create a new empty row — Return creates a new empty row.
- Insert a line break in the current row — Return inserts a line break inside of the current row.
- Split the current row at the insertion point — Return splits the row being edited into two, at the point of insertion.
Regardless of the above setting:
- Option+Return always inserts a newline in the current row.
- Control+Return always splits the current row into two rows.
When Pressing Tab/Tab Navigates Between Cells
Requires OmniOutliner Pro
Available on Mac in Keyboard Settings
Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro in Settings
On Mac, select which Tab key behavior you would like:
- Indent row — Tab indents a row, and Shift+Tab outdents a row.
- Go to next cell —
Tab navigates to the next cell in the row, and Shift+Tab navigates to the previous cell in the row,
On iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, turn on Tab navigates between cells for Go to next cell, and turn it off for Indent row.
Regardless of the above setting, Option+Tab always inserts a Tab character.