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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Applications > Messages: How to enter line break without sending the message

Messages: How to enter line break without sending the message
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kevs
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Dec 27, 2018, 11:02 PM
 
Messages: How to enter line break without sending the message?

Anyone know how to do this?

At least in wild Facebook messenger, they have a workaround of command key I think. I have not figured this out yet for Apple's messages.
     
reader50
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Dec 28, 2018, 03:30 AM
 
I've never used Messages on a phone. But I ran into the same problem in an office app. I solved it by copy-pasting line breaks in from a text document.
     
kevs  (op)
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Dec 28, 2018, 04:01 AM
 
Wow, that sounds like the craziest and most laborious workaround I've ever heard! I would not be surprised if no one comes up with something better.

What is up with Apple?
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Dec 28, 2018, 11:33 AM
 
Skype has the same flaw
     
turtle777
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Dec 28, 2018, 12:17 PM
 
     
kevs  (op)
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Dec 28, 2018, 08:59 PM
 
Ok got it It's option return. only.

On FB messenger I've been using shift return, but in FB both option and shift work. all non intuitive PITA.
     
P
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Dec 30, 2018, 09:05 AM
 
Introducing line breaks when return does something else is famously convoluted. Apple standard is option-return and has been so since the dinosaurs walked the earth, but on Windows that key combo is maximize (which comes from an IBM rule that is even older, so I guess we can call that pre-Cambrian?). This means that an application that wants exist on both has to violate the rule one side of the fence. Microsoft found the perfect solution - its option-return in Excel and shift-return in Word and PowerPoint. Because F you that’s why.

(Apple doesn’t follow this rule itself anymore, but the rule is that option + something does the second most likely thing, or a slight variation on the standard, while shift + something does the opposite thing)
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
kevs  (op)
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Dec 30, 2018, 07:06 PM
 
thanks P, hard to understand, but I get the gist. Something in the history.. but how does windows effect apple messages?

Why can't just normal return in messages, create a return?
     
P
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Dec 31, 2018, 01:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by kevs View Post
thanks P, hard to understand, but I get the gist. Something in the history.. but how does windows effect apple messages?
Apple has Option-return as a standard shortcut for inserting a line break when return does something else. That shortcut doesn’t work well on Windows, which otherwise copies a lot of the Apple shortcuts. For this reason, many apps use shift-return for the same thing instead,

Why can't just normal return in messages, create a return?
Because it is used as a shortcut for send.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
kevs  (op)
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Dec 31, 2018, 08:07 PM
 
Thanks P, good info.
     
   
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