Documents

What is a TXT file?

Updated Jul 2026

Definition

A TXT file is plain text: letters, numbers, and punctuation with no fonts, colors, or formatting attached. It's the plainest, most universal document format there is, readable on virtually any computer, phone, or device. The tradeoff is that it can't hold styling, images, or layout, just the raw words.

TXTPlain text

Extension: .txt
Type: Documents
Typically: Plain text files

Why TXT exists

TXT has been around since the earliest days of personal computing, long before word processors added bold text, fonts, or page layouts. It stores characters and line breaks and nothing else, which is exactly why it still works everywhere decades later.

Because there's no formatting to interpret, a TXT file opens the same way on a Mac, a Windows PC, an old Kindle, or a website's text box. There's no version of the format to be incompatible with, and no special software required beyond a basic text editor.

People run into TXT most often when they need to strip formatting out of something, save notes that will still open on any device years from now, or move text between apps that don't share a common file type. It's also the format code, logs, and configuration files usually take, since programs need to read it without guessing at hidden formatting.

The trade-offs

Strengths

Opens on almost any device without special software
Very small file size
Lasts indefinitely with no format to become outdated
Easy for programs and scripts to read and edit

Watch-outs

No bold, italics, fonts, colors, or layout
Can't hold images, tables, or page formatting
Not suited for documents that need to look a certain way

A note on privacy

TXT files don't carry hidden metadata the way photos or PDFs sometimes do; what you see is what's in the file. But the words themselves might still be sensitive, notes, passwords, drafts, logs, and running a plain text file through an online converter still means uploading that content to someone else's server. Converting it on your own machine keeps the text where it started.

Convert a TXT file

Questions

How do I open a TXT file?

Any basic text editor opens it: Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, or the default text app on almost any phone. No special software is needed.

Is TXT better than a formatted document format?

It depends on what you need. TXT wins on compatibility, size, and longevity, but it can't hold bold text, fonts, images, or layout the way a formatted document can.

Why do some apps save files as TXT?

Programs, logs, and code often use TXT because it's simple to read and write without any formatting to parse, which makes it reliable across different systems and tools.

Can I convert a TXT file without uploading it?

Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts TXT files on your own computer, so the content never has to leave your machine.

Morphjet opens and converts TXT and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.