Convert RTF to TXT on Mac.

Local file processing, by renaming the file in Finder. No converter window and no upload queue.

Finder rename

report.rtfreport.txt

How the rename works

  1. 1

    Start with report.rtf

    Put the RTF file in a folder RenameTo watches, such as Desktop or Downloads.

  2. 2

    Rename it to report.txt

    In Finder, change .rtf to .txt, then press Return. The rename is the command.

  3. 3

    Find the TXT beside it

    RenameTo produces the requested output and keeps a restorable backup of the original.

What happens under the hood

RenameTo reads the RTF with the appropriate local macOS media or document framework, then writes a new TXT beside it. The file itself is not sent to a conversion server.

About the formats

RTF is a widely supported rich-text format. TXT is plain text with near-universal compatibility.

Questions, answered

Does my file get uploaded anywhere?

No. File processing happens on your Mac. RenameTo does use the network for license validation, trial activation, and update checks, but your source files are not part of those requests.

What happens to the original RTF file?

RenameTo keeps a backup before processing. Undo restores the original alongside a format-changing output and does not delete that output. If the original name is already occupied, the restored copy gets “(restored)” in its name.

Can I convert a whole folder?

Yes. Rename multiple selected files in Finder and RenameTo queues each supported conversion, with a separate result and backup for every file.

Can I run the same conversion from a script?

Yes. The CLI command is: renameto txt *.rtf

Related conversions

Convert RTF to DOC

report.rtf → report.doc

Convert RTF to DOCX

report.rtf → report.docx

Convert RTF to HTML

report.rtf → report.html

Convert RTF to ODT

report.rtf → report.odt

Transcribe 3GP to text

report.3gp → report.txt

Transcribe AAC to text

report.aac → report.txt

Transcribe AC3 to text

report.ac3 → report.txt

Transcribe AIFF to text

report.aiff → report.txt

Looking for another format? Browse every conversion.