Office Settings & Configuration

How to Disable Copyright Symbol AutoCorrect in OneNote

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent OneNote from automatically replacing the typed characters (c) with the copyright symbol (©) while taking notes.

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Taking school notes where typing (c) is frequently required.
Observed behavior: OneNote automatically changes the text (c) into a copyright symbol, and the user wants to stop this specific replacement without unexpectedly losing other spelling correction features.

Before you start

Check whether you are using OneNote for Mac or Windows, as the AutoCorrect settings menu varies by platform. Note that modifying this setting on some versions of Mac may disable other automatic spelling corrections as well.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable AutoCorrect Formatting in OneNote for Mac

Turn off the automatic spelling and formatting feature in OneNote's preferences to stop the copyright symbol replacement.

Disabling this option turns off automatic spelling and formatting corrections generally, not just the replacement of (c) with the copyright symbol. OneNote will not ask for confirmation before skipping these corrections once the setting is disabled.

Open Preferences

Launch OneNote for Mac, click on the 'OneNote' menu in the top menu bar, and select 'Preferences'.

Navigate to Spelling

In the Preferences window, click on the 'Spelling' icon to access your proofing options.

Disable AutoCorrect

Clear the checkbox next to 'Automatically correct spelling and formatting as you type' to successfully stop the copyright symbol replacement.

Solution 2

Remove Specific AutoCorrect Rules in OneNote for Windows

For Windows users, you can remove just the copyright symbol rule without disabling all other spelling corrections.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Customizable Note-Taking

If OneNote's autocorrect settings on Mac are too restrictive and force you to disable all spelling checks just to type '(c)', consider switching to WPS Office. It offers a fully customizable AutoCorrect dictionary where you can easily remove specific symbol replacements while keeping essential spell-check features active.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your device.
2. Open a Document: Launch WPS Writer and open a new document to start taking your school notes.
3. Customize AutoCorrect: Navigate to Menu > Options > Spell Check > AutoCorrect, and delete the '(c)' replacement rule without affecting other spelling corrections.

Granular control over AutoCorrect rules, allowing you to stop (c) to © replacements easily.High compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Lightweight architecture that runs smoothly on both Windows and Mac devices.Completely free to use with a clean, user-friendly interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote automatically change (c) to a copyright symbol?

OneNote includes built-in AutoCorrect rules designed to quickly format common symbols for users. The sequence '(c)' is programmed by default in Microsoft Office products to automatically convert into the copyright symbol (©).

Will turning off AutoCorrect disable all spell checking in OneNote for Mac?

Yes, if you uncheck 'Automatically correct spelling and formatting as you type' on a Mac, it disables all real-time automatic corrections. However, manual spell-checking features and underlines for misspelled words will still function depending on your system settings.

Is there a quick way to undo the copyright symbol without changing settings?

Yes. Immediately after OneNote converts '(c)' to '©', press Ctrl+Z (on Windows) or Cmd+Z (on Mac). This undoes the automatic formatting change while leaving your originally typed text intact.

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