# User preference persists through Safe Mode

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 31, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587 "2022-01-31T15:38:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![emyoulation](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/emyoulation/32/165545_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://meta.discourse.org/u/emyoulation)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/1 "2022-01-31T15:38:21Z")

</div>

A suggestion was made that I use [Safe Mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/53504?silent=true) to troubleshoot a problem.

It did not help because [Safe mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/53504?silent=true) did not ignore the User Setting override that chose Desktop View mode on a mobile device.

Shouldn’t the [Safe Mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/53504?silent=true) bypass such preferences settings?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![emyoulation](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/emyoulation/32/165545_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://meta.discourse.org/u/emyoulation)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/2 "2022-01-31T15:41:33Z")

</div>

HEY! Where can I find the feature that recognizes key phrases (like [Safe Mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/53504?silent=true) ) and automatically links them!?!?! I _ **want** _ that!!! 🤤

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Moin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/moin/32/554653_2.png) [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/3 "2022-01-31T15:48:50Z")

</div>

The feature is called auto-replace watched words.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![emyoulation](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/emyoulation/32/165545_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://meta.discourse.org/u/emyoulation)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/4 "2022-01-31T15:56:29Z")

</div>

Close, but not quite! But I managed to find it.(Whilst dancing around because I was so excited that I was in danger of piddling myself!)

~~Linkify!~~ [No, @Moin was right. The [Linkify function](https://meta.discourse.org/t/linkify-words-in-post/82193) was folded into [Watched Words → Link](https://gramps.discourse.group/admin/customize/watched_words/action/link),]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![awesomerobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/awesomerobot/32/142900_2.png) [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/5 "2022-01-31T16:11:12Z")

</div>

You don’t need the linkify component anymore, it’s been built-in:

admin → customize → watched words → link

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![emyoulation](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/emyoulation/32/165545_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://meta.discourse.org/u/emyoulation)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/6 "2022-01-31T16:17:13Z")

</div>

Thanks! Could you admin-hack the posting linked above and insert a [Now built-in as “Watched Words”] notice at top? And add “Watched Words” to this site’s list of Watched Words? Amazing that the first thing linked wasn’t the feature itself!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Falco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/falco/32/179432_2.png) [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/7 "2022-01-31T17:58:37Z")

</div>

> [@emyoulation](#):
>
> Shouldn’t the [Safe Mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-discourse-safe-mode/53504) bypass such preferences settings?

No, it shouldn’t. The [safe mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/53504?silent=true) feature is about removing plugins and themes, and not user settings.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![emyoulation](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/emyoulation/32/165545_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://meta.discourse.org/u/emyoulation)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/8 "2022-01-31T21:03:43Z")

</div>

> [@Falco](#):
>
> No, it shouldn’t. The [safe mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-discourse-safe-mode/53504) feature is about removing plugins and themes, and not user settings

I’ve been a professionally beta testing software (from application suites to BIOS) for more than a quarter century. User preferences are often a sources user issues. Many safe modes fallback to defaults.

Since there are already 3 sets of options when entering [Safe Mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/53504?silent=true). adding an option to disable loading end-user customizations seems like a no-brainer:

 ![Screenshot_20220131-144758](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/6/6/665cf6bf5a22e0a2554b0e82204441a0e89da788.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Falco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/falco/32/179432_2.png) [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/9 "2022-01-31T21:22:44Z")

</div>

> [@emyoulation](#):
>
> Since there are already 3 sets of options when entering [Safe Mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-discourse-safe-mode/53504). adding an option to disable loading end-user customizations seems like a no-brainer

If that’s something you are keen to work on and contribute as a pull request we can consider merging it, provided the PR is in good shape.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![emyoulation](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/emyoulation/32/165545_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://meta.discourse.org/u/emyoulation)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 9:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-preference-persists-through-safe-mode/216587/10 "2022-01-31T21:42:00Z")

</div>

Forking it myself would certainly be the most the immediate option… but probably also the most disastrous.

Let’s see if the idea piques the interest of someone at least mildly qualified to code it. (Which ain’t me.)
