6 Best Fixes for Microsoft Word Not Opening on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Microsoft has made the Office apps available on macOS for years. The only distinction is the visual interface that differs slightly from the Windows-based Office apps. Of course, you can sync your documents to edit them on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with your Windows devices.

However, some users complain that they can’t use the app at all on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. If you also face the same problem, here are the best ways to fix Microsoft Word not opening on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

1. Check Your Microsoft 365 Subscription

The most important prerequisite for using any Microsoft Office app on your Apple device is a Microsoft 365 subscription. So, if the Microsoft Word app won’t open on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you need to check the status of your Microsoft 365 subscription. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open the Microsoft 365 site in a web browser on your Mac.

Visit Microsoft 365

Step 2: Sign in to your Microsoft account by clicking the option in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Click the profile icon at the top-right corner and select My Profile.

Step 4: Click on Service and Subscriptions at the top Menu Bar.

Step 5: Click on Manage next to your Microsoft 365 subscription details.

Step 6: Ensure there are no issues with billing on your account. If your previous payment did not go through, you can change your billing information.

2. Log In Again to Your Microsoft Account

After you confirm the status of your Microsoft 365 subscription, you can try to log in again to your account in the Microsoft Word app.

On iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Open the Microsoft Word app on your iPhone or iPad.

Step 2: Tap the profile icon at the top-right corner and select your Microsoft account.

Step 3: Tap on Sign Out at the bottom-right side. Then select Sign Out again to confirm.

Step 4: Tap on Sign In again and check if the problem is solved.

On Mac

Step 1: Press Command + Spacebar keyboard shortcut to open Spotlight Search, type Microsoft Word, and press Return.

Step 2: Click on your profile icon at the top-left side.

Step 3: Select Sign Out.

Step 4: Click the profile icon again at the top-left side and sign in to your Microsoft account.

Once done, check if the problem is solved.

3. Force Quit and Relaunch Microsoft Word App

If Microsoft Word is still not responding or crashing, you can try to force quit and relaunch the app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This will give the app a fresh start.

On iPhone and iPad

Step 1: On the home screen, swipe up and hold to reveal the background app windows.

Step 2: Swipe right to look for the Microsoft Word window and swipe up to remove the app.

Step 3: Open Microsoft Word again and check if the problem is solved.

On Mac

Step 1: Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner and select Force Quit.

Step 2: Select Microsoft Word from the list of apps and click on Force Quit.

Step 3: Relaunch Microsoft Word.

4. Create a New User Account (Mac)

You can try creating a new User Account on your Mac if Microsoft Word is still not working. This option is not available for iPhone or iPad. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press Command + Spacebar keyboard shortcut to open Spotlight Search, type System Settings, and press Return.

Step 2: Scroll down the left menu and select Users and Groups.

Step 3: Click on Add User.

Step 4: Enter your Mac passcode and click on Unlock.

Step 5: Enter the details of the new user including the new login password and click on Create User at the bottom right side.

Step 6: After creating the user, click the Info icon next to the new user profile.

Step 7: Click the toggle next to Allow This User to Administer This Computer. Then click Ok.

You will get notified to restart your Mac.

Step 8: Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner and select Restart.

Step 9: After your Mac restarts, click the Apple logo again to log out from your current user account.

Step 10: Sign in with your new user account and open Microsoft Word to check if the problem is solved.

5. Delete Microsoft Word Preference Files (Mac)

Microsoft Word creates preference files based on your usage on Mac like keyboard shortcuts. If the problem is not fixed yet and you see a notification of ‘the application Microsoft Word can’t be opened’ on your Mac, you can relocate the Word preference file temporarily.

Step 1: Launch Finder on your Mac and click on Go at the top Menu Bar.

Step 2: Select Go To Folder from the list of options.

Step 3: Type ~/Library in the search box on your Mac screen. Then select the first search result.

Step 4: Select the Containers folder from the list of options.

Step 5: After opening the folder, type com.microsoft.Word.plist in the search box at the top-right corner.

Step 6: Select the file and drag it to the Recycle Bin.

Step 7: Relaunch Microsoft Word on your Mac and check if the problem is solved.

6. Update Microsoft Word

If none of the solutions have worked for you, check an app update of Microsoft Word on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. There might be a bug in the current version of Microsoft Word that is causing this issue.

Update Microsoft Word on iPhone/iPad

Update Microsoft Word on Mac

Manage Word Files

These solutions will fix the issue of Microsoft Word not opening your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can also read our post to learn how to create a protected PDF file in Microsoft Word.