Share via

Selecting text in Word app on Chromebook

Anonymous
2020-11-09T09:13:32+00:00

I've tried using the Word app on a new Chormebook (Lenovo S340) with all the latest updates.

It appears to not be possible to select text with either the trackpad or a mouse. Text can be selected (rather clumsily) with keyboard shortcuts. Selecting text is such a basic task in a word processor that I struggle to believe that it is a bug and it makes me wonder if it is a "feature" of the app designed to discourage the use of Chromebooks. Or whether it is a "feature" of chromebooks to discourage the use of MS apps.

Text can be selected with the trackpad or a mouse in google docs so it isn't that the fault is with the hardware. It is definitely a software issue.

Does anyone else have this problem?

PS I should also add that the problem does not exist in office online. It is specifically a Word app issue. I have tested the same document on both office online and the chromebook word app.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

19 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2021-05-05T20:46:14+00:00

    Came here with the same problem on a lenovo chromebook, word app not playing nicely with the trackpad. Tried many things and then starting guessing....partial solution discovered:

    Put your cursor at the starting point of your selection, hold shift and click and drag across the area you want to select.

    It doesn't highlight as you go, but when you release it does correctly then highlight the area you have selected (for cutting etc.)

    Hope this helps,

    Lenovo C340-15 for reference, using word on a 365 subscription.

    7 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2021-05-05T23:54:50+00:00

    I am also having this exact issue but am on a Samsung Notebook. It is extremely frustrating. I have had to resort to producing the document in Google docs and saving it into a word doc. Incredibly frustrating.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2021-03-26T02:15:20+00:00

    I have just purchased a chromebook and having both of these issues - very frustrating and disappointing. Have you found a solution by anychance?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2021-02-23T11:32:53+00:00

    Did you get to the bottom of this issue David? I have the exact same problem on my Chromebook. Only in the Word app. There isn't an issue with the mouse or touch pad as this works fine in Google docs. I'm wondering the same as you and if it's a deliberate ploy to encourage the use of the Google docs instead. So frustrating not being able to select specific text in the Word app. It will only let me select the whole text, which is no good and I've also noticed it won't let me amend the size of text boxes in Word too but that's a separate issue.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2020-11-09T11:35:43+00:00

    Hi Gloria,

    Based on some of your links you may not have understood that this problem is occurring on a Chromebook, not on a Windows PC.

    This is the version of the Word app is:

    The word app was only installed a couple of days ago so if it isn't the latest version it must be very close to it.

    The ChromeOS version is:

    I just tried selecting text in the powerpoint app and there were no problems.

    This is the powerpoint version which I have only just installed now so it is definitely the latest version - it is also the same version as the word app:

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments