Ipad pro 5th gen selecting text in a word document OS 26.2.1

Question

I’m using an Ipad pro 5th gen with os 26.2.1

I can’t fix an issue with highlighting or selecting sections of text in word. Some advice has not been helpful, such as ‘file’ select edit mode etc. There’s no where I can see file.

I just selected parts of this text and it worked fine.

Thanks for any help

Answer 1

Hello Martin Wood,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how frustrating it is when you can’t highlight or select text in Word on your iPad, especially if it used to work normally.

When text selection stops working on iPad, it’s usually caused by a temporary touch/gesture glitch in the app or the OS.

Here are a few things you can try directly on the iPad:

1. Force‑quit Word and reopen it: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold > Find Word, swipe it up to close it > Reopen Word and try selecting text again.
2. Toggle the editing mode: At the top right of Word on iPad, tap: Editing > switch to Viewing > then back to Editing. This refreshes touch‑selection controls.
3. If the content was pasted from a PDF/image, it may behave like a picture. Try tapping and holding on different words to confirm it’s real editable text.
4. Restart the iPad
5. Update Word: Go to the App Store > Updates > make sure Microsoft Word is on the latest version.
6. Disable Trackpad/Mouse mode (if attached)

Hope this helps

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Answer 2

It seems you are experiencing issues with selecting or highlighting text in a Word document on your iPad Pro. Since you mentioned that some advice has not been helpful, here are a few tips that might assist you:

1. Touch and Hold: To select text, try touching and holding on a word until you see the selection handles. You can then drag these handles to adjust the selection.
2. Using the Keyboard: If you have an external keyboard connected, you can use keyboard shortcuts to select text. For example, you can use Shift + Arrow keys to extend your selection.
3. Check for Updates: Ensure that your Word app is updated to the latest version, as updates can fix bugs and improve functionality.
4. Restart the App: Sometimes, simply closing and reopening the Word app can resolve selection issues.
5. Reset Settings: If the problem persists, consider resetting the app settings or reinstalling the app to see if that resolves the issue.

If these suggestions do not help, it might be beneficial to consult Microsoft support for more tailored assistance.

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References:

• My Microsoft365 Office Package no longer works with my iPad Pro - Microsoft Q&A
• In Word, when selecting text to copy or cut, the selection in the past was highlighted with grey shading.
• Working with the Selection Object
• Selecting Text in a Document
• My Microsoft Word keeps glitching and does not allow me to choose my Headings - Microsoft Q&A