Ongoing Issue with Microsoft Word on iPad (Office 365)

Question

Dear Sir or Madam,

First of all, I would like to apologize for writing to you again regarding this matter. Unfortunately, the issue with the Microsoft Word application that I reported some time ago has still not been resolved.

The problem occurs when I use Microsoft Word on my iPad. When using the trackpad on the Apple Magic Keyboard or when connecting a mouse via Bluetooth, I am unable to click and drag to select text. As a result, I cannot select sentences to make them bold, copy them, or edit the text as needed. The only way I can select text is by using the Apple Pencil instead, as shown in the video clip I have attached.

I kindly ask your development team to urgently look into and resolve this issue, as it significantly affects my work. I also believe that many other users who use Microsoft Word on iPad may be experiencing the same problem.

Currently, my iPadOS and the Microsoft Word application are both updated to the latest versions. I have also tried deleting and reinstalling the application, but the issue still persists.

I would appreciate it if you could take action to resolve this problem as soon as possible and kindly confirm once you have received this email.

Thank you very much for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Woraphon Waroran

******@gmail.com

Answer 1

The described behavior is a text-selection issue in Word on iPad when using a trackpad or mouse. Word on iPad does not provide the full feature set and interaction model of the Word for Windows desktop application, and some input/selection methods can behave differently or be unavailable compared to desktop Word.

On touch devices, including iPad, text selection is primarily optimized for touch (finger or Apple Pencil). When drag-selection with a trackpad or mouse does not work as expected, the supported alternatives are:

1. Use touch or Apple Pencil to select text (as already done).
2. Use the standard iPadOS text-selection handles: tap once in the text to place the insertion point, then double-tap or triple-tap to select a word or paragraph, and adjust using the selection handles.
3. Use keyboard-based selection shortcuts where supported by Word for iPad and iPadOS (for example, Shift + Arrow keys with a hardware keyboard) to extend or shrink the selection.

Because Word for iPad does not expose all of the desktop selection features and the issue persists after updating iPadOS and Word and reinstalling the app, this is a product limitation or defect that must be addressed by the Word for iPad engineering team rather than something that can be fixed through configuration.

For further assistance and to ensure the issue is tracked by Microsoft, the following options are available:

1. Use the in-app feedback mechanism in Word for iPad ("Provide feedback") so that the report goes directly to the product team.
2. Post the issue, including device model, iPadOS version, Word version, and a description of the trackpad/mouse behavior, in the Word for iPad section of the Microsoft Community forum so it can be reviewed by Support Agents and engineers.
3. If the problem blocks work in a business or school environment, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365 admin or IT support so they can open a support case with Microsoft 365 support on behalf of the user.

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References:

• Word for iPad Help
• not all features of Word 365 work on my galaxy s10 fe - Microsoft Q&A
• How do I select text with a trackpad? - Microsoft Q&A