Why are my fonts missing in Word after the Mac update?

Question

I just updated my MacBook and now Word is telling me it 'can't load all fonts.' My documents look totally different because the fonts I usually use have disappeared from the menu.

They are still in my Mac's Font Book, so why is Word acting up?

Answer 1

Hi @Dambrovski 

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors, and external Microsoft employees do not have access to back-end systems to investigate root causes. Our role here is limited to sharing technical guidance based on publicly available resources and experience.  

It seems like you're encountering the error message "We were unable to load all your fonts. Some fonts may be missing." after updating MacOS.  

Here are some steps you may try: 

1.First, try the official workaround Issues with fonts in Office for macOS - Microsoft Support .

2.Rebuild font caches via Safe Mode 

This process rebuilds system font caches, which can clear conflicts introduced by the macOS update. You can refer to Start up your Mac in safe mode – Apple Support (UK). 

This information is provided as a convenience to you. These sites are not controlled by Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks before using any suggestions from the above link.  

3.Confirm Office compatibility  

-Open any Office app.  

-Go to Help > Check for Updates.  

-Install updates via Microsoft AutoUpdate to ensure you’re running the latest version compatible with your macOS release.  

I hope this helps and please let me know how it goes.  

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Answer 2

Word on macOS can show “We were unable to load all your fonts” and hide fonts from the menu after an update for a few common reasons:

1. Too many installed fonts for Office to load
   Office for Mac may not be able to load all fonts if there is a large number installed. When that happens, some fonts won’t appear in Word’s font picker even though they are visible in Font Book. Workaround: Set the fonts that are missing in Word as prioritized fonts in macOS so Office loads them first.
2. Multiple versions of the same font (duplicates)
   If there are duplicate versions of a font, Word may not use the expected one or may treat the font as unavailable. To resolve duplicates and make the latest version active:
   1. Quit Font Book if it is open.
   2. Open Applications in Finder and launch Font Book.app.
   3. In the left pane, select All Fonts.
   4. Click the Font Info button (the “i” icon) or press Command + I so the right pane shows font information.
   5. Find the problem font in the middle pane and expand it; duplicate faces will appear, some marked Off.
   6. For each face marked Off, right‑click and choose Enable. Warnings about multiple copies will appear in the right pane.
   7. Choose Manually Resolve duplicates and select the latest version as the Active Copy.
3. Old PostScript Type 1 fonts
   If the installed font is an older PostScript-Type1 font, Office may not load it reliably after updates. Recommendation: In Font Book, check the font type. If it shows PostScript-Type1, replace or upgrade it to a newer OpenType version of the same font.
4. Font cache issues after the update
   After macOS or Office updates, font caches can become inconsistent, which can cause fonts not to appear in Word even though they are installed. Basic cache cleanup:
   1. Quit all Office apps.
   2. Open Font Book.
   3. On the Edit menu, choose Select Duplicated Fonts.
   4. Then choose Resolve Duplicates.
   5. Optionally remove disabled duplicates (using File > Reveal in Finder and moving them to Trash), keeping the newer copies enabled.
   6. Restart the Mac so macOS and Word rebuild their font caches.

If the fonts are third‑party/custom fonts, be aware that Office for Mac does not fully support all third‑party or custom‑manipulated fonts, and some may fail to appear or be substituted even when installed.

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References:

• Issues with fonts in Office for macOS
• Third-party installed font doesn't appear in the font list in Word for Mac