Losing a Microsoft Word document on a Mac can be frustrating, whether it’s due to an accidental deletion, app crash, power outage, or system error. The good news is that macOS and Microsoft Word offer several built-in recovery options that can help you get your document back.
This guide walks you through all the proven methods to recover a Word document on Mac, from quick fixes to advanced solutions.
Method 1: Recover an Unsaved Word Document Using AutoRecover
Microsoft Word has an AutoRecover feature that periodically saves temporary versions of your file.
Steps:
- Open Microsoft Word on your Mac.
- Go to Word > Preferences > Save.
- Check that AutoRecover is enabled.
- Close Word if it’s open.
- Open Finder.
- Press Command + Shift + G and paste:
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery - Look for files named:
AutoRecovery save of…
- Open the file in Word and Save As a new document.
✅ Best for: Documents lost due to a crash or forced shutdown.
Method 2: Recover a Deleted Word Document from Trash
If you accidentally deleted the document, it may still be in the Trash.
Steps:
- Click the Trash icon in the Dock.
- Search for your Word file (
.docor.docx). - Right-click the file and select Put Back.
✅ Best for: Recently deleted documents.
Method 3: Restore a Word Document Using Time Machine
If you use Time Machine, this is one of the most reliable recovery methods.
Steps:
- Open the folder where the Word document was originally saved.
- Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar.
- Choose Enter Time Machine.
- Scroll through backups to find the document.
- Select it and click Restore.
✅ Best for: Files deleted or overwritten days or weeks ago.
Method 4: Recover Word Documents from Temporary Files
Sometimes Word saves temporary files that can be recovered manually.
Steps:
- Open Finder.
- Press Command + Shift + G.
- Enter:
/private/var/folders - Use Finder’s search bar to look for:
.tmp~Word
- Open promising files in Word and save them.
✅ Best for: Documents lost during unexpected crashes.
Method 5: Recover from OneDrive or iCloud
If your document was saved to the cloud, recovery may be easier than you think.
From OneDrive:
- Visit onedrive.live.com.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Check Recycle Bin and Version History.
From iCloud Drive:
- Go to icloud.com.
- Select iCloud Drive.
- Click Recently Deleted.
✅ Best for: Cloud-synced Word documents.
Method 6: Use Word’s Document Recovery Panel
After a crash, Word may automatically display recovered files.
Steps:
- Reopen Microsoft Word.
- Look for the Document Recovery panel.
- Open the recovered file.
- Save it immediately.
✅ Best for: Files lost during sudden shutdowns.
Method 7: Recover a Previous Version of a Word Document
If you overwrote your document by mistake, macOS may still have older versions.
Steps:
- Open the Word file.
- In the menu bar, click File > Revert To > Browse All Versions.
- Choose an earlier version and restore it.
✅ Best for: Undoing unwanted changes.
Method 8: Use Data Recovery Software (Last Resort)
If none of the above methods work, third-party recovery tools may help.
Popular Mac recovery tools:
- Disk Drill
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
- Stellar Data Recovery
⚠️ Important: Stop using your Mac immediately to avoid overwriting lost data.
✅ Best for: Permanently deleted documents without backups.
How to Prevent Losing Word Documents in the Future
To avoid future headaches:
- Enable AutoRecover in Word
- Save files to OneDrive or iCloud
- Use Time Machine backups
- Save frequently (
Command + S) - Keep macOS and Word updated
Final Thoughts
Recovering a Word document on Mac is often easier than it seems. In most cases, AutoRecover, Trash, or Time Machine can restore your file in minutes. Even if those fail, cloud backups and recovery software offer additional options.
The key is to act quickly and try each method step by step.
