Formatting Issues

Fix Word Highlight Colors Appearing Dark Blue on iPad

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue where selecting any text highlight color in Microsoft Word on an iPad results in the highlight appearing dark blue.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: iPadOS
Scenario: Applying text highlight colors to a document within the mobile application.
Observed behavior: Every selected highlight color displays as dark blue on the iPad app, despite working correctly on other devices using the same account.

Before you start

Ensure your iPad has a stable internet connection and verify that all current document edits are successfully synced to OneDrive or iCloud before proceeding with app updates or reinstallations.

Solution 1Recommended

Update iPadOS and Microsoft Word

Keeping both your operating system and the application updated is the most effective way to resolve known display bugs and color rendering glitches.

Display issues like incorrect highlight colors are often tied to temporary bugs in specific app versions or incompatibilities with the current operating system build.

Update iPadOS

Open the Settings app on your iPad, tap on 'General', and select 'Software Update'. If an update is available, download and install it.

Update Microsoft Word

Open the App Store, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, scroll down to check the pending updates list, and tap 'Update' next to Microsoft Word if it appears.

Restart Your iPad

Press and hold the top button and either volume button until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider, wait 30 seconds, and turn the device back on.

Test with a New Document

Launch Microsoft Word, create a new blank document, type some text, and apply a yellow or green highlight to verify if the colors display correctly.

App Version Consistency: If the issue only happens on the iPad and not on your computer, it confirms the bug is localized to the iPadOS version of Word.

Solution 2

Sign Out and Reinstall the Word App

If updating does not work, clearing corrupted app data by signing out and reinstalling the application can resolve stubborn interface glitches.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for iPad for Flawless Document Formatting

If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with display bugs like dark blue highlights on your iPad, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a stable, lightweight, and highly compatible document editing experience completely free of charge.

1. Download WPS Office: Open the App Store on your iPad, search for WPS Office, and download the application for free.
2. Open Your Word Document: Launch WPS Office, sign in, and open the .docx file you were previously working on.
3. Apply Highlights Accurately: Select the text, tap the Highlight tool, and choose your desired color. The formatting will render exactly as expected.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx, .doc) formats to ensure your layouts stay intact.Accurate color rendering for text highlights, fonts, and backgrounds on iPadOS.Free and lightweight alternative tailored for mobile and tablet touchscreens.Includes a robust suite of tools for Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and PDFs in one app.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word on iPad show all highlight colors as dark blue?

This is typically caused by a known display bug or rendering glitch within a specific version of the Microsoft Word app for iPadOS. It does not affect the actual document data, only how it is displayed on the screen.

Will reinstalling the Word app on my iPad delete my documents?

If your documents are saved to a cloud service like OneDrive, iCloud, or SharePoint, they will not be deleted. However, any files saved exclusively to the local 'On My iPad' folder that are not backed up may be lost during uninstallation.

Does iPad Dark Mode affect how Word highlight colors render?

Yes, in some cases, the system-level Dark Mode can invert or alter how certain background and highlight colors are displayed in document editors. You can try toggling off Dark Mode in your iPad's Control Center to see if the colors return to normal.

Document & File Issues