Fix Microsoft Word High Memory Usage on M1 Mac
Question details
Microsoft Word consumes excessive memory and becomes unresponsive on an M1 Mac.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- M1 Mac (macOS)
- Scenario
- Editing equation formatting in a table or repeatedly using the Command+Y shortcut.
- Observed behavior
- Word uses excessive memory, slows down the Mac significantly, triggers out of application memory warnings, and becomes unresponsive.
Save any unsaved work in other applications and identify if the memory leak happens with a specific document or across all Word files you open.
Reset the Microsoft Word Container
Clearing the cache and configuration files can resolve overarching application memory issues on your Mac.
If Word is using an abnormal amount of memory across all documents, corrupted cache files in the application's container folder may be the culprit. Removing this folder forces Word to generate fresh, error-free configuration files.
Press Option+Command+Esc, select Microsoft Word, and click Force Quit to ensure the application is completely closed.
Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G to bring up the 'Go to Folder' window, type ~/Library/Containers, and press Return.
Locate the folder named 'Microsoft Word' (or 'com.microsoft.Word'), drag it to your Mac's desktop, and restart your computer.
Launch Microsoft Word again and monitor the memory usage in Activity Monitor to see if the issue is resolved.
Isolate and Repair Document-Specific Issues
If only one specific document causes high memory usage, the file itself may be corrupted or too complex.
Test Word in macOS Safe Mode
Booting in Safe Mode helps determine if background applications or system caches are causing the memory leak.
Switch to WPS Office for a Smoother Experience on Mac
If Microsoft Word continues to drain your M1 Mac's memory, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, fast, and highly compatible alternative that natively supports Mac architectures without the heavy resource usage.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download the Mac version of WPS Office and install it on your M1 Mac.
- 2. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx files directly without losing any formatting.
- 3. Edit Smoothly: Enjoy a fast, memory-efficient editing experience, even when working with complex tables and equations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Word use so much memory on my M1 Mac?
This can happen due to application caching issues, corrupted document elements (like complex tables and equations), or unoptimized background processes conflicting with the Apple Silicon architecture.
Will moving the Microsoft Word container delete my documents?
No, moving the container folder to your desktop only resets the application's preferences and cache files. Your saved documents will remain intact and unaffected.
How do I check how much memory Word is using on my Mac?
You can monitor memory usage by opening the Activity Monitor app (found in Applications > Utilities) and clicking on the 'Memory' tab to see exactly how much RAM Word is consuming.
Does disabling antivirus software help with Word memory issues?
Sometimes. Aggressive real-time scanning by antivirus software can conflict with Word's background operations. Temporarily disabling it can help isolate the cause of the performance drop.
