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Fix Missing Hover and Preview Information in Word for Mac
Question details
Hover and preview descriptions (tooltips) fail to display when interacting with elements in Microsoft Word.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Navigating the Word for Mac interface and hovering over tools or document elements to view their preview descriptions.
- Observed behavior
- The expected hover text, tooltips, and preview descriptions do not appear on the screen.
Ensure your macOS and Microsoft Word applications are fully updated, as outdated software can occasionally cause UI glitches with tooltips and hover information.
Enable Audio Descriptions in macOS Accessibility Settings
Adjusting system-level accessibility settings in macOS can often force the system to restore missing hover text and descriptions across applications like Microsoft Word.
In some versions of macOS, application tooltips and preview descriptions in Microsoft Office can conflict with system UI rendering. Modifying the system's 'Descriptions' settings can refresh these UI elements and resolve the glitch.
Click the Apple icon located in the top-left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select 'System Settings' (or 'System Preferences' if you are using an older version of macOS) from the drop-down menu.
Scroll through the left sidebar and click on 'Accessibility' to access your Mac's accessibility features.
Locate the 'Descriptions' section and enable the toggle for 'Play audio descriptions when available'. Once enabled, restart Microsoft Word and check if the hover descriptions appear.
Try WPS Office for a Seamless Mac Experience
If Microsoft Word for Mac continues to experience display issues or UI glitches, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, intuitive interface that works flawlessly on macOS while fully supporting all your existing documents.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the Mac version.
- 2. Install the Application: Open the downloaded package and drag the WPS Office icon to your Applications folder.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Word files without worrying about compatibility issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do tooltips and hover text disappear in Word for Mac?
This issue is typically caused by temporary UI glitches between macOS and Microsoft Word, outdated app versions, or system accessibility settings overriding the application's default tooltip behavior.
Will restarting my Mac fix missing preview descriptions?
Sometimes a simple system reboot can refresh the UI rendering processes and restore missing hover descriptions. If the problem persists after restarting, adjusting your macOS Accessibility settings usually fixes it.
Can I disable or customize hover descriptions in Word entirely?
Yes, in Word's settings under 'Preferences' > 'General', you can usually customize ScreenTip settings. You can choose to show enhanced descriptions, show them without feature descriptions, or hide them entirely.
