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Fix Word for Mac Freezing and Running Slowly After 16.88 Update
Question details
Users are experiencing severe performance degradation, including freezing and a spinning wait cursor, when using Microsoft Word for Mac after recent updates, especially with complex documents.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Navigating or editing documents, particularly those containing multiple or large tables, after updating to version 16.88 (or versions following 16.82).
- Observed behavior
- Word for Mac frequently freezes, displays a spinning wait indicator (beachball), and responds very slowly, whereas the exact same documents function perfectly in Word for Windows via Parallels.
Make sure to frequently save your current documents to prevent data loss. You should also verify whether the freezing occurs on a completely blank document or only in specific files containing large tables.
Downgrade to a Previous Stable Version of Word
Since the freezing issue is deeply tied to version 16.88 and recent updates, returning to an older, stable version is the most effective immediate workaround.
Many users have confirmed that the issue specifically started after version 16.82 and worsened in 16.87 and 16.88. Reverting to a known working version avoids the performance bugs introduced in the newer releases.
Open your Mac's 'Applications' folder, locate Microsoft Word, and drag it to the Trash.
Visit the official Microsoft release history page for Office for Mac. Locate and download the installer package for version 16.82 (or the last version that worked well for you).
Run the downloaded installer. Once installed, open Word, go to Help > Check for Updates, and uncheck 'Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date' to prevent it from upgrading back to 16.88.
Test with a New Mac User Profile
Creating a fresh user profile helps isolate whether the issue is caused by corrupted user-level cache, preference files, or background applications.
Disable Add-ins and Submit Diagnostic Feedback
Disabling active add-ins can sometimes alleviate performance bottlenecks. Reporting the issue directly to Microsoft helps them track and patch the bug faster.
Use WPS Office to Edit Mac Documents Without Freezing
If Microsoft Word for Mac continues to display spinning wait indicators and freeze while handling large documents with tables, consider switching to WPS Office. It acts as a lightweight, highly compatible, and fast alternative for Mac users.
- 1. Download the App: Visit the WPS Office official website and download the installation package designed for macOS.
- 2. Install on Your Mac: Open the downloaded file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Office, open your .docx file, and enjoy smooth editing without the spinning beachball.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Word for Mac freeze specifically on documents with tables?
Recent Word for Mac updates (such as 16.87 and 16.88) appear to contain rendering or memory allocation bugs that struggle to process complex table grids, causing the application to hang and display a spinning wait indicator.
Will reinstalling the latest Office version fix the freezing issue?
Generally, no. Reinstalling the exact same problematic version (16.88) usually does not resolve the issue, as the bug exists within the update's code. Reverting to an older version is a more effective workaround.
How do I stop Word for Mac from automatically updating?
Open any Microsoft Office application, go to Help > Check for Updates in the menu bar, and uncheck the 'Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date' option.
Is my document permanently corrupted if Word freezes while editing it?
Usually, the document is fine. The freezing is a software performance issue, not file corruption. The same file will often open perfectly fine in Word for Windows, older versions of Mac Word, or alternative suites like WPS Office.
