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How to Change Measurement Units from Millimeters to Inches in Word for Mac
Question details
The user needs to change the measurement units from millimeters to inches in Word for Mac and ensure the setting persists.
- Product
- Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Adjusting document layout preferences and troubleshooting settings that fail to save.
- Observed behavior
- Word for Mac continues to display measurements in millimeters even after inches is selected in Preferences or Settings.
Ensure you are using the desktop version of Word for Mac, as web browser settings (such as Safari) do not control the measurement units of the desktop application.
Change Measurement Units via Word Preferences
Use the built-in General settings in Word to switch your measurement units to inches and verify the change in a new document.
In most cases, adjusting the default measurement unit within the application settings will update the rulers and layout dialogs across all your documents.
Launch the desktop version of Microsoft Word on your Mac. Click on 'Word' in the top Apple menu bar, then select 'Preferences' (or 'Settings' on newer macOS versions).
In the Preferences window, locate the 'Authoring and Proofing Tools' section and click on 'General'.
Find the dropdown menu labeled 'Show measurements in units of'. Click on it and select 'Inches' instead of Millimeters.
Close the Preferences window. Completely quit Microsoft Word and reopen it, then create a new document to verify that the rulers and margins are now displayed in inches.
Update macOS and Word for Mac
If the measurement unit setting reverts to millimeters, the issue might be caused by a known version compatibility bug.
Edit Documents Seamlessly with WPS Office for Mac
If Word for Mac continues to struggle with saving your measurement unit preferences, try WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative that makes document formatting and layout adjustments effortless.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free macOS version.
- 2. Open WPS Writer: Launch the application and open a new Writer document.
- 3. Adjust Preferences: Access the application settings to easily configure your preferred measurement units to inches without encountering persistence bugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Word for Mac keep reverting to millimeters?
This issue often occurs due to corrupt preference files, a glitch in a specific version of Word, or macOS compatibility bugs that prevent your customized settings from saving properly to the system's plist file.
Do my Safari browser settings affect Word desktop preferences?
No, measurement settings in Safari or any other web browser do not control or override the measurement units in the desktop version of Word for Mac.
How can I change measurement units if the General Preferences menu doesn't work?
If the standard menu fails, you should update your macOS and Microsoft Office installations to the latest versions. If the problem persists, you can temporarily switch to a reliable alternative like WPS Office until the Microsoft bug is patched.
