Office for Mac Issues

How to Fix Grey Box Hiding Selected Text in Word and Outlook for Mac

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users report that a solid grey box appears over text when highlighted in Word and Outlook for Mac, making the selection temporarily invisible.

How to Fix Grey Box Hiding Selected Text in Word and Outlook for Mac

Product: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Highlighting or selecting text within a document or email draft.
Observed behavior: Instead of applying a translucent highlight, a solid grey block completely obscures the selected text. This behavior typically begins after a recent software update.

Before you start

Ensure you have saved all open documents and back up your emails before troubleshooting, as you may need to restart your Mac or reinstall Office applications.

Solution 1Recommended

Revert to a Previous Version of Microsoft Office

Since this display glitch is typically introduced by a recent Office update, downgrading to an older, stable version acts as a reliable temporary workaround.

Because the grey box issue persists even in macOS Safe Mode, it is highly likely a bug within the current build of Microsoft Office itself rather than a conflict with background applications.

Uninstall the current version

Open Finder, navigate to your 'Applications' folder, and move Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook to the Trash.

Download an earlier build

Visit the official Microsoft Office for Mac update history page and download the installer package for the previous month's version.

Install and disable automatic updates

Run the installer. Once installed, open Word, go to 'Help' > 'Check for Updates', and turn off automatic updates so the buggy version does not reinstall automatically.

Revert to a Previous Version of Microsoft Office

Solution 2

Create a New Local macOS User Account

Testing Office in a fresh user profile helps determine if the text-hiding issue is caused by corrupted user preferences rather than the application itself.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office to Avoid Mac Text Selection Glitches

If Microsoft Word for Mac continues to hide your selected text and you need to get work done immediately, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, lightweight, and bug-free word processing environment for macOS.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS installation package.
2. Open Your Existing Files: Launch WPS Writer and open your .docx documents directly. No file conversion is required.
3. Edit Seamlessly: Select, highlight, and format your text smoothly without encountering any display glitches or hidden text issues.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and other Office formatsStable text rendering with no frustrating grey box display glitchesLightweight and optimized for macOS performanceFree to use with a familiar, easy-to-learn interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a grey box appear over my text in Word for Mac?

This is typically a display rendering glitch introduced in a recent Microsoft Office update. The application fails to apply the standard translucent highlight and instead renders a solid block that obscures the text.

Does booting my Mac in Safe Mode fix the text selection issue?

Users report that the issue persists even in macOS Safe Mode. This indicates that the problem stems from the Office software version or a user-profile issue, rather than a conflict with third-party background applications.

How do I report this bug to Microsoft?

You can report the issue directly to the developers from within the app. Open Word or Outlook, click 'Help' in the top menu bar, select 'Provide Feedback', and describe the grey box problem along with your current Office and macOS versions.

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