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How to Fix Microsoft Word Slow and Not Responding on macOS
Question details
Microsoft Word becomes increasingly slow over time and stops responding when attempting to close the application.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- macOS Sonoma 14.6
- Scenario
- Editing documents for an extended period of time and subsequently closing the application.
- Observed behavior
- The application performance degrades severely during prolonged use and eventually freezes completely when the user tries to exit.
Open the Activity Monitor on your Mac to verify if Microsoft Word is stuck in a 'Not Responding' state and force quit the application so you can safely apply the updates and fixes.
Install the Latest Word and macOS Updates
Applying the latest patches ensures you have Microsoft's official bug fixes for memory leaks and macOS Sonoma compatibility issues.
Software conflicts between newer macOS versions and older Office builds frequently cause performance degradation. Updating both environments is the most effective way to restore stability.
Open Microsoft Word, click on 'Help' in the top menu bar, and select 'Check for Updates'. If prompted, install the latest version (newer than 16.86).
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select 'System Settings', go to 'General', and click 'Software Update'. Install any pending updates for macOS Sonoma.
Once all updates are completely installed, restart your Mac to ensure all new system files and application components are properly initialized.
Test in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins
Booting into Safe Mode and disabling third-party extensions helps identify if background processes or Word add-ins are causing the application to freeze.
Create a New User Profile or Reinstall Microsoft 365
If user preferences or installation files are deeply corrupted, testing on a fresh profile or performing a clean installation is required.
Switch to WPS Office for a Fast, Crash-Free Mac Experience
If Microsoft Word continues to freeze, slow down, or crash on macOS Sonoma, WPS Office offers a highly optimized, lightweight, and stable alternative that handles large documents without draining your system resources.
- 1. Download for Mac: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the macOS installer.
- 2. Install and Launch: Run the installer package and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx files to continue working immediately without performance drops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Word become slow after extended use on a Mac?
This is often caused by memory leaks, accumulated cache data, or conflicts with the macOS system memory management over prolonged sessions. Updating the application or clearing the cache usually resolves it.
How do I force quit Word on a Mac when it stops responding?
Press the Option + Command + Esc keys simultaneously to open the Force Quit Applications window. Select Microsoft Word from the list and click the 'Force Quit' button.
Will I lose my documents if I reinstall Microsoft 365 to fix the freezing issue?
No, uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Word does not delete your documents. Files saved locally on your Mac's hard drive or backed up in OneDrive will remain completely safe.
How do I clear the Microsoft Word cache on a Mac?
Close Word, open Finder, press Command + Shift + G, and enter '~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Caches'. Delete the contents of this folder and restart your Mac.
