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Restore Separate macOS and Office Font Lists in Word for Mac
Question details
The user is looking to restore the categorized view that separates macOS system fonts from Office-compatible fonts in Word and PowerPoint for Mac.
- Product
- Word and PowerPoint for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Formatting text and selecting fonts after restarting the application.
- Observed behavior
- All fonts appear combined alphabetically under a single 'All Fonts' section, whereas they previously displayed in separate macOS and Office-compatible categories.
Verify your current Microsoft Office version number, as recent design updates by Microsoft have permanently altered how font menus are structured in the macOS applications.
Verify Your Office Version and the New Font Layout
Understand that recent Microsoft Office updates have replaced categorized font sections with a unified 'All Fonts' list by default.
Microsoft has recently changed how fonts are displayed in Word and PowerPoint for Mac. In newer versions, the application no longer splits fonts into 'macOS fonts' and 'Office-compatible fonts'. Instead, all available fonts are merged into a single, alphabetical 'All Fonts' list.
Currently, there is no built-in setting or toggle in Word or PowerPoint to revert to the old categorized layout. If this feature is critical to your workflow, you should regularly check for new updates or consult official Microsoft font documentation in case they reintroduce categorical sorting.
Launch Microsoft Word or PowerPoint on your Mac.
Click on 'Word' or 'PowerPoint' in the top Apple menu bar, then select 'About Microsoft Word' to view your current build version.
Go to 'Help' in the top menu bar and click 'Check for Updates' to see if a newer version offers updated font management options.
Use macOS Font Book to Organize Fonts
Since Word no longer separates your fonts automatically, you can use the built-in Mac Font Book to create custom collections for reference.
Experience Better Document Editing with WPS Office for Mac
Frustrated by sudden feature changes in Microsoft Office? WPS Office is a highly compatible, free alternative that offers a stable, familiar, and user-friendly interface. It fully supports Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file formats while remaining incredibly lightweight on your Mac.
- 1. Visit the WPS Website: Go to the official WPS Office website and click on the Free Download button for macOS.
- 2. Install the Application: Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open and Edit: Launch WPS Office and easily open your existing Word or PowerPoint documents with full formatting preserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Mac fonts and Office fonts merge into one list?
Recent updates to Microsoft Office for Mac streamlined the font menu, combining all system and application fonts into a single alphabetical list under 'All Fonts' to standardize the user interface across platforms.
Can I downgrade Word for Mac to get the old font list back?
Yes, you can uninstall your current version and download an older installer from Microsoft's release history. However, this is generally not recommended as you will miss out on important security patches and performance improvements.
Are macOS system fonts fully compatible with Office documents?
Most standard macOS fonts work perfectly in Office for Mac. However, if you share the document with Windows users, Mac-specific fonts might not display correctly on their screens unless you embed the fonts in the file or they have the same fonts installed.
