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How to Fix and Remove a White Blob Appearing in Word on iPad
Question details
The user is experiencing a persistent white blob or visual artifact on the screen when launching Microsoft Word on an iPad Pro, and needs to identify the cause and remove it.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- iPadOS
- Scenario
- Opening and viewing documents in the Microsoft Word app on a 13-inch iPad Pro.
- Observed behavior
- A white blob or similar visual artifact appears on the screen whenever the Word application is opened.
Before proceeding, check if the white blob appears exclusively in the Word app or if it is also visible on your iPad's home screen and inside other applications.
Troubleshoot and Resolve App-Specific Visual Artifacts
Follow these standard troubleshooting steps to eliminate software glitches causing visual artifacts like white blobs in your iPad apps.
Visual anomalies in specific apps are usually caused by temporary rendering glitches, outdated software, or corrupted app caches. Ruling out hardware issues is the first step before performing software updates and resets.
Take a screenshot by pressing the Top button and either Volume button simultaneously. If the white blob is visible in the saved image, it is a software glitch. If it does not appear in the screenshot but is visible on the screen, it indicates a hardware issue with your iPad Pro display.
Swipe up from the bottom edge of your iPad screen and pause in the middle to open the App Switcher. Swipe up on the Microsoft Word app preview to close it completely, then return to the home screen and reopen Word.
Open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and check for available updates for Microsoft Word. Additionally, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update to ensure your iPad is running the latest version of iPadOS.
If the artifact persists only in Word despite updates, tap 'Help & Feedback' within the app settings. Send the diagnostic screenshot along with your specific 13-inch iPad Pro device details to Microsoft Support for further assistance.
Try WPS Office for iPad
If Microsoft Word continues to display annoying visual artifacts on your iPad Pro, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a free, highly optimized alternative that provides a seamless, glitch-free document editing experience directly on your tablet.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Search for 'WPS Office' in the Apple App Store on your iPad and download the application for free.
- 2. Open Your Documents: Launch the app and grant access to your files. You can open your existing .docx files directly from iCloud, Google Drive, or local iPad storage.
- 3. Edit Without Glitches: Enjoy a smooth, artifact-free editing experience using WPS Office's powerful formatting tools tailored for iPad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do visual artifacts like white blobs appear in iPad apps?
Visual glitches can occur due to temporary software bugs in the app's rendering engine, outdated application versions, corrupted background cache, or compatibility issues with a newly installed iPadOS update.
How can I easily tell if the white blob is a hardware or software issue?
Take a screenshot of your iPad screen while the blob is visible. View the screenshot in your Photos app (or send it to another device). If the white blob appears in the image, it is a software issue. If the screenshot looks clean but the blob is still on your screen, it is likely a physical hardware defect.
Will deleting and reinstalling the Word app delete my documents?
If your documents are saved to OneDrive, iCloud, or another cloud service, they are safe and will be accessible when you sign back in. However, any documents saved exclusively to the 'On My iPad' local folder within the Word directory might be deleted, so it is recommended to back them up first.
