Unable to delete Word file in an Android Device

Yes but typically files opened on a word app on your phone originated elsewhere. Chances of losing all your files in the process is low. As you would still have your email attachments and cloud files.

It really depends how badly you want to remove those hard to delete files from your phone.

For me I had a malicious looking file in there so deleting it was more important than keeping my application history.

Make sure you've saved everything you need somewhere outside your phone before deleting application data.

Just make sure everything you think is important is saved somewhere. Chances are because this is an app on your mobile; I doubt that is the only location that it is saved. Likely you have emails or attachments or cloud files that you've been opening with the word app. Those will not be affected. But you won't find them in the application anymore. You will have to reopen them from the email.

Clearing application data will only delete all word application files on your phone. You could try only clearing application cache and see if that does the trick.

Like I said make sure you've saved what you think is important somewhere else before deleting application data.

Yes I understand, thank you for your help. I do try to not download to my phone just wait to use laptop but it is unbelievable that Microsoft haven't addressed this bug and this thread goes back to 2017!

I will do as you suggest.

As previously discussed in this thread:

1. This is a problem that Microsoft fails to address
2. If you want have some files in Word (or other Office application), then your only choice is to clean application's data (done in application's settings in Android)
3. If you have Office subscription, then pester support about this bug.

This is the only choice (except for when your device is rooted).

Hope you do understand that this is not the way it should be working, right?

Yes, you can do that, but it will delete all of the application's data including saved logins, history and other files opened the same way.