Word for iPad shows unwanted markups

Nina Robertson 0 Reputation points
2026-05-13T19:27:06.85+00:00

I purchased MS Word for iPad so I could edit a ms while traveling. During the three day trial it worked great. On the fourth day, after I had purchased the product, for some unknown reason all of the old markups from previous drafts appeared in the document, rendering it useless. The only instructions I can find to remove the markups tells me to use the REVIEW tab. But when I click on REVIEW it says that is not an option for Word versions from 2007 and earlier and to go to a desktop to change the file to a later version. But I bought my copy of MS Office in 2020 when I bought a new iMac, so I don’t see how the version of Word can be that old. And I am traveling—specifically bought Word for iPad so I can use it while I am traveling. How did these markups appear after three days of editing? And how can I make them go away?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | Other | iOS
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-13T19:27:20.9033333+00:00

    The markups are tracked changes and comments that were always in the document; after purchase, Word for iPad started showing them instead of hiding them. They can be hidden or removed directly on the iPad without needing a desktop.

    To hide or control what you see:

    1. Open the document in Word for iPad.
    2. Tap the Review tab.
    3. Tap the Track changes and Markup options button.
    4. To stop new changes from being tracked, tap Track Changes and turn it off (or choose Just Mine if only personal changes should be tracked).
    5. To hide existing markups, in the same menu:
      • Tap Show Markup.
      • Turn off types you do not want to see, such as Insertions & Deletions, Formatting, or Ink.
      • Optionally change balloon behavior with Show Revisions in Balloons or Show Only Formatting in Balloons.

    To remove the markups (accept or reject them so they are gone from the file):

    1. In the document, tap twice on a change to select it.
    2. On the Review tab, tap the Changes button, then tap Accept.
    3. Choose one of:
      • Accept & Move to Next to accept each change one by one.
      • Accept Deletion, Accept Insertion, or Accept Change to accept the selected change only.

    On iPhone (if using that instead of iPad), the equivalent controls are under Review → Display for Review and Show Markup, and changes can be accepted via Review → Accept with options like Accept & Move to Next or Accept All Shown.

    The message about Word 2007 and earlier is generic guidance for older desktop formats; it does not prevent using the Review tools on iPad. The tracked changes are appearing now because the markup display settings changed (for example, from “No markup” to “All Markup”), not because the document suddenly became older.

    References:

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  2. Nina Robertson 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-13T19:52:11.52+00:00

    The message about the version of Word being pre-2007 DOES prevent me from using the Review tab tools. You are wrong about that. There is no way to proceed once that message appears.

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  3. Kai-H 26,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-14T11:09:05.2066667+00:00

    Hi, Nina Robertson

    This sounds like the file itself is in an older Word/Compatibility format, even if your Word app is new. That can lock out some Review tools on iPad, so the issue is likely with the document format, not your subscription.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    First, check the file name. If it ends in .doc instead of .docx, make a new converted copy. On the iPad, upload the file to OneDrive, then open it from Word for the web in Safari at office.com. If it keeps opening the app, use Safari’s Request Desktop Website option. Then try File > Save As and save/download it as a .docx file. Microsoft notes that converting an older Word file enables newer Word features again.

    If that still fails, it is recommended that you open the file in Apple Pages on the iPad, then export it back as a Word document. Make a backup first, because formatting may shift. This can sometimes create a cleaner modern copy when Word for iPad is stuck on the old-format warning.

    If the manuscript is important, keep the original untouched and work only on a copy.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

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