word documents are not opening

Hi @Phyllis Mason
Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

To better assistance, could you please confirm detailed below:

• Is your iPad managed by a school or company?
• Where is the document stored? Is it stored locally on the iPad, on OneDrive, iCloud, or another application?
• What is the format of the document? For example, .doc or .docx?
• Is this issue occurring with a specific document only?
• What version of the Word application are you using? Please check the App Store to ensure that Word is updated to the latest version.
• Does it also happen on Excel or PowerPoint on your iPad?
• Do you have a Microsoft 365 subscription? Or are you currently using the free version?
• Besides the "error" message, are there any other detailed error codes or messages? If so, please provide the details or a screenshot.
• Have you successfully opened this document before? If you have, did you perform any specific actions before the issue occurred (such as editing, sharing, changing the storage location, etc.)?

In the meantime, I recommend some steps below:

1/ Ensure the document is in .docx format

Make sure the file ends with “.docx”. This is the standard format for Word documents. If it’s a different format (like .rtf or .pages), Word may not open it properly

2/ Try opening the document via https://www.office.com in Safari

Instead of using the Word app, open Safari on your iPad and go to https://www.office.com. Sign in with your Microsoft account and try opening the document there. This often works even when the app doesn’t.

3/ Reset Microsoft Word App

Once you reset the Word app on your iPhone or iPad, you will be logged out of your Microsoft account. This will also remove in-app settings and restore the app to its default state.

 Open Settings > Apps > Word > Reset Word > enable Delete Sign-In Credentials and Reset Cloud Settings > force quit and relaunch Word > log in again to your account.

4/ Manually unlock the file

If the document came from email or was downloaded from the internet, it might be blocked by security settings. To unlock it:

• Tap Share on the document.
• Choose Save to Files.
• Pick a trusted folder like On My iPad or iCloud Drive. Then try opening it again from that folder.

5/ Re-authenticate OneDrive

If the document is stored in OneDrive:

• Open the OneDrive app.
• Sign out and then sign back in.
• Or, go to the folder where the document is saved and tap Refresh or Sync. This helps fix issues where files look available but don’t open.

6/ Check with your IT administrator about Conditional Access policies

If your iPad is managed by a school or company, there may be security rules that block access to certain files or apps. Ask your IT team if Conditional Access policies are affecting Word or OneDrive on your device.
Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Your detailed response will help us diagnose and investigate the issue more efficiently. If I misunderstood what you’re looking for, feel free to let me know or share a screenshot. I’d be happy to help further! 

Thank you for your cooperation. I'm looking forward for your reply.

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