How to Recover Unsaved Word Document on Mac

Picture this scenario: after dedicating many hours to your work, you close a Word document. Then, when prompted to save your changes, instead of clicking the Save button, you accidentally hit Don’t Save. In an instant, all your hard work feels wasted, and your world seems to fall apart. We can’t think of a more exasperating situation, but unfortunately, we’ve all been there. So, do you have to start over, or is there a way to recover what you’ve lost?

Fortunately, there are solutions for almost all situations where you might need to recover an unsaved Word document, as you can see in our table below:

Before we start:

Another option is to use a tool like MacKeeper’s ID Theft Guard. If you decide to use a cloud storage service to save your Word documents and prevent losing them, you should ensure their protection. Interestingly, we’ve specifically designed ID Theft Guard to safeguard services like Gmail from data breaches.

Follow our instructions to use MacKeeper’s ID Theft Guard on a Mac:

1. Open MacKeeper on your device.
2. Choose ID Theft Guard from the menu.
3. Click Open, then click Check for Breaches.
4. Verify your email address.
5. Click Review to see your leaked data.
6. Follow the steps to protect your online accounts.

Be sure to check out our tips below for recovering an unsaved Word document on Mac.

Additionally, if you’re interested in getting Word for Mac for free, we can also provide you with guidance on that.

How to retrieve unsaved Word documents on Mac

At the beginning of this article, we’ve discussed various situations in which you might need to recover a Word document, along with some possible solutions. Now, we’ll go into more detail and provide a step-by-step guide on how you can resolve these issues:

• Check AutoRecover and AutoSave settings in Microsoft Word.
• Recover unsaved Word documents using AutoRecover.
• Retrieve Word documents from Trash.
• Recover lost Word documents from Mac temporary folder.
• Check your One Drive.
• Use Time Machine.
• Use third-party data recovery software.

1. Check AutoRecover and AutoSave settings in Microsoft Word

We’ve discovered that Microsoft offers several automatic features to help users like you recover lost work: AutoRecover and AutoSave. Although they aren’t foolproof, these features are still the most effective solutions for recovering unsaved changes.

See how to check Microsoft Word’s AutoRecover and AutoSave settings:

1. Open the Microsoft Word app on your Mac.
2. Go to the Word tab in the menu bar.
3. Select Save under Output and Sharing.
4. Make sure the AutoSave and AutoRecover settings are selected.

2. Recover unsaved Word documents using AutoRecovery

Now, we’ll explain how to access Word’s AutoRecovery folder. In this method, you’ll use the Mac’s built-in functions to access the recovered documents.

Here’s how you can recover unsaved documents using the AutoRecovery folder:

1. Go to Finder on your Mac.
2. Select Go from the menu bar.
3. Choose Go to Folder from the dropdown menu.
4. Enter the following command: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery.
5. Hit Enter.
6. Find the document you’re looking for in the AutoRecovery folder.

3. Retrieve Word documents from Trash

You’ll be happy to know that the steps to open unsaved Word documents on Mac are easier if you know where to look. You may think you haven’t saved a document, but it’s possible you accidentally sent it to the Trash. It would be quite a relief to find it there, wouldn’t it?

Follow our instructions to recover documents from your Mac’s Trash:

1. Click on the Trash icon on your Dock to open it.
2. Check the documents in the Trash folder.
3. Once you’ve found the document you’re looking for, right-click on it and select Put Back from the dropdown menu.
4. Go to the original location and find the newly recovered file there.

At this stage, you might also be interested in our guide on how to recover emptied Trash on Mac.

4. Recover lost Word documents from Mac Temporary folder

A great way to locate Word documents that you think are lost is to check the temporary files folder on your Mac. While this method may not work in every situation, we consider it a lifesaver if you’ve just misplaced a document you were working on.

To find a lost document in the Temporary folder, follow our hints below:

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. Select Applications from the left-side menu.
3. Find the Utilities folder and open it.
4. Open Terminal.
5. Copy and paste this command: $TMPDIR, then press Enter.
6. The Temporary folder we’ll open. Find the unsaved document there.

5. Check your OneDrive

Believe it or not, forgetting whether you’ve saved a document in your OneDrive folder is more common than you might think. What’s more, if you’re using one of the latest versions of Word and have the feature enabled, saving to OneDrive can happen automatically.

Here’s how to check if the document you’re looking for is in your OneDrive folder:

1. Go to the OneDrive website and sign into your account.
2. Use the Search everything option at the top.
3. Look at the results to find what you’re looking for.

6. Use Time Machine

This solution may not work if you haven’t backed up your Mac using Time Machine, but there’s a good chance you have. If so, you might be in luck and could find a version of the lost document that meets your needs.

Here are our guidance for recovering an unsaved document using Time Machine:

1. Plug in the external drive where you saved your Time Machine backups.
2. On your Mac, open the Finder folder where the lost file used to be stored.
3. Click the Time Machine icon on the menu bar to launch Time Machine, then choose Browse Time Machine Backups.
4. Look through all the snapshots and backups to find the unsaved document.
5. Once you’ve found it, select the file and click Restore from the dropdown menu.

7. Use third-party data recovery software

If you’ve exhausted all other options, there’s still another way to find unsaved Word documents on Mac. We suggest using external recovery programs specifically designed for that purpose. As there are several options available on the market, you’d better do some online research and read reviews to find the right one for you. The best part is that you can usually use this type of software to fix corrupted files on Mac as well.

As an example, we’ll explain how to use Disk Drill to recover unsaved Word files:

1. Download and install Disk Drill on your Mac.
2. Launch the Disk Drill app, then select the disk where the lost file used to be stored.
3. Click Search for lost data on your right.
4. Use filters to display only Word documents.
5. When you find the document you want to restore, click Recover.
6. On the pop-up window, select the drive where you want to save it, then click Next.

How to prevent losing Word documents on Mac

When Word keeps crashing on Mac, it can lead to the loss of important documents. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent major issues. Among the plenty of tips, we’ve collected the simple strategies everyone can try to prevent data loss in Word:

1. Save documents often.
2. Change autosave frequency.
3. Use auto-recovery.
4. Store documents in cloud services.

1. Save documents often

It may seem obvious, but many Word users don’t habitually save their documents while editing, often waiting until they close the file. However, developing the habit of saving regularly can prevent you from losing valuable work. To save your document, simply click on the floppy disk icon located at the top of the Word window whenever you want to save your progress. Also, we recommend training your muscle memory to use the Control + S shortcut, which allows you to save quickly while typing.

2. Change autosave frequency

We previously discussed how to access Word’s AutoSave settings. One useful feature you should be aware of is the ability to change the AutoSave frequency. To adjust this, navigate to Word > Preferences > Save, and modify the time in the box next to Save every. The default setting is usually 10 minutes, but you can reduce it to as little as 1 minute if you prefer.

3. Use auto-recovery

If the previous tips haven’t convinced you to enable AutoRecover settings, here’s the additional warning you need. Our team of experts recommends that you go to Word > Preferences > Save and ensure that the Save auto-recovery information option is enabled.

4. Store documents in cloud services

Additionally, we suggest that you consider saving your documents online using cloud storage services. There are many options available, including Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, and pCloud. If your Office apps are linked to your Microsoft account, using OneDrive will allow you to save your documents automatically.

A note from our experts: 

While using a cloud storage service is a great way to avoid losing your documents, you should be aware of the risks that come with it. We recommend using a tool like MacKeeper’s ID Theft Guard to enhance your data security. This feature helps protect your Google accounts and prevents your documents and private information from being compromised and leaked on the dark web.

Below are the step-by-step instructions to use ID Theft Guard on your Mac:

1. Launch the MacKeeper app on your Mac.
2. Select ID Theft Guard from the left sidebar, just below Privacy.
3. Click the Open button.
4. Click Check for Breaches.
5. Verify your email address by clicking Send Code, copy and paste the 4-digit code in MacKeeper, then hit Enter.
6. Click Review to check the list of leaked personal records.
7. Follow our on-screen tips to protect your data.
8. Go back to the main ID Theft Guard page and turn on the Data breach monitor toggle.

Unsaved Word document recovery on Mac: The ultimate solution

Losing changes while working on a Word document can be one of the most frustrating experiences. Fortunately, we’ve got solutions available for Mac users like you. Microsoft Word includes AutoSave and AutoRecover features, and you can also use Time Machine backups and third-party data recovery software. Additionally, you may be able to recover lost Word documents from the Trash, the temporary files folder, or OneDrive.

If none of these methods work, there may be little else you can do to recover an unsaved document. To protect yourself from similar situations in the future, consider adjusting your Word settings, regularly saving your documents, and opting to store them in the cloud.