How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document on Mac?

Can I Recover an Unsaved Word Document on Mac?

It’s natural to panic when a document closes unexpectedly, but in most cases, yes, you can recover it. Word for Mac automatically creates temporary backups, AutoSave versions, AutoRecovery files, and Time Machine snapshots if you have it enabled. These backups exist specifically to help you restore your progress after an interruption.

So if you’re wondering how to recover an unsaved Word document on Mac, several effective methods are available depending on how your document was created and saved.

How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document on Mac Manually?

Before using any advanced tools, you should try the built-in macOS and Word recovery folders. These methods work well when the document was not manually saved, but Word had time to create an automatic backup.

1. Use Word’s AutoRecovery Folder

AutoRecovery is a built-in feature that automatically saves your document as you work. You just need to go to the right directory, and you will find the file there. From there, recovering your work will be very simple and easy. Here is how to retrieve unsaved Word documents on Mac with AutoRecovery:

• Open “Finder” by clicking its icon from the Dock and click on the “Computer Name” from the "Locations” section in the left bar.

• Head to the "Search" option from the top right and search "Autorecovery” to see all the available files.

  

• Double-click a file and it will open in Microsoft Word, and from there you can save it by clicking “File” and choosing “Save As," then picking a location to save the document.

  

Since this relies on Word’s AutoRecovery feature, it can only retrieve documents that were open or being edited when the app or system crashed.

2.Check the “Recovered Items” Folder

When macOS restarts after a crash, it may store temporary Word files in a Recovered Items folder, usually inside the Trash. These are files from all the apps that could not clean up or save the work before crashing.

So, here are the steps to recover an unsaved Word document on a Mac without autorecovery.

• Open the "Trash/Bin" from the Dock on your Mac and look for the "Recovered Items" folder.

  

• Hold and drag the folder to the “Desktop” and open it to look for your unsaved Word Document.

• Copy-Paste the files you want to save from this folder and delete the rest of the folder.

If you want to save time and trouble, you can head to use Tenorshare 4DDiG to automatically recover all unsaved Word documents on Mac, 5 minutes only.

3.Look in the Temporary Files Folder with Prompt

macOS often stores unsaved versions in the system's temporary folder. To access files in this folder, you need to use Terminal with the temporary folder prompt.

Below are the detailed steps to recover an unsaved Word document on a Mac using Terminal.

• Press "CMD + Space" keys and search for "Terminal," then open the app from search results.

• Type the command “open $TMPDIR” and press the “Enter” key on the keyboard to run it. Now, you will get the contents of the temporary items folder.

  

• Find and open the “TemporaryItems” folder. Right-click the Word file you need and choose “Open with” Microsoft Word.

  

• Save the Word file to another save location.

This method helps you find other unsaved files in that folder without extra software, but the files may not show up as DOC/DOCX, requiring you to search through the folder yourself.

4.Restore from AutoSave

AutoSave only works when your document is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, but it provides continuous real-time backups. This is ideal if you’re wondering how to find an unsaved Word document on Mac through Microsoft’s cloud features.

• Open Word and go to “File", then click "Browse Version History”.

  

• Look for older or unsaved versions under the “Version History” section, then select a version and click “Open Version".

5.Try Time Machine

If you use Time Machine, you can restore previous versions, even if the document was deleted or overwritten. This works even when you need to recover an unsaved Word document on Mac without AutoSave or if your document was overwritten.

• If you store your Time Machine backup in an external drive, then connect it to your computer. Otherwise, skip this step and move to the next one.

• Open "Finder" and go to the folder where you last saved the Word document that you need to recover, and click the "Time Machine" icon from the menu bar on top and select “Browse Time Machine Backups”.

  

• Go through the “Time Machine Backup” and locate the exact Word document that you want to recover. Click to select it and click “Restore”.

How to Retrieve an Unsaved Word Document on Mac Automatically?

If none of the manual methods work, a dedicated data recovery tool is the next best option. This is helpful when files are deleted, overwritten, corrupted, or never fully saved due to a crash. 4DDiG Free Mac Data Recovery is particularly effective because it scans your entire drive, including the temporary system folders Word uses for AutoRecovery.

Whether your Mac suddenly crashed or Word failed to save properly, 4DDiG identifies recoverable document fragments and previous versions in minutes. It also works on formatted drives, emptied Trash, and corrupted partitions, giving you a higher chance of retrieving important work.

Here is how to recover a closed Word document on Mac with 4DDiG:

• Launch 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery software and choose the location from where you want to recover the file, then let it scan the drive for you.

  

• Click the "Filter" button at the top and select “Document” since you are looking to recover Word documents.

  

• When 4DDiG completes the scan and shows the results, you will see multiple documents. Click on any one to see its contents preview and click “Recover” on the document that you want to retrieve.

  

• Finally, select a location on your storage or preferred cloud option, then click “Save Now” to save the recovered file permanently.

  

Why Word Documents Go Unsaved on Mac?

Unsaved or missing Word documents are often caused by system or application interruptions. Common reasons include:

• Word crashes or force quits.
• macOS freezes or restarts unexpectedly.
• Power loss with unsaved changes.
• Temporary files are getting overwritten.
• Saving documents to external drives that disconnect.
• AutoSave or AutoRecovery is failing due to corruption.
• Using outdated versions of Microsoft Word.
• Storage permissions prevent Word from writing temp files.

Tips to Prevent Losing Word Documents Again

You can avoid losing important files by following these best practices:

• Enable AutoSave when working with OneDrive.
• Save your document immediately before heavy editing.
• Use Time Machine for regular system backups.
• Keep Word updated to the latest version.
• Avoid force-quitting apps unless necessary.
• Keep enough free disk space for Word’s temporary files.
• Use a stable power source to prevent unexpected shutdowns.
• Save important files locally and not only on removable storage.

Conclusion

The process to recover an unsaved Word document on Mac is usually possible thanks to AutoRecovery, temporary folders, AutoSave, and Time Machine. Even if these built-in methods don’t work, advanced tools like 4DDiG Free for Mac help restore lost files quickly and safely.

Whether your macOS crashed or Word closed unexpectedly, you now know exactly how to protect your work and retrieve documents when things go wrong. For anyone dealing with a similar situation, these solutions offer a reliable path forward.