Forum Discussion

FerVF's avatar
FerVF
Copper Contributor
Jul 03, 2026

Word for iPad cannot edit documents marked as “Recommended Reading” in Windows

I have a Word document created in Windows that was saved with the “Recommended Reading” option. When I open it in Word for iPad, the file is locked in reading mode and there is no option to switch to editing mode.

Word Online can edit the document without any issues, so it seems that the limitation affects only the Word app for iPad.

This appears to be a recent limitation, since the document could be edited without any issues a couple of months ago.

Is this a known limitation in Word for iPad? Is there any way to remove this flag from the iPad or force editing mode without having to return to Windows?

Thank you.

ios
microsoft 365 apps
word

2 Replies

  • Jamony's avatar
    Jamony
    MCT
    Jul 03, 2026

    Hi FerVF, Word for iPad does not always expose the same document-protection and file-state controls as Word on Windows or Word for the web. I would open the file in Word desktop or web, remove the recommended-reading/read-only setting, save a clean copy back to OneDrive or SharePoint, then reopen it on the iPad.

  • Kidd_Ip's avatar
    Kidd_Ip
    MVP
    Jul 03, 2026

    Seems a known issue, you may consider either remove the flag in Windows or edit the file via Word Online, thewearify.com/can-i-use-microsoft-word-on-ipad/