My comments in Word Online are not showing like I want

Copper Contributor

Hi, 

can anyone help me, please?

 

So these are two documents that I created with Word 365 (offline), both around the same time. 

Now, I added some comments and shared it with others via Onedrive.

Then I opened both documents via Word Online.

On the left document you can immediately see the comments right next to the document.

That's how I like it.

But on the other document, the comments are not shown, and only when I click on those tiny comment thumbnails markings next to the text, then on the right side a side panel with comments opens. But I prefer the single comments like on the left document.

 

Why is it that one document shows the comments different than the other one?

 

comment balloons.PNG

5 Replies

@That_Sky 

In each document, look at the Comments section of the Review ribbon. What I believe you'll see is that in the document on the left, the Show Comments button is shaded (turned on); in the document on the right, that button is unshaded (turned off). To make the one on the right show the balloons, click the top half of that button.

@Jay Freedman 

Thank you for replying!

 

Since I am currently studying in an asian country and my Office product is licenced through my university there, the interface of Word Online is not in English. So I am not sure what you mean with the "Show comments" button.  If I click on one of those small speech bubbles at the right side margin part of the text there appears a side panel on the right side of the window. and I can scroll through the comments. But I don't want that. I want to see the comments where I put them inside the text. Could you maybe show me with picture, where I should click? Thanks!

I have a similar problem, and it showed up just a day or two ago and is affecting even documents I created in the past. Working with this new format of comments is inefficient and frustrating. I hope someone here knows how to return to showing comments in balloons.

@LINKBook 

 

If you are using the locally installed version of Word, make sure that your document is displayed in Print Layout view (on the View tab, click Print Layout). Also make sure that you have selected the "All Markup" view on the Display for Review drop down on the Review tab. See screen shot.

If you have already selected these options and you are still not seeing what you want, you may have received a recent update for Microsoft 365 subscription which changes the look of comments. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/modern-comments-in-word-53d8b54e-5036-40f8-9a09-3271dea16....