Ever used Microsoft Word’s “Track Changes” feature? It’s super helpful for seeing what edits others have made to your documents. When you send a doc out for review, it lets you see all their changes.
However, there are times when you might prefer to turn it off. Maybe you don’t want others to see the history of your edits or the original text before changes. It can sometimes highlight early mistakes which might affect how you are perceived. That’s why a lot of folks want to know how to disable “Track Changes”.
Disabling Track Changes in Microsoft Word
Method 1: Using a keyboard shortcut
- Quickest method: Press Ctrl + Shift + E on your keyboard to turn off ‘Track Changes’ instantly. Use this same shortcut to turn it back on whenever you need.
Method 2: Using the Review tab
- Open the document where ‘Track Changes’ is active, then click on the ‘Review’ tab located at the top of the Word window.
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In the ‘Tracking’ section, find the ‘Track Changes’ icon. A darker icon indicates the feature is currently enabled.
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To turn it off, click the top part of the ‘Track Changes’ icon.
After you disable ‘Track Changes’, the icon will appear lighter, blending in with other icons on the ribbon.
Why can’t I turn off Track Changes?
If the ‘Track Changes’ options are greyed out, this usually means that the ‘Lock Tracking’ feature is enabled.
When ‘Lock Tracking’ is on, you need a password to disable ‘Track Changes’. If you do have the password, here’s how to unlock it and then turn off ‘Track Changes’:
- Go to the ‘Review’ tab, click on the bottom part (with the arrow) of the ‘Track Changes’ icon, and pick ‘Lock Tracking’ from the menu.
- The ‘Unlock Tracking’ window will pop up. Type in the password, then click ‘OK’.
- Now that ‘Lock Tracking’ is disabled, you still need to turn off ‘Track Changes’. Click the upper portion of the ‘Track Changes’ icon or, even quicker, use the Ctrl + Shift + E keyboard shortcut.
Now, you should be able to disable ‘Track Changes’ in Word docs when you need to keep your edits private. If you’re still having trouble, just remember to check for ‘Lock Tracking’ and make sure you have the right password if it’s enabled.