How to Recover Unsaved Word Document on Mac [2026]

4 Proven Methods to Recover Unsaved Word Document on Mac

Losing your work on a Mac stings, especially when Word suddenly crashes or your computer shuts itself off. Suddenly, you're left asking yourself, "Can you recover an unsaved Word document on Mac, and if yes, how?" In this post, we'll reply to these queries and help you recover an unsaved Word document on Mac​ successfully. So next time, losing work doesn't mean starting over!

Part 1: Can You Recover an Unsaved Word Document on Mac?

Whether can you recover an unsaved Word document on Mac​ depends on certain situations. Like, for example, through the default AutoRecovery feature in the Word document. But if you're unable to utilize this feature, then you can recover unsaved Word document on Mac without AutoSave​ with options like a backup or temporary files. In case you don't have these options, employ an unsaved Word Document Recovery Mac​ tool, unless your unsaved file is overwritten.

Part 2: How to Recover Unsaved Word Document on Mac With AutoRecovery?

You can recover unsaved Word document on Mac​ with the AutoRecovery feature. It's turned on by default and automatically saves your open Word documents every 10 minutes. If Word or your computer crashes, you can restore your document to the most recent autosaved version. Here's how to recover unsaved Word document on MacBook Air/Pro with AutoRecovery:

Step 1: Open the "Finder" on your Mac. Search your whole computer for "AutoRecovery."

Step 2: You'll see files named "AutoRecovery save of…" followed by your document's name.

Step 3: Double-click the Word file you want to restore. It will open in Word.Step 4: Head to "File." Then, choose "Save As." Give it a new name. Choose where to save it. Hit "Save."

Part 3: How to Recover Unsaved Word Document on Mac Without AutoRecovery?

In case you've switched off AutoRecovery, you'll need to look for other options based on your situation. Here's how to recover unsaved Word document on Mac without AutoRecovery​ in 4 ways:

Option A: Use an Unsaved Word Recovery Tool

If you don't possess a backup, then employ a dedicated Mac data recovery tool. 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery can retrieve unsaved, erased, lost, formatted, and corrupted files from numerous internal/external storage media. Here's how this tool can benefit you:

• The app offers a 360-degree deep scan to find even deeply hidden files.
• You can retrieve from 2000+ file formats, including videos, audio, images, MS Office files, RAW files, and much more.
• It provides protection for your data so you won't overwrite it or even lose the quality of your recovered files.
• The tool offers a real-time preview of retrieved files.
• The app features powerful scanning and offers both fast and deep scans.
• You can also find your desired files with the help of filter tags and keywords.
• This software supports the latest M4 chip & macOS Tahoe 26.

Here's how to recover unsaved Word document on Mac without AutoRecovery with the aid of this tool:

Step 1: Execute the unsaved Word document recovery Mac​ tool on your Mac computer. Then, choose the disk where you lost your unsaved Word document.

Step 2: Choose only "Document" as the file type to scan. Hit "Scan." You can pause or stop the scanning anytime when you believe the tool has found your unsaved Word file.

Step 3: Preview the results in the "Document" folder in the "Type" category.

Step 4: To be sure, you can adjust filter tags or write the Word file name or extension in the search box to find the exact match.

Step 5: Hit "Recover" once you're satisfied. Move the retrieved Word file to a secure location on your computer. This is how to recover unsaved Word document on MacBook Air/Pro without AutoRecovery.

Option B: Check the Temp Folder

If Word crashes before you save a new document, there may be no AutoRecovery file, or you may have deactivated the AutoRecovery feature. In both cases, you can recover unsaved Word document on Mac with Terminal by accessing the Temp folder. It's where Word stores temporary files, including info from unsaved documents. Follow the instructions beneath to recover unsaved Word document on Mac with Terminal:

Step 1: Open "Terminal" on your Mac computer. Next, type the following command:

• cd $TMPDIR (This will access the Temp folder).

Step 2: Next, type the following command. It will display all the temporary files:

• ls

Step 3: Look for the unsaved Word document in the "TemporaryItems" subfolder.

Step 4: Once you find it, rename it with a .docx extension. Save its copy to a different location to recover unsaved Word document on Mac with Terminal.

Option C: Browse Version History

When you've activated AutoSave on your Mac, even if Word crashes, you can employ "Version History.' It lets you restore an earlier version of your unsaved work. Here's how to recover unsaved Word document Mac without AutoRecovery​ with Version History:

Step 1: Open Word. Then, head to "File." Choose "Browse Version History." A sidebar shows previous versions with timestamps.

Step 2: Open your desired version. Hit "Restore." It will replace the current file.

Option D: Employ a Time Machine Backup

You can recover unsaved Word document on Mac without AutoSave​ with Time Machine if you've backed up the previous versions of the file on it. Here's how to recover unsaved Word document on MacBook Air/Pro with Time Machine:

Step 1: Connect the Time Machine backup drive to your Mac. Then, click the Time Machine icon on the Apple menu bar to launch it. Tap "Browse Time Machine Backups."

Step 2: Use the timeline and arrows to go back to the time when you were working on your unsaved document.

Step 3: Then, open "Finder." Head to the folder where the lost Word file was. You'll find it at this address:

• ~/Library/Containers/com.Microsoft/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery

Step 3: Find the file. Select it. Hit "Restore" to restore it to its original location.

Part 4: How to Prevent Losing Word Documents on Mac in the Future?

You can actually prevent losing your Word documents in the future in case of sudden crashes or any other reasons. All you have to do is take some concrete steps, such as the following:

1. Save files to OneDrive or SharePoint for version history.
2. Regularly back up important documents to an external drive or cloud.
3. Turn on AutoSave and set it to save every 5 minutes.
4. Close Word carefully, especially when multiple files are open.
5. Check the AutoRecovery folder after a crash before continuing work.

The Bottom Line

Whether can you recover an unsaved Word document on Mac​ depends on if you can retrieve your work with the default AutoRecovery feature or not.

If not, then employ AutoSave, Version History, or a Time Machine backup to recover unsaved Word document on Mac​.

But if you don't possess a backup, then employ a tool like 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery. It allows selective file recovery, scans drives successfully, previews files, and restores them safely.