- Microsoft Office apps like Word and Excel automatically store unsaved files on Mac in an AutoRecovery folder.
- Users can locate the AutoRecovery folder on a Mac and quickly recover unsaved Word documents.
- Apart from that, you can recover unsaved Word documents from the “TemporaryItems” folder on macOS.
At times, while working on a Word document on your Mac, the system crashes or Word itself freezes beyond repair, making it seem like your work is entirely lost. In such a dreadful scenario, recovering the unsaved Word document becomes utmost crucial. If you are wondering “where are my unsaved Microsoft Word for Mac files stored,” then we are here to help. Thankfully, there is a way to recover unsaved Word documents on your Mac from the AutoRecovery folder. We have also added a second method in case the primary method doesn’t work for you.
Method 1: Recover an Unsaved Word File on a Mac Using AutoRecovery
Whether you save the Word document or not, Microsoft Office automatically saves the data in the AutoRecovery folder every 10 minutes. We are going to help you locate that folder and recover the unsaved Word document. Here are the steps to follow.
- First, you need to find your Mac’s username. To do so, launch the Terminal app.
- Type “ whoami ” in the Terminal window and press Enter. For example, my Mac’s username is arjun . Note down your username.
- Next, replace username in the path below with your actual username that you noted above. Now, copy the path.
/Users/username/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/
- After that, open Finder on your Mac PC or MacBook and select Go -> Go to Folder .
- Here, paste the path that you copied above and press Enter. Make sure there is no empty space at the end of the path.
- This will directly open the AutoRecovery folder. By the way, this is where unsaved Microsoft Word files are saved on a Mac.
- Now, double-click on a file that starts with “ AutoRecovery ” and choose Microsoft Word to open it. Try out other files if the one you selected first doesn’t work.
And there you go! You have successfully recovered the unsaved Word document on your Mac. Now, click “OK” and save the file to the Desktop or a location of your choice. The document will have the “recovered” tag after the file name.
Method 2: Recover Unsaved Word Documents on a Mac from TemporaryItems
In case the above method doesn’t work, you can try looking for the unsaved Word document under the “ TemporaryItems ” folder. This is a system folder where macOS and other applications like Word store temporary files. Here are the steps to access it.
- Open the Terminal app and paste the command — open $TMPDIR . Now, hit Enter.
- This will open the “T” folder. Next, scroll to the bottom and open the “TemporaryItems” folder.
- Now, in this folder, scroll down and look for your Word document. The filename should start with $ and end with .docx . You can double-click on it to recover the Word file.
These are the two best ways to recover unsaved Word documents on a Mac. In case, you want to recover deleted photos on your iPhone , follow our guide for in-depth instructions. Moreover, we also have an important tip to share with you, which will make sure you don’t lose your important work done in the last few minutes.
Tip: Change Interval Time to Save Recent Changes in Microsoft Word
As mentioned above, Microsoft Office apps, including Word, automatically save the document every 10 minutes by default . You may have done substantial work in those 10 minutes, and if your file is unsaved, you may lose your valuable work if the Word application crashes within those 10 minutes.
Thankfully, Microsoft offers an option to adjust the interval for auto-recovery. You can change the saving time to 1 or 2 minutes to avoid data loss in the future. Here is how to change it:
- Launch Microsoft Word on your Mac.
- Click “Word” in the menu bar at the top.
- Now, select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
- Here, click on “Save” under the “Output and Sharing” section.
- After that, change the time in the “Save every” input field.
- Make sure “Save auto-recovery information” is enabled.
Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.
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- Apple and Google have officially confirmed their team-up for the next-gen Siri AI.
- The Cupertino Giant will be using Google’s Gemini for a more personalized Siri model as well as Apple Intelligence features.
- We can expect the next-gen Siri to come out with iOS 26.4, sometime in March or April.
Apple has officially confirmed joining forces with Google to use its Gemini AI model to power the next-generation Siri. It will offer a more personalized experience and will be coming out with the iOS 26.4 update. Apple also plans to leverage Gemini’s capabilities for other Apple Intelligence features as well, later down the line.
The Next-Gen Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI
Apple officially confirmed that it will be partnering with Google in a statement to CNBC . Here’s what it stated, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.”
Later, Google also shared a post on X confirming the tie-up, “Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”
Image Credit: X/@NewsFromGoogle
Both statements clearly mention that the Cupertino Giant will be using Gemini to power its assistant Siri. This was already rumored, as Apple’s attempts to acquire Perplexity went nowhere. With Gemini, Siri will get a major AI update . It will be able to handle more nuanced conversations and provide better results. Something long-time Apple users have been asking for years.
The next-gen Siri will arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, which will launch sometime in March or April. And it is only going to be available for Apple Intelligence-supported devices .
Something else worth noting is how Google’s statement mentions that Gemini will power Apple Intelligence features. This leads us to believe that Apple could use Gemini’s multi-modal capabilities for its Writings tools , Image Playground , and Message summaries, too.
Elon Musk Not Happy With Apple and Google Tie Up
xAI CEO Elon Musk also responded to Google’s announcement post on X, sharing his thoughts on the matter by saying, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” Though we don’t expect either Apple or Google to respond to Elon, we will update the situation as it progresses.
It is worth noting that xAI is the company behind Grok, which is in hot water currently due to its inappropriate image generation fiasco , and has been getting backlash from multiple news outlets, X users, and even government authorities.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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