How to Hide and Restore the Microsoft Word Ribbon

The Microsoft Word ribbon can be your best friend or an annoying little feature you just want to get out of the way. You need it for formatting, obviously. Every font change or page break comes thanks to that ribbon. However, if you want as crystal clear a view of your Word document as possible, you may want to eliminate it entirely.

Either way, we have you covered.

We’ll show you how to hide and restore Word ribbon access so you can completely control the icons at the top of your document.

How to Hide the Microsoft Word Ribbon

We have a couple of methods for hiding your Word ribbon. One is temporary, with the other being a more permanent fix you’ll have to reverse if you want the ribbon back later.

Method 1. Use the Ribbon Icon

You’ll go digging through your ribbon options with these steps designed to get that ribbon out of your way altogether.

Step 1. Open a new Microsoft Word document and click on the “Ribbon Display Options” icon at the top-right of the screen. It’s between the “Minimize Document” icon and your profile picture.

Step 2. Select “Auto-hide Ribbon” from the list of options. “Show Tab” is also a good option if you just want to see the basic Ribbon tabs without all of the icons that are usually underneath them.

If you do choose to auto-hide your ribbon, your document will be completely blank with no icons to speak of:

If you want to revert back to a document that shows the ribbon, click the ribbon icon again and select “Show Tabs and Commands.” Now you have a way to hide your ribbon and get it back—all with one menu!

Method 2. Click the Arrow

Maybe you want to hide your ribbon command while keeping the tabs around for navigation. You can do that using the method we just shared and selecting the “Show Tabs” icon. Or, you can do it a simpler way – a single click of the arrow at the right of your ribbon commands.

Hit that little arrow, and your ribbon commands will instantly disappear.

If you want the ribbon commands back, press “Ctrl F1” on your keyboard. This handy shortcut can also collapse the ribbon again if you don’t want to keep messing around with the fiddly little icons at the top of your screen.

How to Restore the Microsoft Word Ribbon

We’ve already touched on a few methods for restoring the Word ribbon within the methods for hiding it. You can bring your commands back with “Ctrl F1” or click the arrow, for instance. But here are a couple more methods you can use to retrieve your ribbon.

Method 1. The Ellipses Icon

Let’s say you’ve chosen to auto-hide your ribbon but want it back temporarily for the document you’re working on. You can do that using a different icon from any of the ones we’ve discussed so far.

Step 1. You’re still heading to the top-right of your document. However, this time you’re looking for the ellipses icon, which looks like this – “…”

Step 2. Give the “…” a click and your ribbon will come back.

This is a permanent reversal of ribbon hiding, even within the document you’re currently working on. The ribbon will stay on the screen for as long as you’re inside your Word document. But as soon as you leave the document – even when keeping it open – the ribbon disappears again.

Method 2. Use the Ribbon Icon (Again)

No matter what changes you make to your Word ribbon, the ribbon icon will always stay at the top-right of the screen. That means you can use it to restore your ribbon at any point.

Step 1. Click the “Ribbon Display Options” icon (remember it’s at the top-right of the screen) and highlight “Show Tabs and Commands.”

Step 2. Hit “Show Tabs and Commands and voila – you have your precious Word ribbon back.

The above is the detailed content of How to Hide and Restore the Microsoft Word Ribbon. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!