How to Show / Hide Ribbon toolbar in Microsoft Word

Ribbon is a feature in Microsoft Office which allows the GUI buttons to exhibit various task related functions. In the year 2007, Ribbon toolbar replaced the traditional toolbar which was used in the former versions of Microsoft Office.

Ribbon toolbar is a cluster of toolbars which are used for writing, designing, formatting and reviewing different styles, adaptations, add-ins, themes etc. in a Word Document. These toolbars are used to perform specific functions . Every tab in top of a given word file window displays the Ribbon toolbar.

Also read:How to create a Cover page in Microsoft word 2016

In this article, we’ll follow certain steps on how to turn on & off Ribbon toolbar in Windows 10:



Case 1 – For Microsoft word 365

Method 1 – Just Press CTRL and F1 keys together from your keyboard to show / hide toolbar

Method 2 – Click on View and then click on the arrow icon located below top right of the window.

Now, select Always show ribbon option to show ribbon always/

If you want to hide it, select any other option.

Alwyas Show Ribbon Min

Case 2 – For earlier versions

How to Hide Ribbon Toolbar 

Double click on any Word Document file. As soon as the word file opens, click on any of the given tabs such as “Home”, “Insert”, “Design”, “Layout” etc. which are located at the top of the word file window.

Click on the upper arrow (^) positioned at the right corner of the Ribbon toolbar. This will turn off or Unpin the Ribbon toolbar.

 

Hide Toolbar Min (1)

 

Note: Alternatively, you can also press “CTRL + F1” keys together to turn off the Ribbon toolbar.

How to Show Ribbon Toolbar 

You’ll observe the collapsed toolbar in the Screenshot given below:

In order to turn on the ribbon toolbar, click on any of the given tabs i.e. “Home”, “Design”, “Layout” etc. which are located on the top of the word file window. It’ll open the Ribbon toolbar.

Click on the “Pin” Symbol positioned at the right of the Ribbon toolbar. This will turn on or Pin the Ribbon toolbar.

 

Hide Toolbar Min

 



 

Note: Alternatively, you can also press “CTRL + F1” keys together to attach the Ribbon toolbar.

Also in Newer version of Microsoft Word Just click on Ribbon display options and then click on show tabs and commands.

Show Tabs Commands Min





2 thoughts on “How to Show / Hide Ribbon toolbar in Microsoft Word”

  1. 1. I accidentally lost the Microsoft Word toolbar ribbon for one document I was working on.
    2. Now the toolbar ribbon doesn’t appear on any of my word documents and all my Word documents are “read only;” I cannot edit any of my Microsoft Word documents.
    3. The only things that appears on the ‘ribbon’ are:
    Top left hand corner: “File, Tools and View;”
    Center: “File name;”
    Top right hand corner are icons for: “Auto Hide Reading Toolbar, Minimize, Maximize and Close;”
    4. The “Ribbons Display Options” icon does not appear anywhere on my desktop screen.
    5. “CNTL F1” should restore the toolbar ribbon, but it does not;
    6. Nothing I have found in “File, Options” has restored the toolbar ribbon for me, but maybe I just don’t know what to do.
    7. If I open a blank Microsoft Word document the toolbar ribbon is displayed; but if I copy information from another Word file and save it, the toolbar ribbon is immediately gone again and I’m right back where I started – no toolbar ribbon and no way to restore it.
    8. I’ve spent one half of the day today reading online suggestions and trying to restore my Microsoft Word toolbar ribbon. Nothing I have found works.
    9. There must be a ‘simple fix’ – and it would be if I only knew what it was. HOW DO I RESTORE MY MICROSOFT WORD TOOLBAR RIBBON SO I CAN USE MICROSOFT WORD AGAIN? Right now I can’t do anything with Word.

  2. After searching Microsoft websites for 15 minutes for this answer, I turned to yours, and found what I needed in about 3.2 seconds. Many thanks!!

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