how to unlock selection in word

Hi Pat363,

As per your description, in Office 365 the two most common causes of the "selection is locked" message are one is  unactivated version of Office( Office is in reduced functionality mode) and second a document that is protected in some other way.

To check if your document is locked, you can right click the document>get info to check it, here is a screenshot:

If information above don’t help you out, for further troubleshoot, could you please share us with information below?

1. Please go to Word > About Word and provide the screenshot of it.

2. Is it a shared document or just edited by yourself?

3.Does all the Office app have the same problem message “selection is locked”?

4.Screenshot of your error message

5.Mac OS version, from the Apple menu, choose About This Mac.

I appreciate your time and understanding.

Best Regards

Waqas Muhammad

Of course, the selection could be locked intentionally and you would need a password to edit.

On the Review tab of the Ribbon click the Unprotect Document button to unlock a locked passage.

Hi Pat363,

May I know if you have updates information? Feel free to post back if you need further assistance.

Best Regards

Waqas Muhammad