How to Accept or Reject Tracked Changes Without Word
Someone sent you a marked-up .docx and you don't have Word. Here's how to review it and finish the document properly.
Quick Answer
- ✓You don't need Word to review changes. FileHop, LibreOffice and Google Docs can all accept or reject them.
- ✓In FileHop, Review appears in the editor when a document has revisions. Step through each change, or accept or reject all.
- ✓Hiding isn't accepting. Views like No Markup in Word only hide changes, which remain in the file.
Why do tracked changes keep showing up?
Tracked changes are stored in the .docx as revision marks. Until someone accepts or rejects them, they stay in the file, even when the view hides them. That matters before you send a document outside your firm: a hidden edit can still be seen by the recipient.
Word's Simple Markup and No Markup views change only what you see. To remove revisions for good, each one has to be accepted or rejected, or the document has to be exported as a clean copy.
How to review tracked changes with FileHop
FileHop is a file browser for Mac and Windows with a built-in Word editor. Review happens on your computer.
Open the document
Open the .docx. Tracked changes appear in All Markup with colors for each author.
Open Review
In edit mode, choose Review. This button appears only when the document has revisions.
Go through the changes
Step through with next and previous, and accept or reject each one. You can also accept or reject all.
Save
Save the document. Any revisions you left undecided are kept.
FileHop reviews existing changes but can't create them. New edits you make aren't tracked. Comments aren't displayed, but they stay in the file.
Other ways to review changes
Each has a place, depending on your document and privacy needs.
LibreOffice Writer
Free and offline, with full change tracking, including recording your own changes. Complex Word layouts can shift.
Google Docs
Imports .docx files and shows changes as suggestions. Your document is uploaded, and it may be a poor fit for confidential drafts.
Microsoft Word
The right choice if you need to draft with tracked changes, or work with comments.
Reviewing changes, compared
How FileHop compares with Google Docs.
| What matters | Google Docs | FileHop |
|---|---|---|
| Upload needed | Yes | No |
| Accept or reject all | Yes | Yes |
| Record new tracked changes | Yes, as suggestions | No |
| Show comments | Yes | No, kept in the file |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I accept tracked changes without Word?
Yes. FileHop, LibreOffice and Google Docs all do this.
How do I accept all changes at once?
In FileHop, open Review and choose accept all.
Does No Markup remove tracked changes?
No. It only hides them. They stay in the file until accepted or rejected.
Can I make my own tracked changes in FileHop?
No. FileHop keeps existing revisions, but your new edits aren't tracked. Use Word or LibreOffice if you need to record changes.
Can I see comments?
Not in FileHop. They stay in the file, so nothing is lost, but you won't see them.
Why isn't the Review button showing?
It appears in edit mode only when the document contains revisions.
Does this work for confidential contracts?
FileHop reviews documents on your computer, with no upload. Before sending, check that all revisions are resolved and consider removing metadata.
How do I make a clean copy?
Accept or reject every change, save, then export to PDF if you need a final version.
Finish the review without Word
Accept and reject tracked changes on Mac and Windows, offline.
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