Why Is Grammarly Not Working? Causes & Solutions Explained

Grammarly usually stops working due to issues like browser extension conflicts, internet connectivity problems, outdated software, or compatibility issues with specific applications.

If you are experiencing problems with Grammarly on your phone, in Microsoft Word, or on Google Docs, this guide will help you identify and fix the issue quickly.

This article covers all the common Grammarly problems users face and provides step-by-step solutions to get your writing assistant back up and running.

From browser extension conflicts to mobile app issues, I’ll walk you through every possible fix.

Why Is Grammarly Not Working Today? Service Issues

Grammarly’s backend servers occasionally experience outages, maintenance, or technical issues affecting all users. 

Check their official status page at status.grammarly.com to see current service interruptions and estimated resolution times.

How to Fix Grammarly Problems? Quick Fixes

Before diving into specific problems, here are the most common Grammarly issues and their quick solutions:

No.	Grammarly Problem	Solution Summary
1	Not Working in Word/Office	Ensure Grammarly is installed and running, check Windows permissions, and update or restart Office.
2	Not Working on the Phone	Update the app, restart phone, check permissions, clear app cache, or reinstall the app.
3	Not Working in Google Docs	Enable browser extension, disable conflicting extensions, avoid footnotes/tables, or use a compatible editor.
4	Not Working in Browser/Chrome	Enable extension, disable conflicting extensions, clear cache/cookies, or update browser.
5	Not Loading/Connecting OR Service Issues	Check internet connection, allow through firewall/VPN, or check Grammarly’s service status.
6	Login Issues	Verify correct email/password, clear browser cookies, or reset password.

These are some of the main problems I’ll address in-depth, along with detailed steps and additional resources, below.

Why Is Grammarly Not Working in Word/Office?

Microsoft Office compatibility issues are among the most common, and here are the specific solutions to resolve them:

No.	Problem	Quick Fix
1	Widget not in Office	Ensure Grammarly is installed and running.
2	No suggestions in Word/Office	Check if widget is enabled in settings and restart OR Update the App.
3	Compatibility issues with older versions	Install the latest Office updates or use Grammarly’s web editor.
4	Widget blocked or disabled	Restart Grammarly, and make sure there are no Office apps in the ‘Blocked List’.

Steps to Fix Grammarly Word/Office Problems:

1. Grammarly Widget Not Appearing in Office

It’s possible to mistake the Grammarly browser extension with the Windows app. 

Step 1: Open Windows Settings (Windows key + I).

Step 2: Go to “Apps” then “Installed apps”.

Step 3: Search for “Grammarly for Windows” and ensure it’s installed.

Step 4: If not installed, download it from the Microsoft Store or Grammarly’s website.

Step 5: Once installed, open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

Step 6: Look for the Grammarly widget that should appear alongside your document.

Step 7: If it is still not visible, restart your Office application.

Step 8: Check if Grammarly is running in the system tray (bottom-right corner).

Your widget should be floating on your screen in Microsoft Office apps.

2. Grammarly Suggestions Not Showing in Word/Office

Not updating the Grammarly app can cause problems when running it. Here is how you can solve this issue in just four simple steps:

Step 1: Ensure Grammarly for Windows is running (check the system tray).

Step 2: Restart your Office application.

Step 3: If the issue persists, update Grammarly for Windows from the Microsoft Store or the Grammarly Website.

Step 4: As a last resort, completely reinstall Grammarly for Windows.

Your Grammarly suggestions should help you write seamlessly now. Please check out this guide on Grammarly for PowerPoint to make sure it’s set up right.

3. Compatibility Issues with Older Office Versions:

Outdated Office versions can cause problems in running Grammarly.

Step 1: Check your Office version by going to File > Account > About Word.

Step 2: Grammarly for Windows works best with Office 2019 or newer.

Step 3: If using older versions, update Office through Microsoft Update.

Step 4: For Office 2016 or older, consider using Office on the Web and adding Grammarly’s Web Extension to your web Office. Go to ‘Add-ins’ and click ‘Add’ on Grammarly’s option to start working.

Step 5: As a workaround, copy text to Grammarly’s website document and editing page for working/editing.

Your Grammarly should work smoothly with your new Office versions now.

4. Grammarly Widget Blocked or Disabled

Grammarly for Windows has its very own block list that you can check for such issues. Here is how to check it:

Step 1: Check if Grammarly for Windows is running in the system tray.

Step 2: If not running, search for “Grammarly” in the Start menu and launch it.

Step 3: Open the Grammarly for Windows app to access settings.

Step 4: Check the blocked apps list and ensure Microsoft Office apps are not blocked.

Step 5: Remove any Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) from the block list if present.

Step 6: Close and reopen your Office application.

Step 7: The Grammarly widget should now appear automatically when you start typing.

And just like that, these steps will help you fix your Grammarly issues in Word/Office.

Why Is Grammarly Not Working On My Phone?

There are three main reasons why Grammarly usually stops working on a phone, be it Android or iOS. Here is the breakdown, followed by a detailed solution to fix them:

No.	Problem	Quick Fix
1	The app won’t open or crashes	Update the app to the latest version.
2	Keyboard not showing suggestions	Enable keyboard in settings or allow full access in keyboard settings.
3	The app is running slowly or freezing	Clear app cache or reinstall the app completely.

Here are all the fixes to the problems with a detailed step-by-step guide to fix all your Grammarly for Android issues on your phone.

1. Grammarly App Won’t Open or Crashes

A lack of regular updates can cause the Grammarly app to crash. My first suggestion would be to ensure that your Grammarly app is up to date. Here is how you can update the Grammarly app to fix this issue:

Step 1: Open your device’s app store (Google Play Store or Apple App Store).

Step 2: Search for “Grammarly” and check if an update is available.

Step 3: If an update is available, tap “Update.”

Step 4: Wait for the update to complete.

Step 5: Try opening the app again.

Step 6: If it still crashes, restart your phone and try again.

Congratulations! Your Grammarly app is running smoothly now.

2. Keyboard Not Showing Grammarly Suggestions

Sometimes, Grammarly is not able to show its suggestions because app permissions are turned off.  I will first give steps for Android users, followed by steps for iPhone users:

For Android:

Step 1: Go to your phone’s Settings.

Step 2: Go to General Management

Step 3: Then go to ‘Keyboard list and default’

Step 4: Turn on Grammarly in ‘All’

Step 5: Test typing in any app to see if suggestions appear.

Voila! Your Grammarly keyboard is ready to use on your Android device!

If you have an iPhone, here is the fix for you:

Step 1: Go to your phone’s Settings.

Step 2: Go to General > Keyboard > Keyboards.

Step 3: Tap “Add New Keyboard” in Keyboards settings.

Step 4: Search for “Grammarly” and select it.

Step 5: Enable “Allow Full Access” for Grammarly.

Step 6: Test typing in any app to see if suggestions appear. You may need to switch to the Grammarly keyboard by tapping the globe icon while typing.

You can now enjoy your texting with Grammarly’s keyboard on your iPhone!

3. Grammarly App Running Slowly or Freezing

Clearing the cache takes the load off the app for it to run smoothly. Let us now clear the cache in 7 easy steps:

Let us begin with steps for Android:

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone.

Step 2: Find and tap on “Apps” or “Application Manager”.

Step 3: Scroll down and select “Grammarly” from the list of apps.

Step 4: Tap on “Storage” or “Storage & Cache”.

Step 5: Tap “Clear Cache”.

Step 6: If the problem persists, tap “Clear Data” (you’ll need to log in again).

Step 7: As a last resort, uninstall the app, completely reinstall it from your app store, and log back in.

All done!

Here is how  iPhone users can clear the Grammarly app cache:

Step 1: Go to Settings, then General

Step 2: Then go to your iPhone Storage.

Step 3:  Look for the Grammarly app. 

Step 4: And then click on ‘Offload App’.

Step 5: Click on the ‘Reinstall App’ button in the same place after offloading.

Step 6: As a last resort, uninstall the app, completely reinstall it from your app store, and log back in.

Hurray! Your Grammarly is cache-free and ready to perform at its best.

Why Is Grammarly Not Working on Google Docs?

Google Docs compatibility is a frequent concern I had, and here is how i fixed it: 

No.	Problem	Quick Fix
1	No suggestions appearing	Ensure the browser extension is enabled, and refresh the page.
2	Grammarly conflicts with footnotes/tables	Remove footnotes and tables temporarily, or use a new document to edit.
3	Extension shows but doesn’t work	Disable other browser extensions that might conflict.
4	Grammarly widget missing from toolbar	Clear browser cache and cookies, then reload.

Follow these steps to resolve Grammarly issues in Google Docs. Also, you can check out an easy guide on how to add Grammarly to Google Docs.

1. No Grammarly Suggestions Appearing

Suggestions can sometimes stop working due to extension issues. Here is what I do to start getting those excellent Grammarly suggestions again: 

Step 1: Click on the three dots menu in your browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.).

Step 2: Go to “More Tools” > “Extensions” OR “Extensions” > “Manage extensions” for Chrome.

Step 3: Find Grammarly in the list and ensure it’s enabled.

Step 4: Refresh your Google Docs page.

Step 5: Look for the Grammarly icon in the bottom-right corner of the document.

Your suggestions should be enabled in your Document.

2. Grammarly Conflicts with Footnotes/Tables

Grammarly may encounter issues with complex formats, such as footnotes and tables. Here are the steps to get around it.

Step 1: Temporarily remove all footnotes from your document.

Step 1: Delete or simplify complex tables.

Step 2: Check if Grammarly suggestions now appear.

Step 3: Work on your text with Grammarly active.

Step 4: Add back footnotes and tables after completing your writing.

Step 5: Alternatively, copy sections of text to a plain document for editing with Grammarly and paste them back into your original document.

Your complex Doc should have its Grammarly assistance now.

3. Grammarly Extension Shows But Doesn’t Work

Sometimes, other extensions can conflict with Grammarly. Turning them off while editing with Grammarly can help.

Step 1: Open your browser’s extension manager.

Step 2: Disable all extensions except Grammarly.

Step 3: Refresh Google Docs and test if Grammarly works.

Step 4: Re-enable extensions one by one to identify conflicts.

Step 5: Keep conflicting extensions disabled while using Grammarly.

Your grammar should help you edit now. Turn on the other extensions once you are done editing.

4. Grammarly Widget Missing From Toolbar

Browser cache/cookies are some of the most common reasons an extension can have problems running. Fix this issue easily by following this:

Step 1: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac).

Step 2: Select “Cached images and files” and “Cookies and other site data.”

Step 3: Click “Clear data.”

Step 4: Restart your browser completely.

Step 5: Go back to Google Docs and check for the Grammarly widget.

Step 6: If still missing, try signing out and back into your Google account.

Once logged in, your Grammarly should be helping you detect mistakes as usual!

Why Is Grammarly Not Working In Chrome?

While looking for a resolution for my Chrome browser issue, I stumbled upon a forum where many users were complaining about these five problems: 

No.	Problem	Quick Fix
1	The extension is not working.	Enable browser extension in your browser settings.
2	Works only sometimes	Disable other extensions to check for conflicts.
3	Suggestions not appearing	Clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then restart.
4	Extension conflicts with other tools	Try incognito mode to identify extension conflicts.
5	Outdated browser issues	Update your browser to the latest version.

These problem-specific steps will help you fix your Grammarly Chrome/browser extension:

1. Grammarly Extension Not Working At All

Extensions can be turned off by mistake, switching them on should fix the problem.

Step 1: Go to “chrome://extensions/” from your address bar.

Step 2: Find Grammarly in the list of extensions.

Step 3: Make sure the toggle switch is turned ON (blue).

Step 4: If it’s already on, try turning it off and on again.

Step 5: Restart Chrome and test on any website with text input.

The Grammarly extension should be working smoothly now if you’ve set it up correctly using this guide on how to add Grammarly to Chrome.

2. Grammarly Works Sometimes But Not Always

Finding a conflicting extension can help you smooth out your writing process.

Step 1: Go to chrome://extensions/.

Step 2: Turn off all extensions except Grammarly.

Step 3: Test Grammarly on various websites.

Step 4: Turn extensions back on one by one.

Step 5: When Grammarly stops working, you’ve found the conflicting extension.

Step 6: Keep the conflicting extension disabled or find an alternative.

You should notice Grammarly is working consistently now.

3. Grammarly Suggestions Not Appearing

Clearing caches and cookies can help reduce the load on the browser and run extensions without errors.

Step 1: Click the three dots in Chrome’s top-right corner.

Step 2: Go to “Extensions” > “Manage Extensions”.

Step 3: Select “Cached images and files” and “Cookies and other site data”.

Step 4: Click “Clear data” OR “Delete data”.

Step 5: Restart Chrome and test Grammarly again.

Grammarly should promptly detect errors and suggest solutions now!

4. Grammarly Extension Conflicts With Other Tools

Working in incognito or turning off other extensions can help; follow these steps to check which one works.

Step 1: Press Ctrl+Shift+N to open an incognito window.

Step 2: Test Grammarly in incognito mode.

Step 3: If it works in incognito, you have an extension conflict.

Step 4: Disable extensions one by one from chrome://extensions/one until Grammarly works normally.

Step 5: Consider removing or replacing conflicting extensions.

This error detection will help you work seamlessly in the future as well.

5. Outdated Browser Issues

Updating your browser is easy once you understand that’s the problem. Just do the following:

Step 1: Click the three dots in Chrome’s top-right corner.

Step 2: Go to “Help” > “About Google Chrome”.

Step 3: Chrome will automatically check for updates and start installing them.

Step 4: Restart Chrome when prompted.

Step 5: Test Grammarly functionality after the update.

You can now continue editing with your Grammarly extension!

Why Can’t I Log Into Grammarly? Account & Network Issues

When Grammarly problems aren’t related to your device or browser, they’re often caused by account access or network connectivity restrictions. 

No.	Problem	Quick Fix
1	Can’t log into the account	Verify the correct email and password, or reset the password.
2	The login page won’t load	Clear browser cookies and cache, then try logging in.
3	Blocked by a network	Ensure Grammarly is allowed through your VPN settings.
4	Blocked by a firewall	Ensure Grammarly is allowed through your firewall settings.

Login and account issues are generally easy to fix with these steps, discussed in detail:

1. Can’t Log Into Grammarly Account

Password issues can often stop you from logging in to your Grammarly account, but it’s an easy fix with these steps.

Step 1: Double-check your email address for typos.

Step 2: Ensure you’re using the correct password.

Step 3:  If you’re not sure, reset your password at grammarly.com/resetpassword and try to log in again.

Step 4: If you registered your Grammarly account using Google, Facebook, or Apple as a sign-up method, please select the corresponding option to log in.

Step 5: Try logging in from a different browser or device

You should be able to use your Grammarly account now!

2. Grammarly Login Page Won’t Load

Clearing the temp files or cache will quickly fix this loading issue. Here is how you do it.

Step 1: Clear your browser’s cookies and cache OR your devices’ “temporary files/cache”.

Step 2: Check if other websites load properly (to rule out internet issues).

Step 3: Try a different browser entirely.

Step 4: Restart your router, turn your Wi-Fi on/off, OR Disconnect/reconnect your Wi-fi if you suspect network issues.

You can continue to log in and use your account now.

3. Grammarly Blocked By A Network

Firewall or VPN network issues can often be overlooked. Here is how you fix them.

Step 1: Check if you’re using a corporate or school network.

Step 2: Contact your IT department about allowing Grammarly.

Step 3: If using a VPN, try disconnecting it temporarily.

Step 4: Try working with Grammarly again.

Your Grammarly should run smoothly now once the VPN settings are compatible.

4. Grammarly Blocked By Firewall

Allowing Grammarly through the firewall is easy if you follow these steps. 

For Windows: 

Step 1: Press Windows key + R, type “firewall.cpl” and press Enter.

Step 2: Click “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.”

Step 3: Click “Change Settings” (requires admin permission).

Step 4: Click “Allow another app…”.

Step 5: Browse and select “Grammarly for Windows” or “Grammarly.exe.”

Step 6: Make sure both “Private” and “Public” checkboxes are checked.

Step 7: Click “OK” to save changes.

For Mac: Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall.

These steps should help your Grammarly set up for a smooth run!

Grammarly Still Not Working?

When all troubleshooting steps fail, professional support can provide personalized solutions for persistent issues.

• Visit Grammarly’s help center or contact the customer support team
• Note your browser version, operating system, and specific error messages
• Check Grammarly’s status page for known service interruptions

If you’re contacting the customer support team, having your system information ready and noted down will help the team diagnose problems better and provide solutions faster.

Use These Grammarly Alternatives While Troubleshooting

While you’re fixing your Grammarly issues, you don’t have to go without grammar checking. Here are some reliable Grammarly alternatives you can use temporarily:

No.	Alternative	Key Features	Availability	Cost
1	Google’s Built-In Grammar Checker	Common error detection, no setup required	Google Docs, Gmail	Free
2	ProWritingAid	Writing reports, suggestions, and complete checking	Browsers, Microsoft Office	Free/Paid
3	Ginger	Grammar checking, translation, and writing enhancement	Mobile apps, browser extensions	Free/Paid

Google offers basic free checking, while ProWritingAid provides detailed analysis, and Ginger specializes in helping non-native English speakers.

1. Google’s Built-In Grammar Checker works well for basic corrections in Google Docs and Gmail. It’s not as detailed as Grammarly, but it catches most common errors without requiring any additional software.

It’s completely free and automatically enabled in Google Workspace applications.

2. ProWritingAid offers similar features to Grammarly, with detailed writing reports and suggestions. It integrates with most browsers and Microsoft Office, making it a good temporary replacement.

The free version allows up to 500 words per check, while the premium offers unlimited checking.

3. Ginger provides grammar checking, translation, and writing enhancement tools. It’s particularly good for non-native English speakers and offers mobile apps alongside browser extensions.

It includes a personal trainer feature that helps users learn from their writing mistakes.

These three Grammarly alternatives can help you continue your writing without any pauses, even when Grammarly is down.

Also Checkout:

• Hemingway vs Grammarly
• Microsoft Editor vs Grammarly

Conclusion: Grammarly Can Be Fixed By Clearing The Cache, Re-Enabling, And Updating!

Most Grammarly problems stem from browser conflicts, outdated software, or simple configuration issues. The majority of users can resolve their problems by clearing their browser cache, re-enabling extensions, or updating their applications.

More complex issues like network restrictions or service outages may require contacting support or waiting for Grammarly to resolve server-side problems.

Remember to check Grammarly’s status page first when experiencing widespread issues, and don’t hesitate to try alternative writing tools while troubleshooting.

Keep this guide bookmarked for future reference, as these solutions work for most Grammarly-related problems you might encounter.

FAQs