Microsoft Word is a great way to keep all of your ideas and information in order, whether you’re planning out a recipe or making a daily to-do list. In addition to being able to edit words, it will also let you make electronic buttons that you can check and uncheck. We made this step-by-step guide to show you how to do it.
Display the Developer tab to enable the checkbox feature (for Windows)
You have to turn on the checkbox tool and the tab menu it lives in before you can even add a checkbox to your list. We can find the checkbox function in the Developer tab, which is a menu that isn’t shown by default. That menu needs to be turned on first. How to do it:
- Step 1: Press the File tab located in the top left corner. Locate the “Options” button on the subsequent screen and click on it. To view the options, you may have to click More first.
- Step 2: Select Customize Ribbon.
- Step 3: There are two columns on the Word help screen. Take a look at the right column. Find the word “Developer” in the drop-down choice for that column, which is called “Main tabs,” and check the box next to it. After that, click OK.
- Step 4: The Developer tab should now show up in the main ribbon window at the top of your screen. You can click on it to see its tools and choices.
Display the Developer tab to enable the checkbox feature (for macOS)
On macOS, you will also need to turn on the Developer tab before you can start working in Word. But the settings work differently. What you need to do is:
- Step 1: Open up Word. There are buttons at the very top of the document window that let you save, print, undo, and go to the Word home page. Click on the small arrow next to the choices on the right.
- Step 2: From the drop-down menu, choose “More commands.”
- Step 3: You should be on the Ribbon & button bar page. If you click on Ribbon, more choices will appear.
- Step 4: Customize the Ribbon on the right side of the choices. Choose it. Scroll down until you see “Developer” at the very bottom. Click on that to open this tab.
Click on Save. After you leave the page, you’ll see the Developer tab in your Word file.
How to insert a checkbox in Word (for Windows)
- Step 1: Make a list. Then, start typing and move your mouse to the beginning of the first line of your list. There should be a space between the first Word of the first line and the spot where you want to put the mark.
- Step 2: From the bar menu, choose the Developer tab.
- Step 3: Look at the area called “Controls” in the Developer tab. Look for a box sign with a check mark inside that part. Click on this picture. You have now added your first option.
- Step 4: To add line breaks to the rest of your checklist, select the first checkmark you made and the space after it. Then, copy and paste that selection to the start of each line.
- Step 5: When you’re ready to check off an item on your new list automatically, all you have to do is click the Checkbox and give it a cross.
How to add a checkbox to Word for macOS
It’s straightforward to make buttons in the macOS version of Word if you turn on the Developer tab. What you need to do is:
- Step 1: Type up your list, then move your mouse to the beginning of the first item on the list.
- Step 2: In your Ribbon menu, go to the Developer tab. Here, look for a choice that looks like a checked box, which is called a “Check Box.” Pick it.
- Step 3: Put a checkmark next to the first thing on your list! To add an option to all of them, do the same thing at the start of each item.
- Step 4: Checking the boxes in Word for macOS works a little differently. You can’t just click on them to mark them as checked. This time, double-click on the box to bring up the Options menu.
Checked should be chosen for the Default answer. After that, click OK. The box next to your name has been checked.
How to create a print-only checklist (one that can’t be checked electronically)
If you only want them to look like checkboxes, you can use checkbox-shaped bullets in a bulleted list instead of checkboxes that can be clicked on and automatically checked.
Note: For macOS, you don’t need to use this option because the checkboxes on the Mac version of Word are already set to “print only,” unless you go to the Options page and change them as shown above.
- Step 1: Write down your plan. After that, choose the whole list.
- Step 2: If it still needs to be chosen, click on the Home tab on the Ribbon.
- Step 3: Click on the arrow that points down next to the shot sign.
- Step 4: From the choice that comes up, pick a box-shaped icon. Pick. Define new bullets from the choices if you don’t see one.
- Step 5: If you choose “Define new bullet,” in the box that comes up, choose “Symbol.”
- Step 6: Click on the Font drop-down box and pick a font. Wingdings is a suitable font for checking boxes. Pick the mark icon you like best, and then press OK twice. You now have a list that you can only print.
What about adding Word checklists in ChromeOS?
When working on a Chromebook, we recommend using the online version of Word. It’s a free web app that works well on ChromeOS and stores files in the cloud using OneDrive, which is an excellent option in many scenarios.
Making plans, on the other hand, takes work. No Developer tab can be turned on in the online version of Word, and there is no way to make notes. You can get Word for Android on Google Play, but it doesn’t have any Developer choices either. In late 2021, Microsoft stopped supporting Chromebooks with its Android Word app.
So, what does that mean for people who use Chromebooks? You can still make a plan using the online Word app if you want to print it out. People can choose a Square by going to Insert > Drawing > Shapes. Pick any colour you want for the small square at the front of your list item, then copy and paste it at the front of each item, as shown above. You’ll get a printable schedule this way, but it could be better.
What is the Developer tab?
Builder tabs are built into both the Windows and macOS desktop versions of Word. The Developer tab is a hub for settings and changes. You can choose from a lot of choices even if you can’t see the Developer tab. However, unlocking it gives users access to more advanced features.
Some of these features are XML mapping, making reusable document templates, and making macros for automating documents.
Do all versions of Word have a Developer tab?
Since Word 2007, the Developer tab has been hidden from view. Although the tab has been an essential part of Microsoft Word for a long time, users of Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, or 365 have yet to be able to see it.
