How to rotate Word online [Complete guide]

Rotating text in Word is great to make the content dramatic and dynamic. You would normally do this to prove a point or so that the word or phrase stands out. This tutorial takes you through the steps involved in how to rotate Word online.

To rotate text in Word Online it must first be added to a Text box. You can then edit the contents of the box using options from the Home tab. After the content is ready either use the rotate option. Text can also be rotated manually using the mouse. The third option is to select 3D rotation from the Text effect section.

How to rotate Word online?

Documents created and shared on word online can be accessed and edited on Word for desktop. This section takes you through how to insert text in Word that can be rotated.

Start by downloading the Word online file you are working on or collaborating on. Word online files are available on the Office online website and also on one drive. All you need to do is put in your login credentials, find the file, and select download.
Open the file once the download is complete. It will open in the desktop application of Word by default.
As you know the desktop application has more formatting options as compared to Word online. You will now need to insert a text box.

Start by clicking on the Insert tab in the top ribbon.
From among the options available click and select Text Box.

When you click on Text Box, you will have a dropdown menu with pre-formatted options to choose from. You can choose from among them or insert a text box of your own.
If you need to add an unformatted textbox click on Draw Text Box
Now that you have a textbox you can insert text and format it.

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How to rotate text using a text box in Word Online?

Here is how to rotate text in Word.

Select the text box.
Click within the box to select it.
You can now start typing and the content will show up in the Box.

The content can be formatted using the formatting tools in the Home menu.
This includes the color, font size, font style, and other details.

The text box can be edited. To edit the textbox first select it.
An extra tab Shape Format will open near help.
Click on it for formatting tools for the text box.
You can, from the options available edit the shape, size, and other details about the text box.
To rotate the text box click on the pyramid-shaped icon – Rotate Objects

Under Rotate Objections you will find options to rotate the object or in this case the text box to the left or right by 90 degrees.
You can also flip the object horizontally or vertically.
You could also click on more rotation options if there is a specific degree of rotation you require.

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How to rotate text in Word online using the mouse?

Here are the steps you can follow to rotate text in word using the mouse.

Start by clicking on the textbox to select it.
Once selected, you can add text and format the content as well as the box as a whole.
To rotate the box, select it.

You will see a rotate sign on top of the box click on it
Without releasing the click move the mouse. Moving the mouse clockwise or anticlockwise will rotate the box in that direction.

rotate text in word 2019 — How to rotate text in word online

After the text box is rotated it will look something like this. The degree of rotation can be altered at any time by simply selecting the box and flipping it.

Note: Word Art can also be used to insert text into Word documents. It comes with pre-formatted templates. It can be inserted as easily as a text box. Use the same flipping or rotating techniques as mentioned above.

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How to use Text effects to flip text in Windows?

When it comes to flipping text in Word, there is another option that can be used. here is how you can use ‘Text effects’ to flip text.

Start by adding a text box to the document you are working on.
After inserting the text box add the text and format it using the tools in the Home tab.
Now click on the textbox to select it. Once selected, you will have an extra tab called shape format that shows up near Help.
Click on it to find formatting options

Click on Shape Format to select it.
You will have various formatting options to choose from. Select the A that has a hue.
under this, you will see options like Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Bevel, 3D rotation, and transform. All can be used on the text in the box to modify its appearance. To flip the text, however, you will need to go into the 3D Rotation menu.
Once you click on the 3D rotation option you will have a menu on the right of your document.
Make sure you are in the right section before you start.
You will now have 3 options or formats to choose from, X rotation, Y rotation, and Z rotation.

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How to use the 3D rotation menu to flip text in word online?

Once in the Text Effects menu, you can format the text within the textbox using the X, Y, and Z rotations in word online. listed below are the steps you can follow

X Rotation

X rotation is calculated in degrees and is the first option on the list.
You can rotate the text to the left and the right using the up and down arrows in the box.
The front-facing view of the text is calculated as the starting or rest point, every degree up or down is then added as a rotation.

Here is an example of how the text will look when it is flipped all the way to the left

Y rotation

The Y rotation is used to flip the text front and back.
This is also measured in degrees like the X rotation, the only difference is the direction in which the text moves.
If you consider the front-facing text as the starting point every degree up or down will mean rotation.

This is how the text will look when flipped under. You can alter the degree at which the text is rotated. Select the text and make the changes needed.

Z rotation

The Z rotation is more of a circular rotation.
In this type of rotation, your text will move in a circular motion either to the left or the right.
You can move the text using the up and down arrows in the box.

how to rotate text in word table — How to rotate text Word online

Here is an example of Z rotation. The degree of rotation can be edited at any time after addition. Select the text to modify the rotation. Once the text is selected use the up and down arrows to make the necessary changes.

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How to flip a text box in word on Mac?

Microsoft Word online is a great tool for creating, editing, and collaborating on documents. It is amazing because it gives users the flexibility to access files from multiple devices.

All you need to do is log in using your login credentials and you are good to go. Here is how you can flip a text box while on a Mac system.

As word online does not allow users to insert text boxes you will need to download the documents you have created. This will ensure that you can add the text that needs to be flipped using the desktop application.
Login to the Office online website, or go to the one drive site to access documents created on word online.
On mac systems you can also download the One Drive application, this way all the documents created on the drive are available on your computer and the other way around.
Once you have located the document you can double click to open it.
Use the Insert tab to include a text box in your document. The insert tab is in the top ribbon of the document.
Click on Insert and go to the Text box section.
On clicking Text Box you will have various pre-formatted boxes to choose from. You can either choose from among those or draw your own box.
Do this by clicking and selecting the Draw Text Box option.
To draw a text box simply left-click in the document and drag the mouse without releasing the click.
You will now have a text box in your word online document.

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How to edit a text box and flip it in Word for Mac?

When it comes to editing a text box in Word for Mac here are the steps you can follow

Start by clicking in the text box to select it.
Text can be added after the box is selected.
To format the text added to the box go to the Home menu. Here you can use all the tools you need to edit the text.
Select the box again after you finish editing. You will now have a tab called Shape Format in the top ribbon.
The Rotate objects option is part of this tab. Click on it.
You will now have options to flip the text horizontally or vertically. You can also choose to rotate it to the left or the right.

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How to rotate text in Word online using the mouse?

When rotating text in Word for Mac using the mouse is the fastest. Follow these steps.

Start by selecting the text box. You can add the text and format it.
Use the various formatting tools to modify the text.
After selection, you will also have white dots on the sides. Use these dots to resize the box. The arrows on the bottom are helpful to move the box around in the document.
Use the option with the circular arrow on top if you need the text flipped. Click on the arrow and without releasing the click move the mouse. The text box will rotate with the text inside.
Once you finish rotating the text click outside the box to unselect it.

Note: You can insert Word Art instead of a text box. This way you will have pre-formatted templates that can reduce stress. You can flip the content using the same methods as mentioned above.

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How to use Text effects to flip text on Mac?

Text effects are another way to flip text in word. Here are the steps you can follow.

Start by adding text into a textbox, text boxes can be inserted into the document from the Insert section. You can then edit the box by including text.
Format the text using the options available in the Home menu. Here you can change the font, the size, color, and other aspects of the text.
Once you have formatted the text you can use the Text effects tool to flip or rotate it.
Start by selecting the text box. You will now have an additional meu in the top ribbon called Shape format.
The Text effects option that’s represented by a glowing A.
Click on the arrow for a drop-down menu.
From the options available click on 3 D rotation.
Once you select the option you will have an extended menu on the right, you can then use this menu to make changes to the text selected.
The Format shapes menu has various sections and one among them is Text effects. Here is all you need to know about the options available.

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How to rotate Word online using the Text effects option on Mac?

Once the text is added to the textbox and you have selected the box click on text effects. An external menu will show up on the right. In this menu, You have the X rotation, Y rotation, and Z rotation to choose from, here is a brief.

X Rotation

The X rotation is used when you would like to rotate the text selected to the left or right. Here, The starting point is the text facing forward. Every degree to the left or right is considered a rotation or tilt. The up and down arrows in the box are used to change the rotation direction and degree.

Y rotation

If you would like to flip the text in your box over or under this is the option for you. The text facing forward is considered the starting point and it can be flipped either forward or backwards. The flip is measured in degrees. The extent of the flip can be managed using the up and down arrows in the box.

Z rotation

The text in the Z rotation moves along a circular path. The text facing forward is considered the starting point. You can move the text either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Use the up and down arrows in the box to change the degree of rotation.

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How to flip text upside down in word on Android devices?

Android devices are great when it comes to working on word online documents. This way you can review, comment on and share documents on the go. This section takes you through how you can flip text in word on your Android device.

To access documents created on Word online you will first need to login to Office online from the browser. You can also download the one drive application for Android and access files. The easiest way, however, is to download the word application for Android.
Once you have downloaded the application log in to it using the same login credentials as your one drive or office online account. This way you will have all the word documents in the application.
Open the document you would like to edit
To edit the document tap and select the edit option. The pencil symbol on the left is the edit option.

Once you tap on the edit option you will have some more options on the screen. Tap on the A with a pen for the editing menu.

You will now have a menu on the bottom of your screen. Tap on home for more options.
You will have an entire list of options from insert to view. Tap and select Insert.
You will now have the insert menu

Scroll down to fin Text box.
Tap and select this option. You will now have a text box on your screen.

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How to edit a textbox in Word for Android?

The text box in Android comes with a lot of dummy text in it. Tap on it to select the box.
You will now have options that pop up once the box is selected. From these options tap and select Edit Text.

Type in the text you would like to see. Use the toolbar and the options in it to format the text.
Using the options available you can change the color, font, size, and other aspects of the text. You can also edit the placement.
After you have edited the text in the box and have the size and other aspects of the content done, you can rotate the text.

Select the text box by tapping it. you will now have an option to expand the box using the dots on the side. You can also move the box around using by tapping on and dragging the arrows on the bottom.
To flip the box you will need to use the circular arrow on top of the box.
Tap on it and move the box without releasing it.
Simply tap outside the box once you have the text in position.

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How to flip text in Word online on iOS devices?

iOS devices are great when it comes to the ease of working on the go. When it comes to working on Word online documents it is best to download the word application. The Word application is available in the apple store.

Start by logging into the word application using the same credentials as one drive or office.com. This will ensure that you can see all the documents created in Word online.
Logging into your account ensures that all the changes made to the document are saved on the drive.
Tap and select the document that you would like to work on.
Once the document is open tap on edit. It’s the pen symbol on your screen.
Now that you can edit select the edit menu option. The A with a pen will open the edit menu on the bottom of your screen.
tap on Home for more options.
From the list tap and select Insert.
Under Insert, you will have many options scroll down to Text Box.
Tap and select the text box option.
The text box will appear in your document.
To edit the contents of the text box tap the box and select the edit text option.
You can now add the required text and format it using the tools available in the menu.
When it comes to rotating the text in the text box you will first need to select it.
After selecting tap on the circular arrow on top of the box.
without removing your finger move the box to the desired position.
The box will move along with the text.
tap outside the box to see how the text looks. You can repeat the process until you have the desired results.

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In conclusion

Even though you cannot flip text in word online you can download the documents and use the desktop application. This is true for both Mac and Windows systems. All you need to do is insert a text box, add the contents that need to be displayed, and flip it.
Hope you found this tutorial helpful. Here are some of the topics

Steps on how to rotate text in Word for Windows and Mac
How to flip the text inserted into a document using a mouse
Rotating text inserted using Word Art
Using Text effects and 3D rotation options to rotate text added to a document.
Understanding how to flip text in Word for iOS and Android

Carissa

My name is Carissa Gudino and I am an expert in word online, using Word Online in my day-to-day tasks. In this blog, I will share with you tips and tutorials on how to use word online to its fullest potential. I work for various clients in various countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. My tutorials are designed to help beginners, as well as more experienced users, learn new tricks and tips on Microsoft word online. Check out more.