Grammarly not working is almost always a quick fix, not a deep technical problem. The first thing to check is whether the Grammarly browser extension is simply switched off, this is the single most common cause of the issue. To fix it, click the gray Grammarly icon in your browser's toolbar and toggle on "Check text with browser extension"; this immediately re-enables the tool and resolves the problem in most cases. If you need to quickly apply all of its suggestions at once, you can accept all changes in Grammarly with a single click.
Grammarly not working? Start with this 2-second fix
When Grammarly suddenly stops underlining your text, the most likely culprit is that the extension has been accidentally disabled, either by a browser update, a misclick, or a settings change. The fix takes two seconds: look for the Grammarly icon (it appears gray when off, green when on) in the top-right corner of your browser. Click it, and in the pop-up menu, flip the switch for "Check text with browser extension" to the on position. Once you do this, refresh any open tabs, and Grammarly should immediately start working again. This simple action resolves the issue for the vast majority of users, so always try it before moving on to more complex troubleshooting.
Clear your browser cache and cookies to reset Grammarly
If the extension is already on but Grammarly is still not working, corrupted cached data or conflicting cookies may be blocking its functionality. Clearing your browser's cache and cookies resets the environment Grammarly runs in and often eliminates hidden conflicts. Here's how to do it in each major browser:
Google Chrome
Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, go to "More tools" > "Clear browsing data". Choose a time range (e.g., "Last hour" or "All time"), check both "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files", then click "Clear data".
Mozilla Firefox
Open the three-line menu, select "Options", then go to "Privacy & Security". Under "Cookies and Site Data," click "Clear Data", make sure both "Cookies" and "Cache" are checked, and hit "Clear".
Safari
In the top menu, click "Safari" > "Preferences" > "Privacy" tab. Click "Manage Website Data", then "Remove All" to clear cookies and cache. Confirm when prompted.
Microsoft Edge
Click the three-dot menu, go to "Settings" > "Privacy, search, and services". Under "Clear browsing data," click "Choose what to clear". Check "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files", then click "Clear".
After clearing, restart your browser. Note that you may need to re-login to some websites, but this is a small trade-off for restoring Grammarly's full functionality.
Stop conflicting browser extensions
Other browser extensions, especially ad-blockers, privacy tools, or password managers, can silently interfere with Grammarly's ability to load and analyze text. To identify the culprit, you need to methodically disable extensions one by one. Here's how:
Chrome
Go to the three-dot menu > "More tools" > "Extensions". Toggle off each extension one at a time, then refresh your page and test Grammarly. If it starts working after disabling a specific extension, that's the one causing the conflict.
Firefox
Open the three-line menu > "Add-ons and themes" > "Extensions". Click the toggle switch next to each extension to disable it, then refresh and test Grammarly.
Safari
Click "Safari" > "Preferences" > "Extensions" tab. Uncheck the box next to each extension to disable it, then refresh your page and check if Grammarly works.
Edge
Click the three-dot menu > "Extensions". Toggle off each extension individually, then refresh and test Grammarly.
Pay special attention to ad-blockers and privacy extensions (like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, or Ghostery), these are the most frequent offenders. Once you identify the conflicting extension, you can either remove it permanently or add an exception for Grammarly's domains.
Update or reinstall the Grammarly browser extension
If disabling other extensions doesn't help, the Grammarly extension itself may be outdated or corrupted. Updating or reinstalling it ensures you have the latest bug fixes and compatibility patches. Here's how to do it for each browser:
Chrome
Go to the Chrome Web Store, search for "Grammarly," and click "Remove" to uninstall. Then click "Add to Chrome" to install the latest version.
Firefox
Visit the Firefox Add-ons page, search for "Grammarly," click "Remove", then "Add to Firefox" to reinstall.
Safari
Open the Safari Extensions page, find Grammarly, click "Uninstall", then "Install now" to get the latest version.
Edge
Go to the Microsoft Edge Add-ons page, search for "Grammarly," click "Uninstall", then "Get" to reinstall.
After reinstalling, restart your browser and test Grammarly. This process removes any corrupted extension files and gives you a clean, up-to-date installation.
Fix the Grammarly desktop app (Windows and Mac)
If you're using the Grammarly desktop app and it's not working, the issue is likely related to the app's background processes or system requirements. First, verify the app is actually running by checking the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac), if it's not there, launch it from your Start menu or Applications folder. On Windows, ensure that Microsoft Edge WebView2 is installed, as Grammarly relies on it for rendering; if it's missing or causing issues, reinstall the Evergreen Bootstrapper version from the Microsoft Edge Developer website. On macOS, check that your system meets the minimum requirements: Grammarly for Mac requires macOS 11 (Big Sur) or newer, Google Chrome version 89 or higher, or Safari version 12.1 or newer, and an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, or newer) or Intel Mac from 2018 or newer. If your system meets these specs and the app still fails, restart your computer and try again.
Check for system and software compatibility
Outdated operating systems or browsers can cause Grammarly to stop working. Ensure your Grammarly app, browser, and operating system are updated to their latest stable versions, as outdated software can cause compatibility problems. The Grammarly browser extension is supported on Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, and works best with their latest stable versions; other browsers like Opera or Brave are not supported. If you're using an unsupported browser, switch to one of the four supported ones to resolve the issue.
Additional quick fixes for persistent issues
If Grammarly still isn't working after the steps above, try these final checks:
- Check text area size: Grammarly does not initialize in text areas smaller than 38 pixels in height. If you're typing in a tiny input field (like a search box), expand the field or move to a larger text editor.
- Disable Microsoft Copilot (Windows): Some users report conflicts with Microsoft's Copilot feature. If you have it enabled, try turning it off via File > Options > Copilot and unchecking "Enable Copilot."
- Restart your browser completely: Close all tabs and windows, then reopen your browser to ensure a clean session.
If none of these steps resolve the problem, contact Grammarly support directly with details about your operating system, browser version, and the exact issue you're experiencing, they can provide personalized assistance.
