WPS Navigation Bar on macOS: Introduction

WPS Navigation Bar is the quick-entry area on the left side of the WPS Home screen on macOS; it includes 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	2	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	2	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	This feature topic does not include membership-only actions

About This Feature

Overview

The Navigation Bar is the built-in navigation area on the left side of the WPS Office Home screen for Mac. It shows commonly used app entry points and helps you quickly switch to a workspace or start working with a related document type.

Its core tasks include:

View navigation entries: See Home, WPS AI, Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, PDF, and AI Slides in one place.
Hide or restore labels: Keep icon entry points visible while switching text labels on or off.

Common use cases include moving between modules faster, keeping the Home screen cleaner, and reducing the time needed to find entry points.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Mac device that can run WPS Office
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac
Network	Opening the local Home screen and using basic navigation actions does not require a constant network connection; online or AI-related entries may require internet access
Other	WPS Office should be installed correctly, and you should be able to open the WPS Home screen

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install check	Launch WPS Office for Mac, open the Home screen, and confirm that the Navigation Bar appears on the left

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Provides fixed app entry points on the left side of the WPS Home screen, including Home, WPS AI, Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, PDF, and AI Slides, and supports hiding labels.	Word provides a Navigation pane for moving through headings, pages, and search results inside a document, and it can help reorganize document structure.	Google Docs provides a document outline for moving through headings in the current document and viewing its structure on the left.	Notion uses a sidebar to access workspace areas, search, pages, teamspaces, favorites, and nested content.	Acrobat uses a workspace and side-panel system to access tools, page navigation, and related panels in PDF work.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: The Navigation Bar is centered on Home-screen app switching across document types. Distinct: It can hide labels while keeping icon entry points visible to save space.	Compared with WPS: It focuses on in-document structure navigation in Word rather than a suite-level Home screen with multiple app entries.	Compared with WPS: It mainly supports outline-based movement inside the current document instead of switching between office modules from one Home screen.	Compared with WPS: Its sidebar is more workspace-oriented and highly nested, but it is not a fixed office-suite Home entry area for document types.	Compared with WPS: It is more focused on PDF tools and workspace panels, with less emphasis on a single Home screen for switching across multiple office modules.
Official Source	—	Use the Navigation pane in Word	View document outlines, rulers, & non-printing characters	Navigate with the sidebar	Workspace basics

Overall Conclusion
WPS Navigation Bar is well suited to users who want to move between office modules quickly from one Home screen. Compared with products that focus more on document structure or workspace management, it emphasizes centralized entry points and a compact display option.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable For	Main Pain Point	How It Helps
1	Open common modules quickly	Everyday office users	It takes extra time to look for Writer, Spreadsheet, or Presentation entry points	Use the left Navigation Bar to open the needed module directly
2	Keep the Home screen cleaner	Users who prefer a compact interface	Text labels take up space and make the left area look busier	Right-click the Navigation Bar and turn on Hide Labels
3	Start the right document type faster	Users who create files often	New-file entry points feel scattered	Click Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, or PDF in the Navigation Bar
4	Identify icons more easily	New users	Icons alone may be hard to recognize at first	Hover over an icon to view its label
5	Move between Home and AI entries	Users who also use AI tools	AI-related entries may be harder to locate quickly	Use WPS AI or AI Slides directly from the Navigation Bar

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free Users	WPS Premium
Show and use the Navigation Bar	✅ Available	✅ Available
Hide or restore labels	✅ Available	✅ Available
Access basic document entry points	✅ Available	✅ Available
Additional advanced tools	Depends on the specific feature set in use	Membership plans generally include more advanced tools and extended benefits

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Usage Scenario	Recommended Plan	Why
You only need the Navigation Bar to enter Home modules	Free	This Navigation Bar topic itself does not require membership for its main actions
You also need more advanced office or extended tools	WPS Premium	Suitable if your workflow goes beyond Navigation Bar usage and includes more advanced features

Membership purchase: Subscribe to WPS Premium