Microsoft 365 activation

Office 16.88 is the last Office build officially supported on macOS Monterey, so replace 16.89.1 with 16.88 before attempting activation again.^1^

Install the Monterey-supported build

1. In Word, select Word > About Microsoft Word and confirm the installed version is 16.89.1.
2. Quit every Office application.
3. Remove the existing Office applications from Finder > Applications. This reinstall is different from the one already attempted because it replaces 16.89.1 with the final supported Monterey build.
4. Open Microsoft’s Update history for Office for Mac, locate the August 2024 version 16.88 release, and use the Microsoft-hosted installer for that version.^2^
5. After installation, verify Word > About Microsoft Word reports 16.88.
6. Do not let Microsoft AutoUpdate upgrade Office beyond 16.88 while the Mac remains on Monterey.
7. Open Word and activate with the Microsoft account attached to the subscription.

Although 16.89.1 can install on Monterey, Microsoft’s current lifecycle page identifies 16.88—not 16.89.1—as the last build supporting Monterey. Version 16.89.1 did fix some work-or-school account sign-in problems, but that does not establish a matching fix for a Microsoft 365 Home account that fails after verification.^3^

If 16.88 still fails after the verification code

Since the reinstall and manual cache reset did not resolve it, use Microsoft’s License Removal Tool rather than deleting additional folders manually. This removes all Office licenses from the Mac, so have the subscription account and password available first.^4^

1. Quit all Office applications.
2. Download and run the License Removal Tool from that Microsoft Support article.
3. Open the downloaded .pkg, select Continue, and complete the wizard. A local administrator password may be required.
4. When the tool reports that licenses were removed, select Close.
5. Restart the Mac.
6. Open Word 16.88 and sign in with the account associated with the active Microsoft 365 subscription.
7. If prompted to choose between licenses, select the Microsoft 365 subscription license.

Microsoft’s general Mac activation guidance also recommends resetting Office credentials through Keychain Access and running the Microsoft 365 Activation troubleshooter when activation fails after installation.^5^

If activation continues to fail

• If this is a work or school account, ask the administrator to confirm that an Office desktop-app license is assigned. Having access to the account portal alone does not prove that desktop activation is licensed.
• If it is a personal or family subscription, contact Microsoft Support and provide:
  • macOS 12.7.6
  • Office 16.88
  • the exact time of the failed attempt
  • whether the verification code came by email, SMS, or an authenticator
  • a screenshot of the error without personal information

No Microsoft document listed here identifies the generic post-code message “Something went wrong. Please try again” as a specific 16.89.1 activation defect. If 16.88 plus the official license-removal process still fails, support-side account or activation-service investigation is the appropriate next step.

References

1. Upgrade macOS to continue receiving Microsoft 365 and Office for Mac updates | Microsoft Support
2. Update history for Office for Mac
3. Release notes for Office for Mac
4. How to remove Office license files on a Mac
5. What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac