signed in to Office 365 but can't edit docs

Verify that the Microsoft account currently associated with Word actually lists the paid Microsoft 365 subscription, then refresh Word’s license on the Mac.

1. Verify the subscription is attached to the account

1. Open the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services
2. Check that the paid Microsoft 365 subscription is listed as active.
   • Access to free Office web apps alone does not indicate that the account has a paid subscription.
   • If no license appears, check the purchase confirmation to identify the Microsoft account used when subscribing.
   • For a work or school subscription, the organization’s administrator must have assigned a license to the account. ^1^

2. Refresh Word’s local license

In the Word desktop app:

1. Select Word > About Microsoft Word from the macOS menu bar.
2. Select More Info.
3. Select Refresh License.
4. When prompted, authenticate with the account carrying the subscription.
5. Quit Word and all other Office applications completely, then reopen Word.

This refresh has resolved the same “subscription required to edit or save” condition on Word for Mac. ^2^

3. If Word still reports “subscription required”

Reset the saved Office licensing data with Microsoft’s License Removal Tool. This removes local Office licenses from the Mac; it does not cancel the subscription, but the account credentials are required to reactivate afterward.

1. Quit every Office application.
2. Download and run Microsoft’s Office License Removal Tool.
3. Open the downloaded .pkg file.
   • If macOS reports an unidentified developer, Control-click the file > Open.
4. Select Continue, complete the wizard, and enter the Mac administrator password if requested.
5. After the tool reports success, select Close.
6. Open Word and activate it using the account whose subscription was verified in step 1.
7. Restart the Mac after activation. ^3^

4. Reinstall only if activation still fails

The installation source should match the purchase source:

• Purchased directly from Microsoft: download Office from the Microsoft 365 Apps page using the licensed account.
• Purchased through Apple’s App Store: reinstall the App Store version instead. A matching-source reinstall resolved the same Mac message in a closely matching case. ^4^

For a Microsoft purchase:

1. Go to https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps and authenticate with the licensed account.
2. Select Install apps.
3. In Finder > Downloads, open Microsoft Office installer.pkg.
4. Complete the installer, open Word, select Get Started, and activate it. ^5^

The expected result is that Word opens without the subscription banner and allows both editing and saving.

References

1. [Activation](https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-activation-licensing/what-to-try-if-you-can-t-install-or-activate-office-for-mac)
2. Can not "save" or "save as" documents or files. I am prompted to renew my subscription which I did but still does not work - Microsoft Q&A
3. How to remove Office license files on a Mac | Microsoft Support
4. "Subscription required to edit and save" in MS-365, and error code 0x0 (Mac OS) - Microsoft Q&A
5. Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac