Microsoft Office 2024 (macOS)

This usually happens when the Mac is using the wrong Office license, or when an older Microsoft 365 or trial license is still being picked up instead of the Office 2024 perpetual license.

Use this path:

1. Check the license attached to the Microsoft account.
   • Sign in to Services & subscriptions.
   • Confirm that the purchased product appears there as Office Home 2024 or Office Home and Business 2024.
   • If that product is not listed there, the apps cannot activate against the perpetual license.
2. Check what the Office apps are currently licensed as.
   • Open Word.
   • Go to Word > About Word to identify the version.
   • Then open the app’s Account page and check Product Information.
   • If it shows Microsoft 365 instead of Office 2024, the wrong license is being used.
3. Remove the existing Mac license files again.
   • Use the License Removal Tool to remove all Microsoft 365 for Mac licenses.
   • Important: this removes all Office licenses on the Mac, so the correct account and password must be available before doing it.
4. Sign in again with the account that owns Office 2024.
   • After license removal, open an Office app.
   • Sign in with the same Microsoft account associated with the Office 2024 purchase.
   • If prompted to accept the license agreement, accept it.
5. If the apps still show Microsoft 365, remove and reinstall the Office apps.
   • Close Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
   • In Finder > Applications, move the Office apps to Trash.
   • Reinstall Office from the install option tied to the purchased product in the Microsoft account, or use the Mac installer package for Office.
   • Then open Word or Excel and sign in with the Office 2024 account to activate.
6. Confirm activation succeeded.
   • In the app, open Account again.
   • Under Product Information, it should show that the apps are licensed by Microsoft Office Home and Business 2024 or the corresponding Office 2024 product.

Important points:

• Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 can use the same app installer, so seeing “Microsoft 365” during install does not always mean the wrong product was purchased. The key check is what appears under Product Information after sign-in and activation.
• Office 2024 does not require being online for normal use after installation and activation, but internet access is required initially for installation and activation, and periodic reactivation is required. If reactivation does not occur, Office can go into reduced functionality mode where files can be opened or printed but not edited or saved.

If the Office 2024 license is visible in Services & subscriptions but the Mac still activates as Microsoft 365 after license removal and reinstall, the next step is to continue with Microsoft Support using the account purchase details and the current Product Information screen from Word or Excel.

References:

• What's the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 2024? | Microsoft Support
• [Select 'Use it now' button](https://support.microsoft.com/office/switch-to-office-home-and-business-2024)
• Update Microsoft 365 or Office on your macOS or iOS device | Microsoft Support
• How to remove Office license files on a Mac | Microsoft Support
• Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store | Microsoft Support
• I am asked to activate microsoft 365 - Microsoft Q&A
• I purchased Office 2024 Home and Business, but MS 365 keeps installing instead why? - Microsoft Q&A
• Message to "Activate 365 to create and edit" - don't understand WHY??? How to fix please. - Microsoft Q&A
• Why am I unable to edit/save word documents and am being told I need a subscription, even though I own a license? - Microsoft Q&A