Why is my account not activated?

Sign in at https://account.microsoft.com/services with the Microsoft account used to purchase Microsoft 365, and verify that the paid subscription appears there before resetting activation on the Mac.^1^

1. Verify the purchasing account

1. Open https://account.microsoft.com/services.
2. Sign in with the email address used when paying.
3. Confirm that Microsoft 365 is listed as active.
4. Open Word on the Mac and select Word > About Microsoft Word.
5. Check whether Belongs to shows that same account.

If the subscription is absent, search your email accounts for the purchase confirmation to identify which Microsoft account was used. Payment alone does not activate Office when the apps are signed in under a different account.

2. If the subscription is active, reset the Mac’s stored license

The license-removal tool deletes all Office licenses stored on this Mac, so have the purchasing account’s email address and password ready first.

1. Quit Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and all other Office apps.
2. Download Microsoft’s License removal tool.
3. Open the downloaded .pkg file.
   • If macOS reports an unidentified developer, Control-click the file > Open.
4. Select Continue, follow the wizard, and select Install. Enter the Mac administrator password if requested.
5. When removal finishes, select Close.
6. Open Word or Excel and sign in with the account showing the active subscription.
7. If asked to choose between licenses, select Microsoft 365 for Mac.
8. After activation succeeds, restart the Mac.^2^

3. If Microsoft 365 was purchased through Apple

Do this branch only if the subscription appears under the Mac App Store’s active subscriptions:

1. Open the Office app through which the subscription was purchased.
2. Sign out of that app.
3. Close and reopen it.
4. On the Get started with Microsoft 365 window, select Restore previous purchase.^3^

If the purchase was a one-time Office license, Office apps downloaded from the Mac App Store are not compatible with it. Remove those apps and install Office directly from the Microsoft account associated with the purchase.^4^

4. Contact Microsoft if activation still fails

Use the Contact Microsoft support option on Microsoft’s Office for Mac activation page. That page also provides the current activation troubleshooter and recent-issue guidance.^5^

When contacting support, provide:

• The exact activation message or error code
• Whether the subscription appears as active online
• Whether payment was made through Microsoft or Apple
• The macOS and Office versions
• Confirmation that the license-removal tool was run

Do not post the product key, payment details, or account password publicly.

References

1. activate my 365 account for office in Mac - Microsoft Q&A
2. How to remove Office license files on a Mac | Microsoft Support
3. Restore previous purchase of Microsoft 365 apps or Copilot Pro for Mac, iPhone, or iPad
4. Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store | Microsoft Support
5. Activate Office for Mac | Microsoft Support