Microsoft Office Experiencing Activation Issues on Mac and PC [Fixed] - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Microsoft Office Experiencing Activation Issues on Mac and PC [Fixed]

by

Microsoft Office appears to be experiencing activation issues on both Mac and PC today, according to several user reports on Twitter. MacRumors also received emails from multiple readers affected.

Word 2016 Mac
At least some Office 365 subscribers who have attempted to use Word, Outlook, and other apps in the Microsoft Office suite have been prompted to reactivate their license, but the process fails to complete.

Affected users have encountered various errors while Office apps hang on "activating" or "looking for licenses," which eventually leads to a window that says "no license found," with seemingly no workaround.


The issue appears to be affecting not only individual users, but businesses and universities and with enterprise licenses.

Update: A spokesperson for Microsoft says "our team has addressed the issue and is continuing to monitor to ensure complete resolution."

Top Rated Comments

pete2106 Avatar
108 months ago
I moved on from Office long ago...
I hadn't used Office in a long time but I was given an Office 365 account for University and started using it again. It's really fantastic. Office.com blows icloud.com out of the water.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimmy Bubbles Avatar
108 months ago
I moved on from Office long ago...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btrach144 Avatar
108 months ago
I moved on from Office long ago...
I'm curious as to what you use now and have you tried office again recently? Office really has turned around in the last 3-4 years.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fairuz Avatar
108 months ago
IMO Office has a UI designed by kindergarten kids and a box of crayons, and Excel crashes way too much on Windows, never used Mac version, does it crash a lot too? Maybe it's just time to bite the bullet and move on. Why pay for something that is worse than all the free software out there?
Excel is definitely not worse than the free software, including Numbers. I've found no replacement for it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shirasaki Avatar
108 months ago
Bring back non sub
There is a non-sub version called Microsoft office 2016 professional.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
108 months ago
iWork is cool. So is google docs. However there is really no replacement for Word and Excel. Specifically with Excel, I love VBA being built in. When you’re also used to work with macros in Excel, why fool around and try to do the same stuff with AppleScript? That’s just not very productive to have to learn how to do things a different way.

I use the standalone version of Office 2016 on Mac and imo it’s as close to Windows product as it’s ever been. I have had some problem using some add-ons that work fine on Windows versions but nothing I can’t live without.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone Duo optimized apps Zoom Feature

Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo

Monday November 2, 2026 6:14 am PST by
Over the weekend, the video calling app Zoom was updated with iPhone Duo optimization. On the device's large inner display, users can now see shared content such as the host's desktop and other participants on a call at the same time. In addition, four Microsoft apps were updated with iPhone Duo optimization today: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Microsoft Outlook was already optimized ...
Black Apple Event Logo

Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry

Friday October 30, 2026 7:58 am PDT by
Apple faces Russian data retention and disclosure requirements after being added to the country's state surveillance registry, Bloomberg reports. Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, listed Apple and Microsoft on October 2 as "organizers of information dissemination," a classification that carries obligations to preserve communications and make data available to Russian security...
microsoft

Major Microsoft 365 Outage Continues

Friday November 13, 2026 3:55 am PST by
The worldwide Microsoft 365 outage continues, leaving users unable to access email and disrupting features in Teams, Copilot, and other services, although Microsoft says recovery efforts are making progress. Issues emerged on Thursday, November 12, with nearly 130,000 Outlook reports recorded on Downdetector shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern, according to the Associated Press. The disruption...
Latest Stories
Siri AI Still Not Enabled on HomePod Mini 2 With Latest Software Update
Siri AI Still Not Enabled on HomePod Mini 2 With Latest Software Update
1 hour ago
Apple Releases tvOS 27.2.1 With Siri AI for Older Apple TVs
Apple Releases tvOS 27.2.1 With Siri AI for Older Apple TVs
2 hours ago
Microsoft 365 Outage Resolving After Nearly 24 Hours
Microsoft 365 Outage Resolving After Nearly 24 Hours
3 hours ago
iPhone Duo Survives 450,000 Folds, but Hinge is Weakening
iPhone Duo Survives 450,000 Folds, but Hinge is Weakening
3 hours ago
Apple TV 4K Launch Day Deal Arrives at Amazon
Apple TV 4K Launch Day Deal Arrives at Amazon
4 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: HomeView and Apple TV 4K First Impressions
The MacRumors Show: HomeView and Apple TV 4K First Impressions
5 hours ago
YouTube App Not Working on Your New Apple TV? Here's the Fix
YouTube App Not Working on Your New Apple TV? Here's the Fix
5 hours ago
Apple Meets Thai Officials Over iPhone Spyware Warnings
Apple Meets Thai Officials Over iPhone Spyware Warnings
5 hours ago
Apple Shares HomeView 27.2 Release Notes With List of Features
Apple Shares HomeView 27.2 Release Notes With List of Features
5 hours ago
HomeView in Québec: Apple Says Canadian French Support to Arrive in Software Update
HomeView in Québec: Apple Says Canadian French Support to Arrive in Software Update
6 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Gets Big $250 Discounts Ahead of Black Friday
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Gets Big $250 Discounts Ahead of Black Friday
7 hours ago
Apple Says HomeView Sets New Record in Design-Focused Interview
Apple Says HomeView Sets New Record in Design-Focused Interview
7 hours ago
Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirTag 2 Hits Record Low Price, Plus Early Black Friday Sales
Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirTag 2 Hits Record Low Price, Plus Early Black Friday Sales
7 hours ago
iPhone 18 and 18e Coming in Spring 2027 With A20 Chip
iPhone 18 and 18e Coming in Spring 2027 With A20 Chip
7 hours ago
King Charles to Join Elton John's Apple Music Radio Show
King Charles to Join Elton John's Apple Music Radio Show
7 hours ago
Select 'Apple Home Collection' Accessories Now Available to Order
Select 'Apple Home Collection' Accessories Now Available to Order
8 hours ago
Major Microsoft 365 Outage Continues
Major Microsoft 365 Outage Continues
10 hours ago
Apple Launches Two Products Today
Apple Launches Two Products Today
11 hours ago
Hands-On With the New Apple TV 4K and Siri AI
Hands-On With the New Apple TV 4K and Siri AI
21 hours ago
Siri AI Coming to Older Apple TV 4K Models in tvOS 27.2.1
Siri AI Coming to Older Apple TV 4K Models in tvOS 27.2.1
22 hours ago
HomeView Launch Kicks Off as First Orders Reach Customers
HomeView Launch Kicks Off as First Orders Reach Customers
23 hours ago
Apple Continues to Move Up iPhone Duo Delivery Dates
Apple Continues to Move Up iPhone Duo Delivery Dates
1 day ago
Apple Explains How HomeView Keeps Camera Data Private
Apple Explains How HomeView Keeps Camera Data Private
1 day ago
Apple Releases Updated HomeView Software 27.2 Before Launch
Apple Releases Updated HomeView Software 27.2 Before Launch
1 day ago
Apple Adds Samsung Foldables to Trade-In Program
Apple Adds Samsung Foldables to Trade-In Program
1 day ago
Apple Sports App Now Features UFC
Apple Sports App Now Features UFC
1 day ago
Trump Says Tim Cook Should Be Nvidia CEO as Jensen Huang Resigns
Trump Says Tim Cook Should Be Nvidia CEO as Jensen Huang Resigns
1 day ago
Apple Releases Emotional 2026 Holiday Ad Featuring MacBook Neo
Apple Releases Emotional 2026 Holiday Ad Featuring MacBook Neo
1 day ago
Apple's Official iPhone 18 Pro Cases and Watch Bands Get Big Discounts on Amazon
Apple's Official iPhone 18 Pro Cases and Watch Bands Get Big Discounts on Amazon
1 day ago
Nintendo to End 'Sign in With Apple' Support in January
Nintendo to End 'Sign in With Apple' Support in January
1 day ago