Summary
- On July 13th, 2026, Office apps on Apple devices may enter reduced functionality.
- Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 users can restore editing by updating the device and Office apps.
- Office 2019 on macOS, iPad, and iPhone will be view/print-only after July 13; no update fixes it.
The next few weeks are going to be a little weird for people using Microsoft Office on an Apple device. Because of how Office certificates on iOS and macOS work, the productivity apps will soon "lock themselves down" and prevent users from editing documents. The good news is that Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 users will get an update that fixes it. The bad news is that if you're still using Office 2019, your app will soon lock you out of editing, and Microsoft won't help.
Office 2019 users on Apple products will lose editing capabilities soon
People using Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 will be fine after some updates
On July 13th, 2026, Microsoft needs to perform a licensing update for people who use its Office products on Apple devices. Once that date arrives, the current certificate will expire, and people who continue using the app without updating will find themselves with a weird problem. As Microsoft explains on its Support blog:
Starting July 13, 2026, some users may notice that Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files – called “reduced functionality mode”. This happens when support for Microsoft Office apps is no longer continued for older operating systems or devices.
Microsoft states that this is pretty easy to fix for Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 users. All they need to do is update their device, then update Office. This should give your software a shiny new license, and you can continue using it as normal.
However, there is one problem. Office 2019 fell out of support on October 10th, 2023, meaning that users will no longer receive updates for it. That means that anyone still using the software suite is out of luck; the app will simply restrict people from performing important actions. Office 2021 users will lose support on October 13th, 2026, meaning they're still covered for this update.
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Microsoft explains what Office 2019 users can and can't do with their app once July 13th comes. People will be able to use Office 2019 to open, view, and print documents, but any further editing will be blocked. Microsoft adds that all of Apple's devices will be hit by this Office 2019 restriction, including macOS, iPad, and iPhone. However, devices outside Apple's ecosystem should still work just fine.
