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For a personal Windows installation, open an Office app and use File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. On a Mac, use Help > Check for Updates in Microsoft AutoUpdate. On iPhone or iPad, update the apps from the App Store. If the update controls are missing, the device may be using a volume licence or workplace policy, so an administrator may need to intervene.
What an Office update changes—and why it matters
Office updates include security fixes, reliability corrections and, for Microsoft 365 subscribers, new features. A security fix can close a vulnerability in Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint or a shared Office component. Installing it reduces the time your computer runs with a known weakness.
Updating Office is separate from upgrading Windows or macOS. The Office updater installs the build assigned to your product and update channel. Microsoft releases builds in stages, and Windows and Mac follow different release schedules. A build can therefore be available to some users before it appears on another computer. Work and school administrators can also defer or control deployment.
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Do not confuse product support with operating-system support. An Office app can still receive fixes on an older operating system for a limited period, but unsupported operating systems eventually stop receiving Office updates even when the app itself remains installed.
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Quick update paths by device
| Device and installation | Where to update | What to select |
|---|---|---|
| Windows desktop, personal installation | Any Office app: File > Account (Classic Outlook uses Office Account) | Update Options > Update Now |
| Windows when updates were disabled | Same Account page | Enable Updates, then Update Options > Update Now |
| Mac installed from Microsoft | Any Office app: Help > Check for Updates | In Microsoft AutoUpdate, choose Update or Update All |
| Mac installed from the Mac App Store | Mac App Store | Use App Store automatic updates or start an update manually |
| iPhone or iPad | App Store, profile picture, then the Microsoft 365 app list | Update beside an app or Update All |
Close the status window after a Windows update finishes. On a Mac, restart the Office app when Microsoft AutoUpdate asks you to do so. On iPhone and iPad, sign in again if the App Store prompts for your account.
Before you start
- Connect to a reliable internet connection. A failed download can leave the app on its old build without displaying an obvious error.
- Save documents and close Word, Excel, Outlook and other Office apps when the updater requests it. Files that are open can prevent replacement of program files.
- Check that the device has enough free storage for the downloaded package and temporary installation files.
- Restart the computer if Office has been running for a long time or if another update is waiting for a reboot.
- On a work or school device, expect the update to be governed by your organization rather than by the button in the Office app.
How to update Office and Microsoft 365 on Windows
Run the built-in updater
- Open Word, Excel, Outlook or another installed Office app.
- Select File, then Account. In Classic Outlook, the page may be labelled Office Account.
- Find Update Options in the Product Information area and select Update Now.
- Let Office check for, download and install the current build. You may continue working until the installer asks you to close Office programs.
- When the status window reports completion, close it. Reopen the Office apps that you closed and save any work before restarting them.
The update command checks the channel assigned to that installation. It does not necessarily install the newest build released to every Microsoft 365 customer on the same day, because deployment is staged.
If the page says Enable Updates
Enable Updates means automatic updating was switched off for that installation. Select it first. After the control changes back to the normal update state, select Update Options > Update Now. If the enable command is unavailable or immediately reverts, an organization policy or a damaged installation may be controlling the setting.
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When the Account page contains only About and no Update Options, Microsoft identifies two common explanations: the copy is a volume-licence installation, or a company is managing Microsoft 365 or Office updates through Group Policy. In either case, repeatedly opening Word will not restore the button. A volume-licence administrator or your IT help desk must use the organization’s approved deployment method.
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Check the installed build
Return to File > Account after the update and review the Product Information area. The displayed product name and version provide useful evidence to an administrator or support technician when an update appears to have stalled. Do not uninstall Office merely because a newly released build is not visible yet; staged rollout and channel policy can explain the difference.
How to update Office and Microsoft 365 on macOS
Microsoft-installed copy
- Open Word, Excel, Outlook or another Office app.
- Choose Help > Check for Updates. This launches Microsoft AutoUpdate.
- In AutoUpdate, select Update for the listed app or Update All for every Microsoft application offered.
- Allow the download and installation to finish. Quit and restart the Office app if prompted.
Microsoft AutoUpdate can offer updates on a different schedule from Windows Office. A Mac that does not show a particular build immediately is not necessarily broken; release waves and the supported macOS version both affect availability.
Mac App Store installation
If you obtained Word, Excel, PowerPoint or another Office app from the Mac App Store, App Store updating handles the application. Open the App Store and use its Updates area, or leave automatic updates enabled. Do not run two competing installation methods for the same app if doing so creates duplicate copies or conflicting update prompts.
macOS version requirement
Starting with the September 2025 Office for Mac update, identified as version 16.101, Microsoft requires macOS Sonoma or later for Office updates. Older, unsupported macOS releases receive no further Office updates, including security updates. Microsoft supports the three most recent major macOS versions for Microsoft 365 and Office for Mac; that supported set moves forward as Apple releases new major versions. If AutoUpdate reports that the operating system is unsupported, upgrading macOS to a supported release is the prerequisite for receiving later Office fixes.
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How to update Microsoft 365 apps on iPhone and iPad
- Open the App Store.
- Tap your profile picture or account icon.
- Scroll to the Microsoft 365 apps listed for pending updates.
- Tap Update beside an individual app, or tap Update All.
- Enter your Apple Account credentials if requested, then open the app after installation completes. Sign in again if Microsoft 365 asks for your account.
iOS and iPadOS app updates are delivered through the App Store rather than through the Windows or Mac Office updater. Updating one app does not automatically update every Microsoft 365 app unless you choose Update All or have App Store automatic updates enabled.
Support boundaries you need to know
Windows 10
Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, but Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 continue receiving security updates through October 10, 2028. That exception applies to Microsoft 365 Apps; it does not extend general Windows 10 support or make the operating system current for other software. Plan a move to a supported Windows release before that Office-update window closes.
Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
These Windows versions no longer receive Office feature, security or quality updates. If Office is installed on one of them, the normal update command cannot provide current security protection. The practical remedy is to move the computer to a supported Windows version and use an Office edition that supports it.
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Office 2024 versus a Microsoft 365 subscription
| Option | Security updates | Feature model | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office 2024 | Security updates during its supported period | No new feature upgrades included after purchase | A user who prefers a one-time purchase and a stable feature set |
| Microsoft 365 subscription | Ongoing security updates and bug fixes | Latest features and continuing updates | A user who wants continuously updated desktop apps |
Microsoft describes the subscription model as providing the latest features, new tools, security updates and bug fixes. A one-time Office purchase can remain secure when it is within its supported period and receives the applicable patches, but it is not a route to every future feature.
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Why an Office update can appear stuck or unavailable
Basic recovery sequence
- Confirm internet access and free disk space.
- Save work and close all Office apps, including Outlook.
- Restart the computer.
- Run the platform-specific update procedure again: File > Account > Update Options > Update Now on Windows, or Help > Check for Updates on a Mac.
A restart clears locked files and pending installer operations. It is a useful first recovery step, but it cannot override a policy that intentionally delays updates.
Microsoft 365 Apps more than 90 days behind on Windows
For Microsoft 365 Apps on the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel, Microsoft says an installation that is more than 90 days out of date may receive an optional Microsoft 365 Apps update through Windows Update. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options and inspect optional updates. This package is delivered by Windows Update, but it is not a Windows operating-system update and it does not change the Office update channel assigned to the installation.
If the optional update is not offered, continue with the Office Account updater after restarting and check whether the device is managed. The absence of an optional package does not prove that Office has no security fixes; eligibility depends on the product, channel and deployment state.
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Microsoft paused rollout of KB5002907 after unexpected results on some Office 2016 and Office 2019 devices. Do not assume that every computer needs the same action. If that knowledge-base update is relevant to your installation, follow the remediation guidance published with the KB rather than forcing or removing packages indiscriminately.
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When the updater repeatedly fails
- Check whether another Office process remains open in the background and close it before retrying.
- Verify that security software, a proxy or a restricted network is not blocking Microsoft update traffic; try a trusted network if your organization permits it.
- Make enough disk space available for both the download and temporary installation files.
- Record the product name, displayed version and any error text before contacting support.
- On a managed computer, stop after the basic checks and contact the administrator instead of installing a separate copy of Office. A second installation can create licensing and policy conflicts.
When work or school controls the update
Organizations can use Group Policy, Cloud Update or other deployment settings to select an update channel, defer a release, approve a particular build or schedule installation outside working hours. The local Update Now button may be disabled, absent or appear to succeed while policy waits for a later deployment window.
Ask your IT administrator which channel and build the organization supports, whether a restart is required, and whether you should leave the device connected to the corporate network or virtual private network. Provide the exact symptom—such as “only About appears,” an error number, or a version that is more than 90 days old—so the administrator can distinguish policy from a failed download.
Do not bypass organizational controls by downloading an unrelated installer or changing registry settings. Those actions can violate company policy, break activation, or put the computer outside the security baseline that IT monitors.
A practical decision guide
Use the normal Office updater when
- You own the Windows or Mac computer and the update controls are visible.
- The operating system is within Microsoft’s supported range.
- You need the current security fixes for the assigned Office channel and can close the apps.
Check the operating system first when
- You use Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1.
- You use a Mac older than the three macOS major versions Microsoft currently supports.
- AutoUpdate specifically says that the operating system is unsupported.
Contact IT instead when
- Update Options is missing and only About is shown.
- The computer belongs to an employer or school and updates are centrally managed.
- The device has been stale for more than 90 days despite restarts and a working network.
- An organization-specific knowledge-base instruction, such as the guidance for KB5002907, applies.
Keeping security fixes on schedule
For personal computers, leave Office automatic updating enabled unless you have a specific compatibility reason to pause it. Open an Office app periodically and check the Account or AutoUpdate screen when you hear of an urgent security fix; staged deployment means the update may arrive later than the announcement. Keep the operating system itself supported, because Office cannot supply security updates indefinitely to an unsupported platform.
For a subscription, expect the feature set and build to move forward over time. For Office 2024, install security updates offered during its supported period even though new features are not included. In both cases, the safest routine is simple: install the available update, restart when requested, and involve the administrator when policy—not the app—is making the decision.
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