Word for iPad won't activate

Anonymous
2014-03-29T03:20:57+00:00

I downloaded Word, Powerpoint and Excel for iPad yesterday and purchased a 365 Home Certificate. I tried to activate Word and am always given the message "Cannot Activate. This account doesn't have a paid Office 365 subscription." Then I tried activating Powerpoint and Excel -- knowing if you activate one, they're all activated -- and those won't activate either.

I have the receipt and Order ID from Apple and their phone support has been great, including today, Saturday. But ultimately, they can't help, because it's up to the developer (Microsoft). Everything is fine on the Apple side.

I have done everything possible, from rebooting, to reinstalling, to resetting my network connections, without success. So I tried to call Microsoft Support (through a link Apple kindly supplied) only to find they don't work on weekends.

I've searched the internet for solutions, but the program is so new that I appear to be the only one so far with a problem -- or maybe no one's buying a 365 Home subscription for the first time.

Any thoughts that don't include all the things I've already done would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Don

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Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2014-07-08T14:32:22+00:00

Go to settings and look for the app there..  Do u see it?...  If so try doing a Word reset" and then reload or open from AppStore page..  Report back..

This worked for me on my iPad. These are the full steps I used:

  • Open up Settings
  • Scroll all the way to the bottom in the left hand pane, select Word
  • In the right hand pane, select Reset Word
  • Turn on Delete Login Credentials
  • IF you already have Word running on your iPad, as I did: Double-press the iPad's home button to bring up all currently running programs, swipe back and forth until you see Word, flick the Word screen up to stop the program 
  • Press the iPad's home button to get back to the home screen
  • Select Word
  • Swipe all the way through the introductory screens until it says "Sign in now" - select Sign in
  • Enter your e-mail address, selected "Next"
  • Sign in to your Microsoft account with your e-mail and password, select "Sign in"
  • Select "Buy Office 365"
  • At the bottom, select the "Restore previous purchase" link
  • Enter your iTunes password

Yeesh.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-10-29T23:22:01+00:00

    This did not work for me.  The Apple people sent me to the Microsoft account people, who sent me to the Microsoft iPad Office tech people, who said they do not support the trial version.  How are we supposed to use this stuff if it won't activate, but they won't help you get it activated?

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-10-30T02:07:32+00:00

    "Go to settings and look for the app there..  Do u see it?...  If so try doing a Word reset" and then reload or open from AppStore page..  Report back..

    This worked for me on my iPad. These are the full steps I used:

    • Open up Settings
    • Scroll all the way to the bottom in the left hand pane, select Word
    • In the right hand pane, select Reset Word
    • Turn on Delete Login Credentials
    • IF you already have Word running on your iPad, as I did: Double-press the iPad's home button to bring up all currently running programs, swipe back and forth until you see Word, flick the Word screen up to stop the program 
    • Press the iPad's home button to get back to the home screen
    • Select Word
    • Swipe all the way through the introductory screens until it says "Sign in now" - select Sign in
    • Enter your e-mail address, selected "Next"
    • Sign in to your Microsoft account with your e-mail and password, select "Sign in"
    • Select "Buy Office 365"
    • At the bottom, select the "Restore previous purchase" link"

    But the last part "enter your iTunes password" it did not prompt me to enter my password.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-02-08T20:54:45+00:00

    I've had the same problem.  Can't login and to fix account.

    tried all the solutions posted here...

    then an tried logging out, then opening a new OneDrive location and problem solved....

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-02-17T04:36:09+00:00
    1. Don't sign in with normal prompts, and just keep going past all the prompts to sign in and then click View when you see that option.
    2. Tap account in upper left corner of screen and sign in with normal MS identification log-in.
    3. Once signed in with your Microsoft account, go to Account again in the upper left corner of the app.
    4. Tap Add a Service and follow the MS log-in prompts to add One Drive again, regardless if you're currently signed into One Drive or not.
    5. This allowed me to activate.

    Microsoft needs to fix this bug as it kept me in an endless loop for hours trying the same thing over and over again. Clearly others in a 21 page forum have the same issue to one level or another.

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