Why can I only open up existing Word documents and not create new ones or edit them on Mac?

Office is installed, but Word is running in read‑only (reduced functionality) mode because the license on the Mac does not match a valid, activated Office Home 2024 license. The Mac is still trying to activate a Microsoft 365 subscription instead of the one‑time purchase.

Use these steps to fix it:

1. Confirm that Office Home 2024 is tied to the correct Microsoft account
   • Go to the Services & subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services.
   • Sign in with the same Microsoft account that was used to redeem or buy Office Home 2024.
   • Verify that “Office Home 2024” appears under Services & subscriptions.
   • If it does not appear, check any other Microsoft accounts you might have used.
2. Remove any old or incorrect Office/Microsoft 365 licensing from the Mac
   • If this Mac previously used Microsoft 365 from work or school, the old license can block the new one.
   • Follow the “Remove Office license”/Mac license removal guidance referenced in the Q&A so that all previous Office/Microsoft 365 license files are removed from the Mac.
3. Uninstall the current Office apps from the Mac
   • Close Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
   • Open Finder → Applications.
   • Control‑click Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook → Move to Trash.
4. Install the correct (perpetual) Office for Mac apps
   • From the Services & subscriptions page where Office Home 2024 is listed, download Office for Mac again.
   • Alternatively, use the official Office for Mac installers for perpetual licenses (Office 2024/2021/2019/2016) as described in the “Remove and reinstall Office apps” section:
     • Download the appropriate “Office 2024 for Mac Installer”, “Office 2021 for Mac Installer”, etc., that match the product purchased.
   • Open the downloaded installer package and complete the installation.
5. Activate using the same Microsoft account
   • Open Word on the Mac.
   • When prompted to sign in or activate, use the same Microsoft account confirmed in step 1 (the one that shows Office Home 2024 under Services & subscriptions).
   • After activation, Word should allow creating and editing documents.

If, after reinstalling and signing in with the correct account, Word still shows “No licence found” and only offers to buy Microsoft 365, it usually means either:

• The product was redeemed to a different Microsoft account, or
• The Mac is still using Mac App Store versions expecting a Microsoft 365 subscription. In that case, ensure all Mac App Store Office apps are removed and only the Microsoft‑downloaded Office apps (from the installers above) are installed.

References:

• Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store
• What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac
• Why does office 2024 home for mac require activating microsoft 365 subscription? - Microsoft Q&A
• How can I install Home Office 2024 with my Microsoft Account with your directions. - Microsoft Q&A
• I purchased Office 365 business basic for my small business- I am the owner- I am unable to edit Word docs on my mac book - Microsoft Q&A