Office 365 Apps on MacOS

Micheal Swart 60 Reputation points
2026-07-27T09:45:07.5533333+00:00

Good day

Hope all is well I we have a user that is trying to use office 365 apps on him Mac, the issue is the mac is out of date and cannot be updated further he is running macOS Big Sur 11.7.11, the Microsoft updater is asking to update the MacOS its stating MacOS Upgrade is required the user can still open excel however he basically receiving an error message stating that the excel sheet is in a view only mode and doesn’t allow for editing.

When the user opens excel, he receives the following error

User's image

User's image

I have asked the user to use the online apps for now so that I can get information on what needs to be done next,  to me it seems that this is happing because the Office on mac needs an update however because the mac is out of date the macOS can no longer be updated is there any way we can assist this user I work mostly with Windows computers and very rarely I’ll get an opportunity to play with a mac, I’m trying to get as much information as possible to make sure I provide correct information especially considering my knowledge gaps I have with mac, I was able to get some information as stated above.

The user could use his excel normally these past few weeks about from the 13th June, however recently this changed.

 User's image

What we know so far.

1)        The user’s laptop is out of date.

2)        The office requires the user to update macOS

3)        The device can no longer be updated, and this been tested the laptop is not receiving any new updates it only reports that its one the lates update.

 

So, beyond all reasonable doubt, the issue seems to be caused by the fact that the macOS is outdated and that the Microsoft Auto Updater requires the OS to be updated, therefore the user issue cannot be resolved.

 

This is my conclusion if anyone have some counter advice, please feel free to reply to this thread.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For business | MacOS
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Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2026-07-27T10:25:53.3366667+00:00

Hi @Micheal Swart,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on the information you've provided, your conclusion appears reasonable. The user is currently running macOS Big Sur 11.7.11, while recent Microsoft 365 updates require macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. Since the device can no longer be upgraded beyond Big Sur, it may no longer meet the minimum requirements needed to receive the latest Microsoft 365 updates.

Microsoft recently introduced a licensing certificate update for Microsoft 365 apps on macOS and iOS devices. If the required Office updates cannot be installed because the operating system is no longer supported, Microsoft 365 apps may enter a reduced functionality mode, which can result in behavior such as:

  • Apps opening in view-only mode
  • Inability to edit or create documents
  • Licensing or activation-related errors
  • Unexpected prompts requiring Office or macOS updates

As an initial check, please confirm which version of Microsoft 365 for Mac is currently installed. Microsoft recommends updating both macOS and Microsoft 365 apps to the latest supported versions. The minimum supported operating system for current Microsoft 365 updates is macOS 12 (Monterey) or later.

You may also try signing out of all Office applications, closing them completely, reopening the applications, and then signing back in with the user's Microsoft 365 account. In some cases, this can refresh the licensing information after the certificate update.

For reference, please review the following Microsoft articles:

If the Mac cannot be upgraded to macOS 12 or later, the practical options would be:

  • Continue using Office on the web through a supported browser.
  • Use another supported device that meets the current Microsoft 365 system requirements.
  • Consider replacing the device with hardware capable of running a supported macOS version.

Thank you again for your time and detailed troubleshooting. I look forward to your update.

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