Apps not working on new imac

On a new iMac, the most likely causes are an account/license mismatch, the apps being installed from the Mac App Store with the wrong license type, or Office needing an update.

Try these steps in order:

1. Confirm the subscription is active on the same account used in the apps
   • For Microsoft 365 Family or Personal, sign in to Subscriptions at https://account.microsoft.com/services.
   • If the subscription is not shown there, the apps are signed in with the wrong Microsoft account.
   • If this is a work or school subscription, go to My Account at https://myaccount.microsoft.com/, open Subscriptions > View, and verify a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 license is assigned.
2. Check whether the apps came from the Mac App Store
   • If Word, Excel, and PowerPoint were downloaded from the Mac App Store, they require a Microsoft 365 subscription to create and edit documents.
   • A one-time Office license such as Office 2019 or Office 2016 is not compatible with Office apps downloaded from the Mac App Store.
   • If this mismatch exists, the apps can show Action Required: We've detected a one-time purchase license and run in reduced functionality mode.
3. Update Office and macOS
   • Make sure the iMac is running macOS 12 or higher.
   • Close all Office apps.
   • If Office was installed from microsoft.com: open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate and install updates.
   • If the apps were installed from the App Store: open the App Store > Updates and update Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
   • After updating, open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint again and test.
4. If the apps show license errors or still will not activate, sign out and sign back in
   • Use the Microsoft account associated with the Microsoft 365 subscription.
   • If needed, choose Sign in with another account.
   • If this is a work or school account and no license appears, contact the organization’s IT admin.
5. If the Mac was previously used with another Office license, remove the old license files and reactivate
   • This is especially relevant if the Mac had a previous one-time Office install or multiple Office licenses were used before.
   • Follow the license removal guidance here: Remove Office license files on a Mac
   • Then reopen an Office app and sign in again with the correct Microsoft 365 account.
6. If only Outlook works and the other apps still do not open or edit files
   • Recheck that the Microsoft 365 subscription is visible on the account page.
   • If the apps were installed from the wrong source for the license type, reinstall the correct Office apps.
   • If downloaded from Microsoft, the installer can be started again from Microsoft 365 apps.

• Microsoft 365 subscription features aren't available in Office apps
• Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store
• Unknown Error 0x0 or License not found error in Microsoft 365 or Office running on macOS
• What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac