Outlook app for my personal hotmail account not working at all on my Mac OS Tahoe 26.6.2

Laura S 0 Reputation points
2026-09-17T15:20:28.8166667+00:00

Just tried to log on to check my emails on Sept 17 '26 and my Outlook app for my one personal hotmail account was not working at all on my Mac OS Tahoe 26.6.2. My MacOS did update about 2 days ago. I can't do anything on the Outlook App, can't toggle the Legacy button, can't use the HELP window, no emails or folders show, and it says my account is offline. Following the prompt sends me to link to purchase a new MS Office subscription, but I don't use this and that sales page also says it is offline and not working. User's image

Outlook | MacOS | Legacy Outlook for Mac | For home
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  1. Chloe-V 13,450 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-18T00:24:23.6666667+00:00

    Hi @Laura S

    I’m sorry you’re experiencing this issue after the macOS update. Please note that you do not need to purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription to use Outlook for Mac with a personal Hotmail account.

    First, sign in to Outlook.com in a browser to confirm that the account and mailbox are accessible. Then force-quit Outlook, restart the Mac, and temporarily disable any VPN or proxy connection.

    Next, open the Mac App Store, search for Microsoft Outlook, and install any available update. If Outlook still remains offline, remove only the Microsoft Outlook app from the Applications folder and reinstall the latest version from the Mac App Store. Please do not delete the Outlook profile or Group Containers folders.

    After reinstalling, open Outlook and add the Hotmail account again. You can ignore the page asking you to purchase Microsoft 365. The Legacy Outlook toggle is not required, and Microsoft recommends using the latest Outlook for Mac experience.

    If the activation page still appears after reinstalling Outlook, please feel free to get back to me, and I’ll be glad to assist you further.

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  2. Hornblower409 15,835 Reputation points
    2026-09-19T06:09:00.0233333+00:00

    @Laura S said

    I can't do anything on the Outlook App, can't toggle the Legacy button, can't ...

    Known bugs in Outlook for Mac 16.113

    • Prompted for a Microsoft 365 subscription
    • Can not switch out of Legacy mode
    • Outlook stuck offline

    Fixed in the latest release - Version 16.113.1 (26091740) from the App Store.

    See the Answer by "Hornblower409 Sep 17, 2026" in
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/6006979/free-outlook-not-365

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