Summary
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On July 13, 2026, Office apps on Apple devices may have reduced functionality.
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Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 users can restore editing by updating the device and Office applications.
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Office 2019 on MacOS, iPad and iPhone will only be viewed/printed after July 13; no update fixes it.
The next few weeks are going to be a little strange for people using Microsoft Office on an Apple device. Because of how certificates work for Office on iOS and macOS, productivity apps will soon “lock themselves” and prevent users from editing documents. The good news is that Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 users will get an update that fixes it. The bad news is that if you’re still using Office 2019, your application will soon lock you out of editing, and Microsoft won’t help.
Office 2019 users on Apple products will soon lose editing capabilities
People using Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 will be fine after some updates
On July 13, 2026, Microsoft must perform a licensing update For people using Office products on Apple devices. After that date, the current certificate will expire, and people who continue to use the updated app will experience a strange problem. As Microsoft explains Support blog:
It starts July 13, 2026some users may find that Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files in what is called “reduced functionality mode.” This happens when support for Microsoft Office applications no longer continues for older operating systems or devices.
Microsoft says this is pretty easy to fix for Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 users. All they have to do is update their device, then update Office. This should give your software a shiny new license and you can continue using it as normal.
However, there is a problem. Office 2019 ended support on October 10, 2023, meaning users will no longer receive updates for it. This means that anyone still using the software suite is out of luck; the program will simply restrict people from performing essential actions. Office 2021 users will lose support in December 2026, meaning they are still covered for this update.
Microsoft explains what Office 2019 users can and cannot do with the app after July 13. People will be able to use Office 2019 to open, view, and print documents, but anything beyond that, like basic editing, will be blocked. Microsoft adds that all Apple devices will be subject to this Office 2019 restriction, including MacOS, iPad and iPhone. However, devices not in the Apple ecosystem should still work fine.
