Microsoft will soon restrict Office 2019/2021 capabilities for Mac users to read-only mode

Office 2019 and Office 2021 for Mac users face a critical change: starting July 13, their software will only permit document viewing and printing. Editing, saving, or creating new files in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote will be disabled for these perpetual-license versions. This functional reduction also affects some Microsoft 365 subscribers on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, who will lose editing and saving abilities unless they update their applications.

While Windows and Android users are not required to update software components to maintain full features, Apple platform users must install updates to continue editing in Microsoft 365. Microsoft recommends updating Office 2021 apps on Mac as well. The move highlights a shift away from true perpetual licenses, as Office 2019 support ended in October 2023 and Office 2021 support is scheduled to end on October 13, 2026. After these dates, feature access will gradually diminish, beginning with Mac users.

Those affected can switch to Microsoft 365’s free web version, subscribe to the current service, or purchase Office 2024 to regain document editing and creation capabilities.