Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac will lose the ability to edit, save or create documents from 13th July

Microsoft ended support for Office 2019 for Mac in October 2023, which means the suite did not receive any updates after that, though users were still able to continue working on Office 2019 apps.

Well, this is going to stop now!

Microsoft Office 2019 lockdown for Mac

According to Microsoft’s support page, starting July 13, some users may notice that Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files. This is called ‘reduced functionality mode.’ This is due to the suite’s certificate expiration.

This issue will affect both Microsoft 365 subscribers on macOS, iPhone and iPad, and those with non-subscription software, including Office 2021 or Office 2019 on macOS.

The company has already renewed the suite’s certificate, but the fix is delivered through a software update. Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 users can simply resolve this issue by updating their device and then updating Office. But the problem arises for Office 2019 users.

Microsoft Office 2019 fell out of support in 2023, and hence, no updates are released for the suite, which means the users can’t update the Office 2019 suite to resolve the issue. Users will still be able to open, view and print documents, but they won’t be able to edit, save or create new files on Office 2019 apps. This restriction will be imposed on Mac, iPad and iPhone.

Microsoft Office 2019 users are suggested to either turn to the company’s free Microsoft 365 web apps, take a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, or make a one-time purchase of Office 2024.

Do note that this certification expiration will only apply to Office and Microsoft 365 apps on macOS and iOS. Windows and Android users are not affected.