Microsoft to Disable Office 2019 for Mac Next Month

Microsoft is set to disable Office 2019 apps for Mac next month due to the expiration of a certificate that validates Office licenses. Users of Office 2019 for Mac are being advised that they will need to either upgrade to Office 2024 or subscribe to Microsoft 365 to keep editing their documents.

Initially, Microsoft assured users that “all your Office 2019 apps will continue to function” when it announced the end of support in 2023. However, last month, the company quietly revised that statement, removing the assurance about app functionality and instead stating, “Rest assured that all your Office 2019 apps won’t lose any data.”

Beginning July 13th, both Office 2019 for Mac and Office 2021 for Mac will enter “reduced functionality mode.” This means users will be able to open files but will not be able to edit, save, or create new documents. This limitation will affect key applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.

While Microsoft is rolling out a certificate update for Office 2021, which remains supported until October 13th, 2026, Office 2019 for Mac users are left without support, as these apps reached their end of support on October 10, 2023. Microsoft has stated, “Office 2019 for Mac reached end of support on October 10, 2023, and no longer receives updates. Because Office 2019 cannot be updated to the required version, this issue cannot be resolved by updating or reinstalling Office 2019 for Mac.”

Additionally, it’s worth noting that older versions of Microsoft 365 apps on Mac and iOS will also be impacted by this certificate issue, but users can resolve it with a straightforward update.

While Microsoft frequently phases out support for software, it’s surprising to see no exception made in this case, especially since this certificate issue undermines the core functionality of an application that users have paid for with a one-time license fee.