Starting on July 13, users of Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac will experience significant limitations as the software enters a "reduced functionality mode." This change will prevent users from editing, saving, or creating new files, restricting them to only viewing and printing documents.
Microsoft Office 2019, released in September 2018, is now considered outdated, having ceased to receive official support as of October 2023. The decision stems from an expiring security certificate essential for validating Office licenses, which has not been updated for this particular version on Mac. In contrast, Microsoft Office for Windows remains unaffected.
Users of Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 are urged to update their software before the deadline to avoid similar restrictions. The company indicates that the lack of an update path for Office 2019 is the core reason for these limitations, despite some critics claiming that the deadline is self-imposed. Microsoft has also retracted previous statements assuring continued functionality for Office 2019, intensifying customer dissatisfaction.