How to Revert or Reinstall an Earlier Microsoft Office Version on Mac
Question details
The user needs to remove a recent Microsoft Office update on macOS and restore a previous stable version to resolve update-related issues.
- Product
- Microsoft Office
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Encountering bugs, performance issues, or unwanted feature changes after a recent Microsoft Office update.
- Observed behavior
- The user cannot find a direct way to uninstall an individual Office update on Mac and requires alternative rollback methods.
Verify whether your issue is a simple settings change (such as a new spelling prompt) that can be toggled in Office Preferences before committing to a full software downgrade.
Restore the Previous Office Version Using Time Machine
The fastest and safest way to revert an update on Mac is to retrieve the pre-update application files from a Time Machine backup.
macOS does not natively support rolling back individual application updates. However, if you regularly back up your Mac using Time Machine, you can easily restore the older version of your Office applications from a date prior to the update.
Ensure that the external drive containing your Time Machine backups is connected to your Mac.
Open Finder and navigate to your Applications folder where Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are located.
Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select 'Enter Time Machine'. Use the timeline on the right edge of the screen to go back to a date before the Office update occurred.
Select the Microsoft Office applications you want to revert, and click the 'Restore' button. When prompted, choose to replace the current newer versions with the older ones.
Uninstall Current Office and Reinstall an Earlier Build
If you do not have a Time Machine backup, you must completely remove the current Office apps and manually download an older installer from Microsoft.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I uninstall just a single Office update on Mac?
No, unlike Windows, macOS does not allow you to uninstall individual Microsoft Office updates from the system. You must either restore the older application files from a backup or completely reinstall an older release package.
How do I stop Microsoft Office from automatically updating again?
Open any Office application like Word or Excel, navigate to the 'Help' menu at the top of the screen, and select 'Check for Updates'. In the Microsoft AutoUpdate tool that opens, uncheck the option to automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date.
Will uninstalling Microsoft Office applications delete my documents?
Moving the Microsoft Office applications to the Trash will only remove the software itself. It will not delete your saved Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or PowerPoint presentations. However, maintaining a regular backup of your files is always highly recommended.
Where can I safely download older versions of Office for Mac?
Microsoft hosts a dedicated 'Update history for Office for Mac' page on their official support website. This is the only safe and verified source to download previous, legitimate release packages for Office.
