Office Apps Crashing

Fix Microsoft Office Apps Crashing on macOS Sequoia 15.1

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs a solution to stop Microsoft Office applications from crashing randomly and preventing their shortcut icons from disappearing from the macOS Dock.

Product: Microsoft Office
Device & OS: macOS Sequoia 15.1
Scenario: Using Microsoft Office suite applications on Mac computers recently updated to macOS Sequoia 15.1.
Observed behavior: Applications including Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, and OneNote unexpectedly crash during use, and their respective icons vanish from the Dock.

Before you start

Ensure you have saved all open documents and have your Microsoft account credentials ready, as troubleshooting will require you to sign back into your Office applications.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Microsoft Office Caches and Keychain Entries

Corrupted identity tokens and cache files are the most common cause of random Office crashes on macOS Sequoia. Clearing them resolves the issue for most users.

macOS updates can sometimes cause conflicts with existing authentication tokens stored in the Keychain. Removing these outdated entries forces the apps to generate fresh, error-free credentials.

Quit all applications

Ensure all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, OneNote) are completely closed before proceeding.

Open Keychain Access

Navigate to the Applications folder, open the Utilities folder, and launch the 'Keychain Access' app.

Delete Office identities

In the search bar at the top right, type 'Microsoft Office'. Select any related identity or credential entries that appear, right-click them, and choose 'Delete'.

Clear app caches

Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and go to '~/Library/Containers'. Locate and delete the cache folders associated with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and other affected apps.

Restart and sign in

Restart your Mac, launch any Microsoft Office application, and sign in again with your Microsoft credentials.

Proven Solution: This method has been confirmed by multiple users as the most effective fix for stopping random Office app crashes on macOS Sequoia 15.1.

Solution 2

Boot into Safe Mode and Run Disk Utility First Aid

Safe Mode helps determine if background software or third-party extensions are interfering with Office, while Disk Utility fixes underlying filesystem errors.

Solution 3

Perform a Clean Reinstallation of Microsoft Office

If cache clearing and disk repairs fail, reinstalling the software ensures that any deeply corrupted application files are completely replaced.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Stable Mac Experience

If Microsoft Office continues to crash on macOS Sequoia, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly stable, lightweight, and free alternative that runs seamlessly on Mac while maintaining full compatibility with your existing files.

1. Download for Mac: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the download button designated for macOS.
2. Install the application: Open the downloaded installation file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
3. Open existing files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files to continue your work without formatting loss.

Highly stable performance on macOS Sequoia and Apple Silicon devices.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats including .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.Lightweight design that consumes fewer system resources and prevents freezing.All-in-one suite combining Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives in a single window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Microsoft Office apps crash specifically on macOS Sequoia 15.1?

Major macOS updates like Sequoia 15.1 can introduce compatibility issues with existing cache files or security tokens stored in your Mac's Keychain, leading to sudden app terminations or instability until those files are cleared.

Will clearing the Office Keychain entries delete my saved documents?

No, clearing Keychain entries only removes your saved login credentials and authentication tokens. Your local and cloud documents remain entirely safe, but you will need to sign back into your Microsoft account.

How do I restore missing Microsoft Office icons to my Mac Dock?

Open the 'Applications' folder via Finder, locate the specific app (like Microsoft Word or Excel), click and drag its icon back onto the Dock to create a new persistent shortcut.

Office App Problems