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Fix Office 365 E1 Co-Authoring Issues with Desktop Apps
Question details
Users are unable to use real-time collaboration features such as co-authoring, AutoSave, @mentions, and presence when pairing an Office 365 E1 license with standalone desktop applications.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365 E1 / Office 2019 / Office 2021
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to collaborate on documents using a one-time purchase desktop Office application while logged in with an Office 365 E1 account.
- Observed behavior
- Collaboration features including AutoSave, co-authoring, and user presence fail to activate or function in the desktop applications.
Verify your exact Microsoft 365 license type in your account settings and check whether you are using a subscription-based desktop app or a one-time purchase version like Office 2019.
Use Office Web Applications for Co-Authoring
Since Office 365 E1 only supports co-authoring natively through its web applications, switching to the browser versions is the fastest and most direct workaround.
Office 365 E1 is designed to provide web-based applications rather than fully connected desktop software. One-time purchase applications like Office Professional Plus 2019 and 2021 lack the backend connectivity to support real-time Microsoft 365 collaboration features.
Navigate to office.com in your web browser and sign in using your Office 365 E1 credentials.
Click on the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint icon from the web portal's left-hand sidebar to launch the browser-based version of the app.
Locate and open your document from OneDrive or SharePoint. AutoSave and real-time co-authoring will now be fully active, allowing you to collaborate seamlessly.
Upgrade to a Microsoft 365 Desktop-Enabled Plan
If working within the desktop application is strictly necessary for your workflow, you will need to upgrade your subscription to a plan that includes desktop apps.
Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Workflow
If Microsoft Office subscription tiers and standalone desktop app limitations are restricting your workflow, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative with intuitive cloud collaboration tools—available for free.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free desktop application for your operating system.
- 2. Open your files: Launch WPS Office and open your existing Microsoft Office documents without worrying about formatting loss.
- 3. Save and share: Save your documents to WPS Cloud to effortlessly share links and manage file versions with your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't AutoSave work in Office 2019 with an E1 license?
Office 2019 is a one-time purchase application that lacks the continuous Microsoft 365-connected functionality required for features like AutoSave and real-time co-authoring, which are exclusive to subscription-based Microsoft 365 desktop apps.
Can I co-author documents with users who have an Office 365 E3 license?
Yes, you can co-author with E3 users. However, because you only have an E1 license, you must open the document using the web versions of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to participate in real-time co-authoring.
Does changing my subscription to Business Standard fix desktop co-authoring?
Yes. Microsoft 365 Business Standard includes the subscription versions of the desktop applications. These versions fully support connected features like co-authoring, AutoSave, and presence indicators.
Will my desktop app update to support co-authoring if I stay on Office 365 E1?
No. The desktop applications associated with one-time purchases (like Office 2019 or 2021) do not receive feature updates for collaboration. E1 will strictly continue to support co-authoring only through the web applications.
