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How to Install Microsoft 365 on an Older Mac (macOS Catalina)
Question details
The user needs to install Microsoft 365 on a late-2013 iMac running macOS Catalina, which no longer supports the newest Microsoft Office release versions.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- macOS Catalina
- Scenario
- Attempting to download and activate Microsoft 365 on an older Apple computer whose operating system cannot be upgraded to meet current Office requirements.
- Observed behavior
- The standard Microsoft 365 installer fails to run or download because it requires a newer macOS version, preventing installation on macOS Catalina.
Verify that your iMac is specifically running macOS 10.15 Catalina and have your Microsoft account credentials ready for activation.
Download a Catalina-Compatible Older Office Release
Install a previous build of Microsoft 365 (such as version 16.43) that was officially supported on macOS Catalina.
Recent versions of Office for Mac support only the three most recent major macOS releases. For older operating systems like macOS Catalina, you must manually download and install an older, compatible version from Microsoft's update history archives.
An active Microsoft 365 subscription will still activate these older versions normally.
Open your web browser and navigate to the official Microsoft 'Office for Mac update history' page.
Scroll down the list of past releases and find a version compatible with macOS Catalina, such as Office version 16.43.
Click the download link for the Office suite installer package (.pkg) for that specific older version.
Double-click the downloaded .pkg file and follow the on-screen prompts to install the software on your Mac.
Launch any Office application (like Word) and sign in using the Microsoft account associated with your Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription.
Try WPS Office: A Lightweight Alternative for Older Macs
If installing older versions of Microsoft 365 feels cumbersome or you want a modern suite that runs perfectly on aging hardware without heavy system requirements, WPS Office is an excellent free alternative.
- 1. Download for Mac: Visit the WPS Office website and download the Mac installer.
- 2. Install the Application: Open the downloaded file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open Your Files: Launch WPS Office and instantly open your existing Microsoft 365 documents with full layout compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won't the Mac App Store let me download Microsoft 365 on Catalina?
The Mac App Store only distributes the most current version of Microsoft 365, which strictly requires one of the three latest macOS versions. To install it on Catalina, you must bypass the App Store and download an older installer directly from Microsoft's update history website.
Will my older version of Office for Mac still receive security updates?
No. Once a macOS version falls out of Microsoft's supported window (the three most recent versions of macOS), they no longer provide security updates or new features for the Office builds running on that older OS.
Do I need a product key to activate Office 16.43 on my older Mac?
Generally, no. As long as you have an active Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription linked to your Microsoft account, you can activate the software simply by signing in when prompted after installation.
