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How to Install Office 365 on macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Question details
The user needs to locate and download a historical installer of Microsoft Office 365 that remains fully compatible with macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, as the latest versions no longer support this operating system.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365
- Device & OS
- macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
- Scenario
- Attempting to install Office 365 on an older Mac operating system where the current standard installer fails or prompts that a newer macOS is required.
- Observed behavior
- The standard Microsoft 365 download blocks installation, requiring the user to manually locate an older installation package (version 16.47 or earlier) from the Microsoft update archives.
Before beginning the installation, ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription and verify your exact macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting 'About This Mac'.
Download a Compatible Installer from the Office Update History
Use Microsoft's official release archive to download version 16.47 or an earlier build, which is compatible with macOS High Sierra.
Microsoft officially supports only the three most recent versions of macOS for the newest Office 365 releases. To install Office on macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, you must download a legacy installer.
While version 16.47 may work for some High Sierra users, version 16.43 is widely recognized as the final update officially guaranteed to support High Sierra.
Open your web browser and navigate to the official Microsoft page: Update history for Office for Mac (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/update-history-office-for-mac).
Scroll down to the release history tables on the page. Look for the release notes for version 16.47 (released in March 2021) or version 16.43 (released in November 2020).
Click the download link for the 'Office suite (with Teams)' or 'Office suite (without Teams)' next to the target version to download the .pkg installer file.
Once the download completes, double-click the .pkg file in your Downloads folder and follow the standard on-screen prompts to install the software on your Mac.
Launch any Office application, such as Word, and sign in with the email address associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription to activate the software.
Try WPS Office for Mac – Fast, Free, and Highly Compatible
If hunting down old installation files and disabling updates feels like a hassle, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, modern, and highly compatible alternative that works seamlessly on older Mac hardware without the heavy system requirements of Microsoft 365.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Navigate to the official WPS Office website on your Mac and click the 'Free Download' button.
- 2. Install on Mac: Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open and Edit: Launch WPS Office from Launchpad, sign in for free, and immediately start opening or creating Office documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will older versions of Office 365 still receive security updates on High Sierra?
No. Microsoft has ended support for these older builds, meaning version 16.43 and 16.47 will no longer receive security patches or new feature updates.
Can I install individual apps like Word or Excel instead of the full suite?
Yes. On the Microsoft update history page, you can choose to download the standalone installation packages for Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for that specific historical version instead of the entire suite.
Why does my standard Office 365 download say it requires macOS 11.0 or later?
When you click 'Install Office' from your Microsoft account dashboard, it automatically downloads the latest release. The newest releases require one of the three most recent versions of macOS, prompting the error on High Sierra.
