Microsoft is discontinuing Office 2019 for Mac, and the only solution is to make a payment.

      Office 2019 for Mac is nearing its end, and Microsoft has no intentions of preserving it.

      Microsoft stopped officially supporting Office 2019 for Mac in October 2023. At that moment, the applications continued to function, leading most users to overlook the situation. However, this will soon change. Beginning July 13, Office 2019 apps for Mac will be unable to edit, save, or create new files, and Microsoft is not planning to intervene.

      The problem arises from a security certificate that is expiring, which validates the licenses for Office. While Microsoft renewed the certificate and updated all other versions of Office to acknowledge it, they completely excluded Office 2019 for Mac.

      Is Microsoft compelling users to upgrade?

      A spokesperson from Microsoft told CNN, “Microsoft is not intentionally limiting or altering Office 2019; the product cannot receive the renewed certificate since there is no update path for an unsupported product.”

      I find that explanation unconvincing. Renewing the certificate shouldn’t demand extensive engineering resources, and to add to the frustration, Microsoft quietly removed a prior assurance from its website claiming the software would “continue to function.”

      Office 2019 was marketed as a one-time purchase, and many users who still use it simply prefer the fundamental Word, Excel, and PowerPoint experience without the AI features introduced in newer versions.

      Since most users only require basic functionality, they didn’t see a need to upgrade to the latest Office 365 versions. Now, Microsoft will compel them to either update to a newer version or, better yet, shift to its subscription model.

      What are your options?

      If you’d like to continue editing documents, you have two alternatives. You can subscribe to Microsoft 365, which provides the latest applications across up to five devices on Mac or PC.

      Alternatively, you can purchase Office Home 2024 for Mac or Office Home and Business 2024 for Mac as a one-time purchase, which is the final version that Microsoft currently sells outright. The downside is that it will only operate on one Mac.

      Due to these questionable practices, I have switched to Apple Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, which come complimentary with Macs. Nevertheless, I understand why some might feel the need to stick with Microsoft’s offerings. If your work relies on it, the only option is to accept the situation and upgrade to the latest version.