Office on a Mac activates differently from Office on Windows: you redeem the key once, and from then on the licence lives in your Microsoft account. This guide covers the full process for Office Home & Business 2024, plus the problems we most often help Mac users solve.
What are the system requirements for Office 2024 on a Mac?
Microsoft supports Office 2024 for Mac on the three most recent major versions of macOS, on either Intel or Apple silicon processors, with at least 4 GB of RAM, 10 GB of free disk space and a 1280 x 800 screen resolution. You also need an internet connection to redeem, activate and update Office.
| Requirement | Office 2024 for Mac |
|---|---|
| Operating system | The three most recent major macOS versions |
| Processor | Intel or Apple silicon |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Disk space | 10 GB available |
| Display | 1280 x 800 resolution |
| Account | A Microsoft account to redeem and activate |
The "three most recent versions" rule moves every time Apple releases a new macOS, as described in Microsoft's notice about upgrading macOS to keep receiving Office for Mac updates. The cause and effect matters: if your Mac cannot move to a newer macOS, Office keeps working, but it stops receiving app updates once your macOS falls outside that window.
What is included in Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac?
Office Home & Business 2024 includes the classic desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, licensed for one PC or Mac as a one-time purchase that Microsoft describes as suitable for use at home or work, which suits freelancers and small offices.
Access is a Windows-only app and does not appear in any Mac edition. If you need it, look at Office Professional Plus for Windows instead.
Our Office 2024 Home & Business for PC/Mac key covers one device, and you choose whether it is a PC or a Mac when you install. It is not one licence for a PC and a Mac at the same time. If you only use a Mac and want the previous release, the Office 2021 Home & Business for Mac key is a Mac-only option.
How do I redeem my Office 2024 product key for Mac?
Go to setup.office.com, sign in with an existing Microsoft account or create a new one, and enter the 25-character product key from your order email, which links the licence to that Microsoft account so you redeem only once and reinstall from the account later.
- Open setup.office.com in Safari or any browser.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account you want to own this licence. Choose carefully, because the licence stays with that account.
- Enter the product key exactly as shown in your email and confirm your country or region and language.
- Finish the prompts; Office Home & Business 2024 should now appear under Services & subscriptions in your Microsoft account.
Microsoft confirms the key needs to be redeemed only once. What we commonly see is customers redeeming with a work email by accident and later signing in on the Mac with a personal account, which makes Office report that no licence was found.
How do I download and install Office 2024 on a Mac?
Sign in to your Microsoft account's apps page, select Install, then open the downloaded Microsoft Office installer package from your Downloads folder and follow the installer, which asks you to accept the licence agreement, confirm the location and enter your Mac password.
- Sign in to your Microsoft account at the Office apps page with the same account you used to redeem the key.
- Select Install apps, then Install, and wait for the installer to download.
- Open Finder, go to Downloads, and double-click the Microsoft Office installer .pkg file (the exact name can vary slightly).
- Select Continue, review the software licence agreement, select Continue again, then Agree.
- Review the disk space needed or change the location, then select Install.
- Enter your Mac login password if asked and select Install Software, then Close when it finishes.
If macOS says the package is from an unidentified developer, hold Control, click the file and choose Open. Office 2024 for Mac uses Apple's standard .pkg installer format, so it installs like any other Mac app package.
How do I activate Office 2024 on a Mac?
Open any Office app, such as Word, select Get Started in the What's New window, then sign in with the Microsoft account that holds your Office 2024 licence, and Office checks that account for a valid licence and activates automatically without asking for the key.
- Open Finder, go to Applications and open Microsoft Word.
- Select Get Started in the What's New box.
- On the "Sign in to activate Office" screen, select Sign in and enter the email address and password for the licence account.
- If several licences are listed, choose Office Home & Business 2024.
- Select Start Using Word; Excel, PowerPoint and the other apps share the same activation.
Microsoft's Activate Office for Mac guide notes that a one-time purchase licence cannot be deactivated from the Mac, and there is no built-in way to track which device used it. Keep a note of which Mac each one-time licence is installed on.
Why does Office for Mac say "Unlicensed Product"?
On a Mac, "Unlicensed Product" usually means Office found no valid licence for the signed-in account, or it found an old licence that conflicts with the new one, typically from a different sign-in account, an unredeemed key or leftover files from an earlier Office or Microsoft 365 trial.
Work through these checks in order:
- Account check: sign in to your Microsoft account in a browser and confirm Office Home & Business 2024 is listed under Services & subscriptions.
- Sign-in check: in Word, sign out and sign back in with exactly that account.
- Licence choice: if prompted to choose between licences, pick the 2024 one; a "key already used" message means that licence is assigned elsewhere.
- Edition check: choose Word, then About Word, and confirm the licence type shown.
An expired Microsoft 365 trial is the leftover we see most often on new Macs. The trial licence stays on the system, and Office keeps offering a subscription instead of using your one-time licence.
How do I fix multiple licence conflicts on a Mac?
Microsoft provides a free licence removal tool for Mac that deletes every Office licence file on the computer, so when you reopen Word and sign in with the account that owns Office 2024, Office picks up only the licence you actually bought.
- Confirm your Microsoft account email and password first, because you will need them straight afterwards.
- Quit all Office apps.
- Download the licence removal tool from Microsoft's article How to remove Office license files on a Mac and open the .pkg from Downloads.
- Follow the wizard, enter your Mac admin password if asked, and select Close when it finishes.
- Open Word, sign in with the licence account and choose Office Home & Business 2024, then restart the Mac.
The tool removes licences, not apps or documents. If problems continue afterwards, uninstall Office, reinstall it from your Microsoft account and sign in again.
Can I move Office 2024 to a new Mac?
A one-time Office licence is intended for one device at a time, and the Mac app offers no deactivate button, so to move it you uninstall Office from the old Mac, install from your Microsoft account on the new Mac and sign in again.
Remove Office from the old Mac before activating the new one, as two installs on one licence often trigger a "key already used" message, and contact Microsoft activation support or our team if activation is refused. Our Office for PC and Mac collection lists other editions if you need a second licence for another machine.
Frequently asked questions
Do I enter the product key inside Word on a Mac?
No. On a Mac you redeem the key once at setup.office.com, which attaches the licence to your Microsoft account. After that you activate by signing in to Word with the same account, and Office reads the licence from the account rather than from a key typed into the app.
Can I use Office Home & Business 2024 on a Mac and a PC?
Microsoft describes Office Home & Business 2024 as installed on one PC or Mac. You choose the platform when you install, and the licence then covers that single device. If you work across a Windows PC and a Mac, you need a separate licence for each device.
Will Office 2024 for Mac keep receiving updates?
Microsoft lists support for Office 2024 for Mac until 9 October 2029, provided your Mac runs one of the three most recent macOS versions. Older macOS versions keep running the installed apps, but updates stop reaching them once that operating system leaves the supported window.
Does Office 2024 for Mac include OneDrive cloud storage?
Office Home & Business 2024 is a one-time purchase of the desktop apps, so it does not include the extra OneDrive storage that comes with Microsoft 365 subscriptions. You can still save documents locally or use the basic OneDrive storage that comes with a free Microsoft account.
What if my key is rejected at setup.office.com?
Check that you typed all 25 characters exactly as shown, and that you are signed in to the account you intend to use. If the site says the key has already been redeemed, sign in with the account that redeemed it, or email support@licencehouse.com with your order number for help.