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Office 2021 for MacOS not available yet

You are the One

You are the One

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 25, 2014
633
795
In the present
I went on microsoft.com and bought standalone Office 2021 for MacOS that was launched today. Says on the Store page it's available both for Win and MacOS. DL'ed it, but the install-link complained that I'm on the wrong OS. Time to contact MS support. The following is from the conversation with MS support:




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Reactions: Le Big Mac and thebitguru
Yep, nothing in Microsoft Auto Update for Office 365 yet either. In fact it isn't even showing up on my Surface Pro! And no download links on the MS website either. Some genius marketing here, publicise a new product launch but make it impossible to find it 😆
 
I'm apparently searching the "wrong" way, but Microsoft's Office-related web pages seem to be rather hard to fine today or else the Office version info has gotten de-contented for Mac-specific details from what I previously remember.

EDIT: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/get-started-with-office-2021

The are still offering the Office 2021 for sale and the sale info above does differentiate between Mac and PC versions when you try to order the digital copy. I have a chat window open with them to see what they say!

EDIT again: Gave up on their automated chat agent. Too many buttons to click before you can chat with a human or more human-like chat agent!
 
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I purchased 2021 H&S this afternoon; got the "can't install, wrong OS" error. Called Microsoft; got quick refund. Support analyst was very good. After reading the posts in this thread, I decided to get the 365 Family 1-month trial version (and use that while waiting for eventual 2021 H&S). After the download, and upon installation, I was presented with two options: 365 or 2021 H&S. ;) I chose 2021 H&S; subsequent activation for Excel and Word was successful.
 
Wonder when those of us on Office 365 who downloaded from the App Store will see it automatically updated? I'm guessing in a few weeks.
 
Today I could download Office 2021 Standalone for MacOS. I could also install it, however I couldn't manage to activate it due to communications error with their licensing sever.

Screenshot 2021-10-08 at 16.00.12.jpg


After one hour of having a poor customer agent trying everything to install, re-install, install on another user account etc. I gave up. He even asked to remotely log on to my Mac, which I said no thank you to since that wouldn't fix their failing licensing server.

I got my refund and now have to continue to use the crappy Office365 apps that makes almost a hundred connections to different Microsoft servers in order to run a simple Word-processor. At least it runs for a few days before it's time to re-collect my private information again.

I also tried to reach them on the phone which was hilarious, in the one un-successful call I made I had to tell them three (3) time that I'm not ok with them recording the call and sharing it with anyone in the world that have a professional relationship to Microsoft.

At least I didn't have to wear a mask or show a vaxx-passport to get customer service. That was a positive.
 
o man. Dat chat iz so cringe. Do ppl actually talk like dis n expect csr 2 treat dem srsly? ( : ( :

I hear so many complain about how CSR just hung up on them etc.
 
lankox said:
Did this ever get resolved?
Click to expand...
I am yet to be convinced that Office 2021 for Mac actually exists. Looking at this page, it is clear that Microsoft is considering the update history and on this page the release notes to be identical between the Office 2019 for Mac and Office 2021 for Mac. See the sections titled "Note" on those pages.
 
I suspect there is no 2021 set of binaries. It is likely just the same versions you can download now with the 2021 features unlocked by the 2021 license.
 
Office 365 on my M1 MBP sometimes launches within 1 second and other times it takes 6-7 seconds to launch. Someone surmised that the apps have to "phone-in" back to Microsoft periodically due to the subscription nature of the software. I'm wondering if the 2021 license resolves this??
 
-Ryan- said:
I am yet to be convinced that Office 2021 for Mac actually exists. Looking at this page, it is clear that Microsoft is considering the update history and on this page the release notes to be identical between the Office 2019 for Mac and Office 2021 for Mac. See the sections titled "Note" on those pages.
Click to expand...

Office Mac 2019 and Office Mac 2021 are licenses only.

Microsoft Office for Mac is still on Version 16. I have not heard any news about Version 17 coming out any time soon.
 
SpotOnT said:
Office Mac 2019 and Office Mac 2021 are licenses only.

Microsoft Office for Mac is still on Version 16. I have not heard any news about Version 17 coming out any time soon.
Click to expand...
Do you know if I install a 2021 licence will I get the features listed here?
 
-Ryan- said:
Do you know if I install a 2021 licence will I get the features listed here?
Click to expand...

I haven't installed Office 2021 yet (still waiting for my new MacBook Pro), so I can't answer that - sorry.

Since Microsoft says you will get those features, though, I assume you will get them soon. I think you might just need to wait for another update cycle or two (they do monthly updates). I am guessing the next update (mid Nov.) will include the 2021 Office features, shed support for Mojave and also branch Office 2019 to security updates only with 16.54.XX releases.

Edit: To clarify, there is only one version/installer of Office for Mac that everyone downloads. All features are already available using a 365 license. Office 2019 and Office 2021 licenses don't activate all the features. I am guessing that the feature set that will be included in Office 2021 just hasn't been included in the Oct. update, but will become useable starting with the Nov., or since this is Microsoft, possibly Dec. update.
 
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