macOS, iOS, iPadOS: Microsoft forces users of older Office versions to upgrade
Starting in July, Microsoft will shut down older Office versions for Apple devices: either completely or in read-only form. It needs to be updated.
Logo of Office 2019: Still in use because it is AI-free, among other things.
(Image: Microsoft)
If you don't like the current version of Office because Microsoft has equipped it with the AI assistant CoPilot, which is difficult to disable, you could previously use various older versions of Office on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, which were also available as a one-time purchase. But unfortunately, not for much longer: Microsoft plans to only fully support newer versions of Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and so on in the future. This involves completely shutting down some apps, while others switch to the useless "read-only" mode.
Old Office is still being used
Users of Office 2019 are hit the hardest. Its support actually ended in 2023, but it still ran on supported devices. From the cut-off date of July 13, 2026, this will change: it will apparently no longer be usable at all and must be replaced by a subscription. Office 2021, in turn, will land in the so-called "Reduced Functionality Mode." This means that documents can only be opened and printed, but editing, saving, or creating new files is not possible.
Videos by heise
In principle, the reduction in functionality also has to do with the operating system used. This will require at least iOS 17 or macOS 12 in the future, which are older versions that have security vulnerabilities. After that, an upgrade of Office is necessary for the apps to run as usual again. Those who want to continue using older operating systems can only use Office via the web as long as they are subscribers to Microsoft 365, because this service, in its full form, is not part of the single purchase. For Office 2019 customers, Microsoft recommends using the free version of Microsoft 365 in the browser or purchasing a subscription directly, provided their devices support the current Office.
Off to the subscription model
In principle, it makes sense to use the latest operating systems and Office versions – if only because of security vulnerabilities. However, Microsoft has increasingly shifted to the subscription business, where you have to pay monthly or at a reduced annual rate for the software.
It can be worthwhile to wait for sales events; for example, Amazon sometimes offers Office for free during its Prime Days, which is now also called Microsoft 365. Taking a look at the heise price comparison doesn't hurt.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
