Office 2019 for Mac will turn readonly from July 2026 for users

Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac will enter a read-only state starting July 13, 2026, due to the expiration of digital licensing tokens. This affects core applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, limiting operations to opening existing documents and printing only—no modifications or new creations allowed. Affected users must migrate to newer software or subscriptions to maintain functionality, especially since Office 2019 is no longer supported as of October 2023.

Users have alternative options like switching to Microsoft 365 subscriptions or buying the Office 2024 suite. The decision has sparked backlash due to perceived changes in Microsoft's support communication, which originally promised continued functionality.