Installing and activating Office for Mac

Office 2021 Home & Business for Mac is activated differently from the Windows version: you enter the key once at setup.office.com and it is saved to your Microsoft account. You download Office from there and sign in on your Mac with the same account. The whole process takes about 20 minutes.

Before you start

  • A Microsoft account — an existing one (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Skype) or a new one created in step 1. Remember which account you redeemed the key with: the licence stays with it.
  • Redeem the key soon after purchase — we recommend within 5 days.
  • Check that your version of macOS is supported: which version of Office runs on your Mac.
  • About 10 GB of free space and your Mac login password.

Step 1 — open setup.office.com and sign in

Open setup.office.com in a browser — on your Mac or any other computer. Click Sign in and sign in with your Microsoft account. If you don't have one, choose Create a new account.

The setup.office.com page with the Sign in button
First, sign in to your Microsoft account.

Step 2 — enter the key

Enter the 25-character key from the email, choose your country and language and click Next. The key is saved to your account. You only do this once — after that you no longer need the key.

Product key field, country and language selection and the Next button
The key is saved to your Microsoft account.

Step 3 — download Office

Open account.microsoft.com/services (Services & subscriptions). Next to Office Home & Business 2021, click Install. An installation file with the .pkg extension downloads.

Services and subscriptions in the Microsoft account: Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac with the Install button
Office is downloaded from your account.

Step 4 — install

  1. Open the downloaded .pkg file from the Downloads folder.
  2. Click Continue, accept the licence agreement and choose Install.
  3. Enter your Mac password when asked. Installation takes a few minutes.
The Microsoft Office installer for macOS with the Continue button
The installer guides you through the steps.

Step 5 — activate

Open Word from the Applications folder. Click Sign in and sign in with the same Microsoft account you redeemed the key with. Office checks the licence and activates itself.

Word for Mac with the sign-in window and the Sign in button
Sign in with the same account and Office activates.

Check: if Word no longer asks for activation and you can edit documents, Office is activated.

The screenshots are simplified illustrations. Your windows may look slightly different depending on your version of macOS and Office, but the labels and the order of the steps are the same.

If something goes wrong

  • setup.office.com says the key has already been used — check that you haven't redeemed it in another account of yours, such as a work account or an old Hotmail address. If not, contact us.
  • Word keeps asking for activation — sign out of Word and sign in again with the account the key is saved to. If there is an old Office or a Microsoft 365 trial on the Mac, remove it first.
  • Office won't install — usually the macOS version is too old. Check our article on Office for Mac versions.
  • Nothing helps — email us at info@litsenzi.bg with your order number and a screenshot of the message. We help with activation free of charge, and if the key really doesn't work, you get a replacement or a refund.

Don't have a licence yet?

Office 2021 Home & Business for Mac includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with a one-off payment and no subscription. All Mac versions are in the Office for Mac category. Windows programs don't run on a Mac — for a Windows PC see the Office for Windows guide.

The key usually arrives by email within 15 minutes during working hours, together with an invoice.