On Windows, open an Office app and choose File > Account (or Office Account in classic Outlook), then select Update Options > Update Now. If the menu says Enable Updates, choose that first. On a Mac, use Help > Check for Updates and let Microsoft AutoUpdate install the release. On iPhone or iPad, update the apps from the App Store.
Security fixes are delivered through the same update mechanisms as quality and feature changes. If the update controls are missing, the computer may have a volume-license installation or an administrator may be enforcing an organization-wide policy. The sections below show the exact paths, platform limits, and recovery steps for a stalled or blocked update.
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Update Office on Windows
The Windows procedure applies to Microsoft 365 Apps and many retail Office installations. You can start it from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or another installed Office desktop app.
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- Select File, then Account. In classic Outlook, the page may be labeled Office Account.
- Choose Update Options.
- Select Update Now. If the only action is Enable Updates, select it, then return to Update Options and choose Update Now.
- Wait while Office checks and downloads the release. When the status window reports completion, close it. If Office asks you to close applications, save your work and allow the apps to close so installation can finish.
The command checks the update channel assigned to that installation; it does not let you choose an arbitrary build. Microsoft stages Microsoft 365 releases, so two Windows computers can receive the same security fix at different times.
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When “Update Options” is missing
If the Account page contains only About and no Update Options, Microsoft says the installation is either a volume-license edition or is managed by company Group Policy. A work or school administrator may also be controlling updates through Cloud Update or another organizational setting. In those cases, repeatedly running the personal update command will not override the policy; contact the IT administrator or help desk and ask which schedule and channel apply to the device.
Confirming what is installed
The About entry on the Account page identifies the installed Office product and build. Record that information before contacting support. It gives an administrator or technician a way to determine whether the computer is on the expected channel and whether the security release has reached it.
Update Office on macOS
For a Microsoft 365 or retail Office installation downloaded outside Apple’s store, Microsoft AutoUpdate is the normal update mechanism.
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- Choose Help > Check for Updates from the macOS menu bar.
- Microsoft AutoUpdate opens and checks for available releases.
- Choose Update for an individual app or Update All for every listed Microsoft app.
- Restart the Office app when prompted. Save documents first if the installer requests that applications be closed.
If Office was installed through the Mac App Store, App Store update settings can handle updates instead. Open the App Store, select your account, and install the pending Microsoft 365 app updates shown there. Do not run two installers at once; finish the update path associated with the way Office was installed.
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macOS versions that can receive current Office security updates
Beginning with the September 2025 Office for Mac release, version 16.101, Microsoft requires macOS Sonoma or later for Office updates. Older macOS versions do not receive further Office updates, including security fixes. Microsoft supports the three most recent major macOS versions for Microsoft 365 and Office for Mac; that supported set changes when Apple releases a new major version. If AutoUpdate reports that the operating system is unsupported, upgrading macOS to a supported version is the prerequisite rather than reinstalling Office.
Update Microsoft 365 apps on iPhone and iPad
- Open the App Store.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Scroll to the list of Microsoft 365 apps with available updates.
- Tap Update beside a specific app or Update All.
- If the app asks you to authenticate again, sign in and let the App Store complete the installation.
iOS and iPadOS app updates are separate from desktop Office updates. Updating Word on an iPhone does not update the Windows or Mac installation tied to the same account.
Why installing the latest security fix can depend on the operating system
Office support follows both the Office product and the operating system on which it runs. An otherwise valid Office license cannot make an unsupported operating system eligible for new security builds.
| Platform or product | Security-update position | What the user should do |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 | Microsoft continues security updates through October 10, 2028, even though Windows 10 itself reached end of support on October 14, 2025. | Keep Office updated through the Office account page, and plan the eventual move to a supported Windows release because the operating system no longer receives normal support. |
| Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 | These Windows versions no longer receive Office feature, security, or quality updates. | Move the Office workload to a supported Windows version; changing the Office update setting alone cannot restore updates. |
| Office for Mac on an older macOS | From version 16.101 (September 2025), Sonoma or later is required for Office for Mac updates. | Upgrade macOS to a supported release before troubleshooting AutoUpdate. |
| Microsoft 365 Apps on a currently supported desktop OS | Builds are staged, and Windows and Mac follow different release schedules. Administrators can delay or control deployment. | Use the platform-specific update command and allow for staged delivery or an organizational schedule. |
When Microsoft 365 is not updating on Windows
Work through these checks in order. They separate a local installation problem from a delayed rollout or an administrator-controlled schedule.
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1. Check the basics
- Verify that the computer has a working internet connection.
- Make sure there is enough free disk space for the download and installation.
- Save documents and close Office apps if the installer requests it.
After correcting one of these conditions, restart the computer and run File > Account > Update Options > Update Now again.
2. Look for a delayed Microsoft 365 Apps update in Windows Update
If Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows is more than 90 days out of date and uses either the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel, Microsoft may offer the overdue Office build through Windows Update. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options and inspect the optional updates area.
This package is a Microsoft 365 Apps update, not a Windows operating-system update. Installing it does not change the Office channel assigned to the computer. The option appears only under the stated age and channel conditions; its absence does not by itself prove that Office is current or broken.
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3. Treat KB5002907 as a specific incident, not a universal diagnosis
Microsoft reported that rollout of KB5002907 was paused after unexpected results on some Office 2016 and Office 2019 devices. If that knowledge-base article matches the product and symptom on the computer, follow its remediation guidance. Do not apply its steps to every Microsoft 365 update failure or assume that a paused rollout affects all Office editions.
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4. Escalate policy-controlled installations
If Update Options is absent, or the update repeatedly returns to an administrator-defined state, ask IT which policy, channel, and maintenance window apply. Group Policy, Cloud Update, and other organization settings can intentionally defer or stage security fixes. The administrator may need to approve the release, change the deployment ring, or repair the managed installation.
Why an update may not appear immediately
Microsoft 365 builds are released in stages rather than delivered to every device simultaneously. Windows and Mac have separate release schedules, and an organization can delay a build after evaluating it. A missing update shortly after a public release can therefore be normal. The useful distinction is between a staged rollout and a stale client: check the installed build in About, note the assigned channel if your organization exposes it, and compare that information with the schedule supplied by your administrator.
Do not switch channels simply to force a security fix unless the account owner or IT department has approved the change. A channel change can alter the timing and testing profile for future releases and may violate an organization’s deployment policy.
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| Situation | Who controls installation | Best next action |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Microsoft 365 or retail Office on Windows | The local user can normally run Update Now. | Use the Account-page procedure, restart if necessary, and verify the build in About. |
| Personal Office on Mac | The user or the Mac App Store, depending on installation source. | Use Microsoft AutoUpdate or the App Store path that matches the original installation. |
| Company or school computer with update controls | IT policy, Group Policy, Cloud Update, or another managed service. | Contact the administrator; local commands cannot bypass the assigned policy. |
| Volume-license Office installation | The license and deployment configuration determine the update mechanism. | Ask the organization or licensing administrator for the approved servicing process. |
Office 2024 or Microsoft 365: which update model fits?
The choice affects how security maintenance and new capabilities arrive, not just how the initial software is acquired.
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Microsoft’s comparison describes Microsoft 365 subscriptions as providing “the latest features, new tools, security updates, and bug fixes.” A one-time Office 2024 purchase still needs security maintenance during its supported period, but it is not a promise of perpetual feature additions.
A practical security-update routine
- Identify the platform: Windows, macOS, iPhone, or iPad.
- Check that the operating system is still eligible for Office security updates.
- Run the platform’s official update path rather than downloading an unverified installer.
- Save work and close apps when requested so the update can replace files safely.
- Verify completion in the update status window or by checking the installed Office build in About.
- If the controls are missing or a policy message appears, record the product and build and send them to IT or the help desk.
This routine keeps the security question separate from feature preference: a device can remain on an organization’s delayed channel and still receive its assigned security release, while an unsupported operating system cannot receive new Office fixes regardless of the subscription.
Common pitfalls and their fixes
Closing the status window too early
Wait for the completion message before closing the update status window. If Office asks to restart an app, save files and restart it so the replacement files load.
Assuming Windows Update and Office Update are the same
The optional Microsoft 365 Apps package in Windows Update is an Office delivery route for certain stale Current Channel and Monthly Enterprise Channel installations. It is not a Windows operating-system update and does not reassign the Office channel.
Using a Mac App Store path for a non-store installation
Use Microsoft AutoUpdate when Office was installed from Microsoft, and use the App Store when the apps came from Apple’s store. Matching the installer to the installation source avoids looking in the wrong update catalog.
Expecting a new feature to prove that a security fix installed
Security and quality fixes can arrive without a visible feature change. Confirm the build or the completed update status instead of judging success by the user interface.
Reinstalling before checking operating-system eligibility
Reinstallation does not restore updates on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or unsupported macOS versions. Check the support requirements first; upgrade the operating system when it is the limiting factor.
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