Learn how to update to the latest version of Microsoft Office on Windows 10, 11, and macOS
Software updates are critical for keeping your applications up to date with the most recent features, performance enhancements, and security patches. Microsoft regularly releases updates for its Office suite. Check for, and install Microsoft Office updates using the steps below.
Note: While we use Microsoft Excel in this example, you can update through any of its Office applications.
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Turn on Automatic Updates
By default, Microsoft automatically updates Office applications to keep them up to date. This feature, however, can be turned off. If you have disabled automatic updates, we recommend enabling it again to have the most recent available version.
Enable Automatic Updates on Windows
To enable automatic updates for Microsoft Office on Windows, open Excel and click the “File” tab.
Next, at the bottom of the left-hand pane, select “Account.”
If you disable automatic updates, you’ll see a message under “Office Updates” that says, “Office will not update this product.” On the left, click the “Update Options” button.
Select “Enable Updates” from the drop-down menu that appears.
Microsoft Office will now receive updates automatically with each new release.
Enable Automatic Updates on Mac
To enable automatic updates for Microsoft Office on a Mac, open Excel and click the “Help” tab at the top of the system menu bar (not the Excel menu bar).
Select “Check for Updates” from the drop-down menu that appears.
A new window titled “Microsoft AutoUpdate” will appear. Automatic updates are disabled if the “Manually Check” option is selected. Select Automatically Download And Install.
Microsoft Office will now update automatically with each new release.
Manually Check for and Install Updates
If you want to disable Automatic Updates, you’ll have to check for and install any updates that Microsoft Office brings manually.
Manually Check for and Install Updates on Windows
To manually check and update Microsoft Office for Windows, open Excel and click the “File” tab near the top left corner.
Next, click “Account” near the bottom of the left pane.
Select “Update Options” next to “Office Updates.”
Click “Update Now” from the drop-down menu that appears. This option will not appear if you have disabled updates. If this is the case, click “Enable Updates” first and then “Update Now.”
Microsoft will now check for and install updates.
Once installed, you’ll see a message indicating that your Office is up-to-date.
Manually Check for and Install Updates on Mac
To manually check and update Microsoft Office for Mac, open Excel from the Dock or Launchpad.
Click the “Help” tab from the top system menu bar. Again, this isn’t from the Microsoft Excel menu bar.
Click “Check for Updates” from the drop-down menu that appears, and it will open the Microsoft AutoUpdate tool.
Click “Check for Updates” in the bottom-right corner of the window.
Microsoft Office will now check and notify you if an update available. Depending on how many Office apps you need to update, downloading and installing these updates may take some time.
Microsoft Office will notify you when the update is complete. You’ll see a message saying, “All apps are up-to-date.”
