Microsoft Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac

Microsoft Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac is a one-time-purchase license for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook on one Mac, with business-use rights. It is also the oldest Office for Mac release we list, and it is important to know its limits before you buy: Microsoft no longer supports it, and the apps receive no updates.

Microsoft now requires Office for Mac version 16.83 or later to keep full editing. Office 2016 for Mac stopped at version 16.16, so it cannot meet that requirement and should be treated as view-and-print only. For a working one-time-purchase suite, Office Home & Business 2024 is the version to buy. This page explains what Office 2016 for Mac includes, its current status, and how to upgrade.

Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac: Quick Answer

Here is a summary of this license:

• Apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook for Mac
• License: perpetual, one-time purchase, for 1 Mac
• Use rights: home and commercial use
• Support: no longer supported by Microsoft
• Last version: 16.16, below the 16.83 minimum Microsoft now requires
• Expected status: open and print only; no editing or saving
• Recommended alternative: Office Home & Business 2024

In short, Office 2016 for Mac is not a practical choice for new installations. Choose Office 2024 if you need to create and edit documents.

Why Office 2016 for Mac No Longer Edits Documents

Office for Mac checks your license using a digital certificate. When that certificate expired, Microsoft delivered a renewed one only through Office for Mac version 16.83 and later.

Office versions that cannot reach 16.83 fall into what Microsoft calls reduced functionality mode. Microsoft states that apps in this mode can open and print files, but cannot edit, save or create new ones.

Microsoft’s support notice names Office 2019 and Office 2021 for Mac directly. Office 2016 for Mac is older still and ended at version 16.16, so it has no route to the required update either. Reinstalling or reactivating does not change the version.

What Is Included in Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac?

The suite contains four desktop apps:

App	Purpose	Current limitation
Word 2016	Documents, letters and reports	Open and print only
Excel 2016	Spreadsheets, budgets and invoices	Open and print only
PowerPoint 2016	Presentations	Open and print only
Outlook 2016	Email, calendar and contacts	Reduced functionality; no security fixes

Office 2016 also predates many features Mac users now expect, such as XLOOKUP and dynamic arrays in Excel, which arrived in later versions.

Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac at a Glance

Item	Details
Product	Microsoft Office Home and Business 2016 for Mac
Platform	macOS only
Number of devices	1 Mac
License type	Perpetual, linked to a Microsoft account
Commercial use	Yes
Final version	16.16
Delivery	Digital key by email
Editing and saving	Not available

Is Office 2016 for Mac Still Supported?

No. Microsoft no longer supports Office 2016 for Mac. It receives no security updates, bug fixes or compatibility work.

It was also released before Apple silicon Macs and recent macOS versions, so Microsoft has never tested it on current Mac hardware.

Microsoft’s guide to updating Office on macOS and iOS lists the minimum versions now required.

Office 2016 for Mac vs Office Home & Business 2024

If you are comparing the two, the decision is straightforward:

Feature	Office 2016 for Mac	Office Home & Business 2024
Edit and save documents	No	Yes
Security updates	No	Yes
Apple silicon support	Not tested by Microsoft	Yes
Modern Excel functions	No	Yes
Commercial use	Yes	Yes
Payment	One-time	One-time
Devices	1 Mac	1 Mac or 1 Windows PC

For any new purchase, Office Home & Business 2024 is the recommended choice. It keeps the one-time payment and business rights while giving you a suite that actually edits and saves.

Comparing other versions too? See Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac, Office 2019 Home and Business for Mac, or the full Office for Mac category.

Who Might Still Choose Office 2016 for Mac?

Very few buyers. It may only be relevant when you:

• Need a 2016 license on record for an audit or asset list
• Only want to view and print legacy files on an older, offline Mac
• Have tested and confirmed that view-only access meets your needs

For simply viewing documents, Microsoft 365 on the web opens Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in a browser at no cost. If you need to edit, save or manage business email, Office 2016 for Mac will not meet that need.

Upgrading from Office 2016 on Your Mac

Your files are not affected by reduced functionality mode and open normally in newer versions. To move to Office 2024:

1. Check your macOS version under Apple menu > About This Mac; Office 2024 needs one of the three most recent major releases.
2. Buy an Office Home & Business 2024 key and redeem it at setup.office.com with your Microsoft account.
3. Install Office 2024 from account.microsoft.com/services.
4. Open Word, sign in with the same account and let Office activate.
5. Open several recent files and confirm they edit and save.
6. Remove Office 2016 from the Applications folder.

If your Mac cannot run a recent macOS version, it cannot run current Office either. In that case, Microsoft 365 on the web or a newer Mac are the realistic options.

Delivery, Order Tracking and Support

Office for Mac keys are delivered by email and saved in My Account. You can follow any order with Track Order.

Unsure which version fits your Mac? Open a support ticket with your Mac model and macOS version, and we will recommend the right license. You can also browse our FAQs. For several Macs, the Bcdkey B2B wholesale program handles business orders.

FAQ About Microsoft Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac

Can Office 2016 for Mac still edit documents?

No. Microsoft now requires Office for Mac 16.83 or later for full editing, and Office 2016 for Mac ended at version 16.16.

Is Office 2016 for Mac still supported?

No. Microsoft no longer provides security or feature updates for Office 2016 for Mac.

Can I update Office 2016 for Mac to fix this?

No. Office 2016 for Mac cannot be updated beyond version 16.16, and reinstalling does not change that.

Does Office 2016 for Mac work on Apple silicon Macs?

Microsoft never tested or supported Office 2016 for Mac on Apple silicon, so compatibility is not guaranteed.

Are my Office 2016 documents safe?

Yes. Your files are unaffected and open in Office 2024, Office 2021 or Microsoft 365.

What should I buy instead of Office 2016 for Mac?

Office Home & Business 2024. It is a one-time purchase with Outlook, business rights and current Microsoft updates.

Is Office 2016 for Windows affected by this change?

No. The license certificate change applies to Office on macOS and iOS only.