How to download, install and activate Office 2016 Home and Business for Mac
Check first that the Mac has an Intel processor, because this release does not run on Apple silicon. Then redeem your 25-character key at setup.office.com, install the .pkg from account.microsoft.com, and sign in inside Word with the same account to activate. Allow 15 to 25 minutes.
| Official download | setup.office.com to redeem, account.microsoft.com to install |
|---|---|
| Installer type | .pkg named “Microsoft Office installer” |
| Time needed | 15 to 25 minutes, most of it downloading |
| Activation | Automatic once you sign in inside Word |
| Works on | Intel Macs only, not Apple silicon |
| Free help | Email every day, phone Mon–Fri 9am–6pm ET |
Before you start
Two things to be straight about. This release is Intel-only, so it will not run on an M1 chip or later, and Microsoft ended support for it in October 2020, so no more security updates are issued. On an older Intel Mac it still does the job. If you need something current, the Office 2021 for Mac guide covers it.
- An Intel Mac. Apple menu, About This Mac. An M-series chip means this release will not run.
- Your 25-character product key. In your order email and in your account on our site.
- A Microsoft account you will remember. The license binds to it permanently.
- About 10 GB of free disk space. Plus your Mac administrator password.
- No older Office on the Mac. Drag any previous Office apps to the Trash before you begin.
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel only, no Apple silicon |
| Operating system | An older macOS. Check Microsoft’s system requirements page before installing |
| Disk space | About 10 GB free |
| Apps included | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook |
| Support status | Ended October 2020 |
Redeem the key and start the office 2016 mac download
The key is never typed into the apps. You redeem it on Microsoft’s site, which ties the license to your account.
- Check the Mac has an Intel processor first. Office 2016 for mac is Intel-only. Open the Apple menu, About This Mac. If it names an M1 chip or later, stop here: this release will not run.
- Open setup.office.com on that Mac. This is Microsoft’s own site and the only place your key is typed. The license is account-bound, so the key never goes into Word.
- Sign in with a Microsoft account. Use an existing one or create a free account. Note the address, because the license binds to it permanently.
- Enter the 25-character key and confirm. Copy it from your order email. Dashes are added for you and case does not matter.
- Click Install to start the office 2016 mac download. A .pkg lands in Downloads. If you closed that page, use the Install button at account.microsoft.com.
The file carries Microsoft’s generic Microsoft 365 and Office name. That is normal and it is the right download. It activates as Office 2016 when your account signs in.
Install Office on your Intel Mac
The .pkg behaves like any other Mac installer. Nothing here asks for a product key, which is normal for an account-bound license.
- Open the installer. In Finder, open Downloads and double-click the Microsoft Office installer .pkg.
- Work through the panels. Click Continue, read the license agreement, click Continue again and then Agree.
- Click Install. Leave the default location alone. The Applications folder is where the apps find their license.
- Enter your Mac password. macOS wants an administrator password here, not your Microsoft account password. Wait for the success message.
If macOS puts up a security prompt, open System Settings, Privacy and Security, and click Allow. Keep the Mac awake until the installer reports success.
Activate Office 2016 for Mac by signing in
The apps are installed but not licensed. Signing in with the account you redeemed on turns the trial screen into a full copy, so use that exact address.
- Open Word. Launch it from Launchpad or Applications. Any app works, but Word is simplest.
- Click Sign In. A What’s New panel may appear first. Close it, then click Sign In. There is no product key box, which is correct here.
- Use the same Microsoft account. Type the address you redeemed the key with. This is the step that activates the software.
- Accept, then choose a theme. Click Accept on the license terms, pick a theme and click Start Using Word. Activation completes on its own.
There is no phone activation and no Confirmation ID for a Mac license, because it is account-bound. The license lives on the account, so to move Macs, sign out in the Word menu on the old one first.
Check that it worked
Thirty seconds confirms the license landed.
- Word opens into a blank document, with no banner asking you to activate or subscribe.
- The Word menu, then License, reads “Office Home and Business 2016”.
- About Microsoft Word shows a product name and build number, not a trial notice.
- Editing and saving work, with no read-only mode and no Microsoft 365 prompt.
Common errors and how to fix them
The messages customers run into on this edition. If yours is not here, email contact@officegsm.com with a screenshot and your order number.
The apps will not open on an Apple silicon Mac
This is an Intel-only release and predates Apple silicon, so it does not run on an M1 chip or anything after it. There is no update that changes this, and Rosetta does not help with a build this old. Check the Apple menu, About This Mac, to see what you have. If the Mac is Apple silicon, email contact@officegsm.com with your order number and we will swap the key, or refund you under the 180-day guarantee.
“This token has already been redeemed”, or no Install button
The key is already attached to a Microsoft account, usually your own from an earlier attempt, so there is nothing left to redeem. Sign in at account.microsoft.com, look under Services and subscriptions for Office Home and Business 2016 for Mac, and click Install there. If you have several addresses, try each one, because the license only shows for the account it was redeemed with. If none has it, email your order number to contact@officegsm.com.
“No license found” when you open Word
The apps are signed in with a different Microsoft account from the one holding your license, so they think nothing has been bought. In Word, open the Word menu, choose Sign Out, quit every Office app, then reopen Word and sign in with the right address. If the message returns, run Microsoft’s License Removal Tool for Mac from support.microsoft.com, restart the Mac, and sign in again. That clears stale licenses left by a trial.
Office will not install on a recent macOS
Office 2016 for Mac left support in October 2020, and each new macOS since then has moved further away from what this release was built against, so a recent system may refuse it outright. Nothing you can change in settings will get round that. Check your macOS under the Apple menu, in About This Mac, and send us the version with your order number. If it will not run, we will swap the key or refund it under the guarantee.
Office 2016 for Mac download questions
What buyers ask us most.
Does office 2016 for mac run on Apple silicon?
No. This release is Intel-only, so it runs on Intel Macs and not on the M1, M2, M3 or M4 chips. It was built years before Apple silicon existed, and no update was issued to change that. Check the Apple menu, About This Mac, before you redeem: if the chip line names an M-series processor, tell us and we will swap your order. For an Apple silicon Mac, our Office 2021 for Mac guide covers a version that runs natively and is still supported.
Is Office 2016 for Mac still supported?
No. Microsoft ended support for Office 2016 for Mac in October 2020, so no security updates or fixes have been issued for it since. We would rather say that plainly. The apps still open, your documents are untouched and the license does not expire, so it can still make sense on an older Intel Mac that cannot take anything newer, or a machine used mostly offline. For a Mac you work on every day, our Office 2021 for Mac guide covers the supported option.
Where is the official office 2016 mac download?
Two official places, both Microsoft. Right after you redeem at setup.office.com, the confirmation screen offers an Install button that starts the download. Later, sign in at account.microsoft.com, find the license under Services and subscriptions, and click Install. Both give you the same .pkg, which carries the generic Microsoft 365 and Office name rather than the 2016 name. That is normal and expected. We never point customers at third-party download sites, because those files are often repackaged and will not activate against a genuine license.
Which apps do I get, and can I use them for work?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, installed as ordinary Mac applications in the Applications folder. This is the Home and Business edition, so commercial use is included: invoicing clients, running a small company or working for an employer are all covered by the license. Files open in the Windows versions of the same apps without conversion. There is no separate activation for each app, because signing in once inside Word licenses the whole set together, and one Mac is covered at a time.
Need a genuine Office 2016 for Mac key?
$32.99 once, emailed within minutes, with a 180-day money-back guarantee and free help if redemption gives you trouble.