Microsoft is cutting editing access in Office apps for older Macs and iPhones from July 13, 2026. Anyone on macOS 11 Big Sur or earlier, or iOS 16 or older, will see Office enter “reduced functionality mode” — documents can still be opened and printed, but editing, saving, and creating new files in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote all stop working.
The change covers Microsoft 365 subscribers and perpetual-license users running Office 2021 or Office 2019 on macOS. On iPhones, the cutoff hits the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and all older models — devices that cannot run iOS 17. For Mac users, any machine that can run macOS 12 Monterey keeps full editing access. That means Macs from around 2015 onwards are safe; older Macs that are stuck on macOS 11 or earlier lose editing on July 13. The minimum versions after the cutoff are macOS 12 Monterey and iOS 17.
Microsoft has been stepping up its minimum OS requirements for Office on Apple platforms each year, keeping pace as Apple drops older hardware from software updates. The iPhone X and iPhone 8 have been without Apple security updates since 2023; Macs too old to run macOS 12 were dropped by Apple from Monterey support when that OS launched in 2021. The July 13 cutoff brings Microsoft’s minimum requirements into line with what Apple itself still patches.
The free workaround is the browser version of Office at microsoft365.com. Microsoft’s recommended approach: copy local files to OneDrive first, then access and edit them in-browser from any device. The web Office apps retain full editing capability regardless of which OS or device you use. A Microsoft 365 subscription is the other option, but subscribing alone doesn’t restore native-app editing on a device running an unsupported OS — the web version remains the practical free path.
To check your versions: on iPhone, go to Settings → General → About; on Mac, click the Apple menu → About This Mac. If your device can update to macOS 12 or iOS 17, do it before July 13. If the hardware is too old to support those versions, switching to the web version now avoids the disruption entirely.
About Dignited Staff
This account is managed by the in-house team at Dignited, a collective of passionate tech writers, editors, and enthusiasts dedicated to bringing you the latest insights, reviews, and news on consumer technology. For inquiries or feedback, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
Discover more from Dignited
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
