Can't find the update button in Microsoft Office? Its location depends on your device and where you installed the apps. Here's where to update Office on your computer, phone, or tablet, plus how to get a stuck updater working again.
Update Office from Word on Windows
Start with a new document in Word. This route works for Microsoft 365 desktop apps and Click-to-Run installations of Office 2024 and Office 2021, subject to your organization's update policies.
Select File > Account. In classic Outlook, use File > Office Account instead.
If updates are disabled, select Update Options > Enable Updates under Product Information. Keeping this setting enabled allows future automatic updates.
Select Update Options > Update Now under Product Information to start the update. Allow installation to finish. Automatic updates need periodic internet access, and closing Office apps lets downloaded updates finish installing.
Run Microsoft AutoUpdate on your Mac
For Microsoft 365, Office 2024, or Office 2021 installed from Microsoft, use Microsoft AutoUpdate.
- 1.Open Word.
- 2.Select Help > Check for Updates.
- 3.Select Update in Microsoft AutoUpdate. To choose applications, expand the arrow beside Update, then select an application's Update button or Update All.
- 4.Select Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date to enable automatic updates.
Use the App Store for Mac apps installed there
Office apps downloaded from the Mac App Store get their updates through the App Store.
Open App Store on your Mac. Select Updates. Click Update beside the Microsoft application, or select Update All.
For automatic updates, open App Store > Settings from the menu bar. On versions that use the older label, select Preferences. Turn on Automatic Updates.
Get Office updates on your phone or tablet
Your device's app store handles updates for mobile Microsoft apps.
On an iPhone or iPad, open App Store. Tap My Account or your profile photo. Select App Updates. Tap Update beside the Microsoft app, or select Update All.
For automatic updates, open Settings > Apps > App Store. Turn on App Updates.
On Android, open Google Play Store. Tap your profile icon. Select Manage apps & device. Under Updates available, select See details.
Tap Update beside the Microsoft app, or select Update all. For automatic updates, navigate from your profile icon to Settings > Network Preferences > Auto-update apps. Select an option that enables automatic updates over your preferred network connection.
Finish pending Windows updates and repair Office
Open Office apps hold up installation when an update needs them to close. Save your work first.
Select Update now in the banner inside an Office document, or open the Office update notification in the Windows notification area. Close the applications when prompted.
If downloaded updates remain pending, restart Windows. Pending Microsoft 365 updates can install during startup; restarting does not download them.
If Office won't open, right-click Start to access Installed apps. On Windows 10, the entry point is Apps and Features.
On Windows 11, select your Microsoft 365 or Office product, open the ellipsis menu, and select Modify. On Windows 10, select the product in Apps and Features, then select Modify.
Select Online Repair > Repair to run the repair. This repairs a broken installation without upgrading its Office edition.
After repair finishes, reopen Word. Select File > Account > Update Options > Update Now to check for updates.
If repair fails, begin removing the broken installation by opening Control Panel through Windows search. Select Programs > Programs and features. Select your Office suite. Select Uninstall to complete removal.
After removing the installation that repair couldn't fix, try reinstalling Office from the Microsoft apps portal using the account that holds your license.
Restore a missing updater on Mac
A missing or outdated Microsoft AutoUpdate installation is a reason Microsoft-installed Office lacks Check for Updates in the Help menu.
Install the latest Microsoft AutoUpdate tool using the download link on Microsoft's Update Office for Mac support page. In Word, select Help > Check for Updates again.
For a manual alternative, open Microsoft's Office for Mac update-history page at Most current packages for Office for Mac. Select Update package for the application you already have installed. The package must support your macOS version.
Open the downloaded package. Follow its installer. Use an install package when the application isn't already installed.
Know when you need a newer Office edition
Routine updates don't turn Office 2021 into Office 2024. Moving to a newer major edition requires purchasing that edition or a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes desktop apps.
Install the new product after purchasing it. Setup commonly removes the earlier edition. If installation requires you to remove the earlier edition separately, uninstall it first.
Reinstalling through your Microsoft account installs the product your account is licensed to use. It doesn't grant you a newer perpetual Office license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to update Word or Excel in a web browser?
Microsoft's browser-based Office apps have no local Office installation to patch. Using them does not update an Office suite installed on your computer.
Why can't I control Office updates on my work computer?
Organizations manage Office update settings, update sources, and deployment schedules. If your update controls are unavailable, contact your IT team about the settings applied to your device.
Where do I reinstall Office after removing a broken installation?
Open https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps. Sign in with the account that holds your license. Select Install apps. On a PC with a personal account, then select Install; on a Mac with a personal account, Install apps starts the download. For a work or school account, select Microsoft 365 apps. Run the downloaded installer. Complete activation.