Microsoft Brings Office 365 for Mac to the App Store

Microsoft and Apple today announced the release of Office 365 for Mac on the App Store. Office apps have been available for the Mac for a while, though only some of the apps were available directly from the Mac App Store.

With today’s release, Office 365 subscribers will be able to download these apps directly from the App Store. And while that will make installing the apps really easy, it will also mean you will get to update the apps via the App Store. And that’s a massive change for sure — the updating experience for Office apps have been pushy, annoying, and terrible, so getting these updates via the App Store will make things much less painful.

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You can also choose to download the entire suite of apps or download specific apps separately. Nice.

Although Microsoft announced the release of Office 365 on the Mac App Store, Apple also had its own press release. “We are excited to welcome Microsoft Office 365 to the all new Mac App Store in macOS Mojave. Apple and Microsoft have worked together to bring great Office productivity to Mac users from the very beginning. Now, with Office 365 on the Mac App Store, it’s easier than ever to get the latest and best version of Office 365 for Mac, iPad, and iPhone.” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

Apple is really trying to make some new friends. And honestly, as ironic as this is, I am not going to complain.

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Conversation 9 comments

  • Michael Oland

    24 January, 2019 - 2:12 pm

    <p>Anyone know what happens if you try and download the apps if you've already installed the stand alone one? Specifically, do you need to remove the standalone one first or will it replace the stand alone with the store one? I've been trying to find out and can't seem to find the answer anywhere.</p>

    • Bob Shutts

      24 January, 2019 - 7:03 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#399292"><em>In reply to Michael_Oland:</em></a><em> If you are a 365 member I would recommend that you continue to update thru the MS updater until MS tells you something different. </em></blockquote><p><br></p>

    • flomat

      24 January, 2019 - 7:21 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#399292">In reply to Michael_Oland:</a></em></blockquote><p>It "just works"… other than being required to input my Mac password for keychain access 3 times PER Office app upon initial launch. Actually Outlook asked for my password 7 times, clicking "always allow" each time. Fun.</p><p><br></p><p>Otherwise everything appears intact after this re-install from the App Store. It also appears to have automatically removed the Microsoft AutoUpdate app from my system, which is good.</p>

      • Michael Oland

        25 January, 2019 - 12:54 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#399375">In reply to flomat:</a></em></blockquote><p>So, you just downloaded the apps (or suite) from the App Store and it just automatically replaced the apps downloaded from MS? If so, that's quite nice.</p>

    • SvenJ

      24 January, 2019 - 10:06 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#399292"><em>In reply to Michael_Oland:</em></a><em> </em>What do you mean by standalone? Are you talking about the boxed perpetual version of Office, or Office 365 downloaded from MS on the web, not the Mac store. The former I would definitely uninstall as it is a different license altogether which you could use elsewhere. Going from O365 from the web to O365 from the Mac app store might haver a better chance of working, but personally I would uninstall and deactivate in your account, then re-install from the App store and activate with your MS account.</blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Michael Oland

        25 January, 2019 - 12:53 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#399395">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>I mean the Office 365 subscription installer downloaded from MS.</p>

  • djross95

    Premium Member
    24 January, 2019 - 3:18 pm

    <p>My question exactly, Michael_Oland!</p>

  • dontbe evil

    25 January, 2019 - 1:01 am

    <p>but but download apps from the store sucks … ah no this is only when it's about windows and MS store, when is about the apple store is coool!!!</p>

  • 2ilent8cho

    25 January, 2019 - 4:09 am

    <p>I laughed a little at "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Office apps have been available for the Mac for a while" , yeah like since 1985 before Windows. </span></p>

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