Office 2019 for Mac Goes Read-Only in July

Adam Engst, TidBits: If you are still using Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac, it will stop working fully on 13 July 2026. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook will enter “reduced functionality mode” — a euphemism meaning you can view and print documents but cannot edit, save, or create new ones. Microsoft’s documentation doesn’t clarify what this means for Outlook users. Why is this happening? A certificate expiration is forcing Office 2019 into read-only mode, though Microsoft acknowledges this only obliquely in the FAQ. Without a current certificate, the apps can’t confirm you have a legitimate license. Engst compares Microsoft’s approach to Apple’s when it issued an update earlier this year for decade-old iPhones, with a new certificate that allows iMessage and FaceTime to keep functioning. While Apple’s approach is welcome, it is also a good reminder why this proprietary service should always be paired with support for open standards like SMS and RCS. Michael Tsai: […] The customer…