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SOLVED - Does updating happen automatically with monthly subscription of MICROSOFT FAMILY 365? - SOLVED

Jackie C 25 Reputation points
2026-05-16T19:28:34.71+00:00

This has been solved. Thanks everyone.

I've been paying monthly for my 365 Family product for years and for the first time, I keep receiving alerts that it needs to be updated or I will have problems with it. I've searched on line and, if I understand correctly, when renting the product, it updates automatically. If that's the case, why do I continue to receive these alerts at the top of the page each time I open a document in Word?? Also, there does not seem to be anything I can click on that indicates "update".

Thank you very much for any help you can provide me.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 69,835 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-16T20:05:49.6833333+00:00

    Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

    Yes, Microsoft 365 Family normally updates automatically as long as the subscription is active and the apps can connect to Microsoft’s update service.

    Those alerts can still appear if updates are paused, disabled, or if Office cannot complete the update check properly.

    When you sign in to your Microsoft account at https://account.microsoft.com/services does the subscription show as active there, or still unpaid?

    If active, please try these steps if you haven’t already:

    • Make sure you're signed in with the same Microsoft account that the subscription is linked to.
    • Then, open any Office app (like Word or Excel), go to File > Account, and click "Update License" to refresh your license status.

    If issue still persists:

    Before installing, it’s a good idea to uninstall all existing versions of Office to avoid conflicts.

    Here’s how:

    • Open the Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
    • Look for any version of Microsoft Office or Office apps, right-click, then choose Uninstall. Please uninstall all Office apps.
    • Once that’s done, restart your computer just to be safe.

    Then, to reinstall Microsoft Office:

    • Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services
    • Sign in using the same Microsoft account linked to your license.
    • Find your Microsoft 365 Family Subscription and click the "Install".
    • That will download the installer for the Office apps, just run it and follow the steps.

    If anything’s unclear or the "Install" option still doesn’t show, feel free to let me know. I’ll be happy to walk you through it!

    I really hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

    Regards,

    John J.D.

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  1. Jackie C 25 Reputation points
    2026-05-17T19:06:44.1+00:00

    Hi John,

    I went onto saved documents in Word a number of times today, just to see if the alert was still there and, lo and behold, it's not!

    Late yesterday I did a restart of my computer which may have helped the "Update License" work. Perhaps it just took some time. But, in any case, the alert is gone!

    Thank you so very much for your help, I truly appreciate it!

       

    There is one thing I would like to mention. You asked if "does the subscription show as active there, or still unpaid?" My subscription was never unpaid. Microsoft must have had a glitch because according to my bank, there were no attempts from any individual or company to charge any amount of money that did or did not go through between 5/14 and 5/16. And there was certainly more than enough in the account to cover the $12.99 monthly fee! I have been a customer in good standing for 13 or 14 years with a monthly subscription and yesterday was the first issue I ever had. I paid manually yesterday with another type of payment, just in case Microsoft puts the payment in twice by accident with the card I've used for many years. It would be easier to cancel a duplicate payment with the other card. If I was "unpaid", it was for a matter of two or so hours, and was Microsoft's glitch, not due to any negligence on my part. Sorry if this was too wordy but my good reputation is very important to me. 🙂

       

    Again, thank you so much for your help. It's so nice to go into Word and not see the warning!

    Best,

    Jackie

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  1. Bulldog 1,935 Reputation points
    2026-05-17T20:58:05.62+00:00

    Microsoft 365 (and its predecessors) have been automatically updating for me since forever. The 'trick' is to tell Windows Update to automatically update all your Microsoft software when it updates Windows.

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  2. Stefan Blom 340.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-17T00:45:56.3966667+00:00

    What is the exact error message / alert that you see?

    Note that you can always update Office manually. Start Word, for example, and click File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.

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  3. Q&A Assist
    2026-05-16T19:28:52.22+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Microsoft 365 Family updates the desktop apps automatically, but the subscription and the apps still need to connect to the internet regularly so the license can be verified and kept active.

    Key points for this scenario:

    1. Automatic updates vs. subscription verification
      • After Microsoft 365 Family is installed, the apps update themselves when connected to the internet.
      • However, the apps must also periodically verify that the subscription is still active. If they cannot do this for a period (around 30–39 days), they start showing warnings and can eventually go into reduced functionality mode.
    2. Why the “update” or subscription alerts appear
      • If Word shows a yellow bar such as “Couldn’t Verify Subscription” or a notice to buy/renew/reactivate, it means Office has not been able to confirm the subscription status recently.
      • This can happen even if the subscription is paid monthly and up to date, for example if the device has not been online often enough or sign-in has not been refreshed.
    3. What to do to stop the alerts
      • Make sure the device is connected to the internet.
      • Open Word (or another Office app) and sign in with the Microsoft account that owns the Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
      • If a Retry button appears with a “Couldn’t Verify Subscription” message, select Retry while online.
      • Stay connected long enough for Office to complete the license check.
      • After successful verification, the warning bar should disappear and the apps will continue working normally.
    4. Ongoing requirement
      • The apps do not need to be online all the time, but they must connect to the internet regularly. If they do not connect for at least about 30–39 days, the warnings will return and the apps may enter reduced functionality mode until they can verify the subscription again.

    References:

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