Office 2016 for Mac reactivation

Question

I downloaded Office 2016 for Mac again but the key doesn't seem to work. I do sign in to Work properly but then I see the sign of downloading for endless hours without anything else happening. Any ideas for resolving the situation?

Answer 1

Use the account-based activation flow for Office 2016 for Mac and avoid entering the product key directly in the app.

1. Make sure the correct 2016 installer is used
   • Uninstall any existing Office for Mac apps.
   • Download and install the Office 2016 for Mac (Version 16.16) build that matches the license:
     • Office 2016 for Mac – Home & Business OR Volume License: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=871743
     • Office 2016 for Mac – Home & Student: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=871746
   • If a Home & Student license is owned, do not install the Home & Business build (Outlook will not work with a Home & Student key).
2. Activate using the associated account, not the key
   • Launch Word.
   • On the “Sign in to activate Office” screen, sign in with the Microsoft account that is associated with the Office 2016 purchase.
   • After activation, in Word go to Word > About Word and confirm the version starts with 16.16 (this confirms Office 2016 for Mac is running).
3. If activation hangs or loops
   • Quit Word (Word > Quit Word).
   • Restart Word and check if the activation prompt is gone.
   • If it still hangs, reset the license state:
     • Open Spotlight (magnifying glass in the top-right) and open Keychain Access.
     • Search for “Office” and delete the data license file.
     • Run the Office license removal tool as described in “How to remove Office license files on a Mac”, then restart Word and sign in again.
4. If activation still fails
   • Verify the Microsoft account actually shows the Office 2016 license by signing in to the Services & subscriptions page and confirming the product is listed, then reinstall/activate from there if needed.

These steps ensure the correct 2016 build is installed and that activation is done via the linked Microsoft account, which avoids issues with entering the key directly and resolves most “endless spinning” activation states.

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References:

• Go back to Office 2016 for Mac after upgrading to Office 2019 for Mac
• What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac
• Reactivate Microsoft 365 or Office