Word for Mac

Question

I am unable to create a new Word document on Mac. My subscription is active.

Answer 1

Hello,

1. Quit Microsoft Word if running.
2. Open Finder > hold the option key and click Go menu and select 'Library'.
3. Go to this path - ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates
4. Find the Normal.dotm (Word default template), drag the file to your desktop.
5. Open Microsoft Word and close it.

Word will automatically create a new Normal.dotm with default file settings.

You can then try creating a new blank document.

See if it helps.

Answer 2

Are you able to edit existing documents in Word?

If you use the keyboard shortcut Command+N, does that create a new, blank document?

Answer 3

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

1. May I please know which version of macOS is running on your device (for example, Tahoe, Ventura, Sequoia, etc.)?
2. Do you receive any error message, such as “No license found,” when you open Word on your Mac?
3. Could you please check if your subscription is active under your Microsoft account here- https://account.microsoft.com/services

Answer 4

Try these steps to restore the ability to create and edit documents in Word for Mac:

1. Confirm the subscription type and app source
   On a Mac, if Word was installed from the Mac App Store, it requires a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes desktop apps. One-time (perpetual) licenses such as Office Home & Student or Home & Business do not work with Mac App Store versions and will run in reduced functionality mode (no editing/creating).
   If using a one-time license or seeing reduced functionality, uninstall the Mac App Store version and reinstall Office from the Microsoft account portal instead, as described in:
   • "Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store".
2. If Word says it’s activated but still won’t create/edit
   This can happen when the license cache is corrupted:
   1. Quit Word: in the top-left menu, select Word > Quit Word.
   2. Restart Word and test creating a new document.
   3. If the issue persists, reset credentials and license files:
      • Open Spotlight (magnifying glass in the top-right).
      • Search for and open Keychain.
      • In Keychain, search for Office and delete the data license entry.
      • Then run the license removal tool as described in "What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac".
   4. Reopen Word and sign in with the account that has the active subscription to reactivate.
3. If recently changed to Microsoft 365 Basic
   Microsoft 365 Basic does not include desktop Office apps like Word or Excel; it only provides web and mobile apps plus OneDrive. In that case, desktop Word will not allow creating or editing documents even if the subscription is active.
   To use desktop Word on Mac again, upgrade to a plan that includes desktop apps (for example, Microsoft 365 Personal or Family), as explained in the Q&A entry "I moved to Microsoft Basic but am not unable to amend previous created documents and not able to create new documents."
4. If Word shows messages like “subscription canceled” or “no license found”
   • Go to the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page and verify that the subscription with desktop apps is active and that the same account is signed into Word.
   • In Word for Mac, go to File > Account and use the option to update or refresh the license, then sign in again with the correct account.

If after these steps Word still cannot create a new document, completely uninstall Office for Mac, then reinstall it from the Microsoft account portal using the account that shows the active license.

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References:

• What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac
• Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store
• Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
• I am unable to open and create documents - Microsoft Q&A
• Why does office 2024 home for mac require activating microsoft 365 subscription? - Microsoft Q&A
• When opening Word or Excel, getting a 'subscription canceled' message but I have renewed my Office subscription - Microsoft Q&A
• Office running on OS 12.7.6 - Microsoft Q&A
• I just bought Office for Home and Business and now "No license found" - Microsoft Q&A
• Create a document in Word for the web

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