Uninstall Office from your Mac to fix the app or if you want to use a different Office version. We recommend uninstalling any previous installations of Microsoft Office, such as older Office versions, Office 365, and/or trial versions.

Failing to remove other Office versions could result in compatibility issues, preventing Office programs from running correctly on your computer.

This article will also include using the Microsoft License Removal tool, the steps, and the download link for the application. The license removal tool will Office licenses from previous installations that could possibly cause activation problems.

Uninstalling Office on OSX 10.15 and older versions

Prior to initiating the uninstallation process, ensure that you are signed in as an administrator on your Mac. Alternatively, be prepared to provide an administrator name and password during the steps.

Now, follow the instructions below to uninstall Office on older macOS versions like Catalina, High Sierra, Sierra, Mojave, El Capitan, and any much older versions of macOS:

Step 1- Remove Microsoft Office for Mac applications

• Open Finder > Applications.
• Command +click to select all of the Microsoft 365 for Mac applications.
• Ctrl+click an application you selected and click Move to Trash.

Step 2 – Remove files from your user Library folder

• In Finder, press +Shift+g.
• In the window that opens, enter ~/Library and then click Go.

• To access the Containers folder. Then, selectively hold the Ctrl key while clicking on each of the listed folders to move them to the Trash. Be aware that certain folders may not be currently available.
  • com.microsoft.errorreporting
  • com.microsoft.Excel
  • com.microsoft.netlib.shipassertprocess
  • com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2
  • com.microsoft.Outlook
  • com.microsoft.Powerpoint
  • com.microsoft.RMS-XPCService
  • com.microsoft.Word
  • com.microsoft.onenote.mac

Removing Outlook files from your computer

Caution: Moving the three folders specified in this step to the Trash will result in the removal of Outlook data. It is essential to create a backup of these folders before proceeding with the deletion. To do so, click the back arrow to return to the Library folder and access Group Containers. If present, use Ctrl+click to select each of these folders and move them to the Trash.

UBF8T346G9.ms

UBF8T346G9.Office

UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost

Step 3- Remove from Dock and restart

1. If you put any of the Office applications in your Dock, go to each one and ctrl + click > Options > Remove from Dock.
2. Restart your Mac to complete the uninstall.

Note: When Office installing on older macOSX versions, you would also need to disable/trash its Auto-update features. The compatible Office for older macOS from 10.15 and older, is Office 2016 Home and Business.

The Auto update feature will install Office updates that may not work with the current OSX you have.

Uninstalling Office on macOS 11 and newer versions

Step 1- Remove older Office versions or Microsoft 365 for Mac applications

• Open Finder > Applications.
• Command +click to select all of the Microsoft Office for Mac applications.
• Ctrl+click an application you selected and click Move to Trash

Step 2- Remove files from your user Library folder

If you are using a later macOS version like Big Sur (ver. 11), Monterey (ver. 12), or Ventura (ver. 13), it’s crucial to completely uninstall all files related to Microsoft Office before proceeding with a new installation. This will ensure a smooth and error-free installation. Here are the steps to achieve that:

Close All Office Applications: Ensure that you have closed all Microsoft Office applications to prevent any conflicts during the uninstallation process.

• In Finder, press +Shift+g.
• In the window that opens, enter ~/Library and then click Go or press Enter

Remove Supporting Files:

• As with older macOS versions, there might be additional files related to Office located in various directories. To perform a complete uninstallation, look for and remove any remaining Office files. Some common directories where these files are found include:
  • /Library/Application Support/Microsoft
  • /Library/Preferences
  • /Library/Caches
  • /Library/Containers (contains app group containers)
  • ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.*
• Be cautious when deleting files from the Library folder, as it contains essential system files. Only remove files related to Microsoft Office.

• Open the Containers folder and ctrl+click each of these folders and Move to Trash.

Locate and remove the following files from the Container. Take note that some of the files may not be present in the list below. However, you need to make sure to remove the ones listed below

• Microsoft Error Reporting
• Microsoft Excel
• com.microsoft.netlib.shipassertprocess
• com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• com.microsoft.RMS-XPCService
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft OneNote

Step 4- The next items you need to remove are the following files.

• Warning: Outlook data will be removed when you move the three folders listed in this step to Trash. You should back up these folders before you delete them. Click the back arrow to go back to the Library folder and open Group Containers. Ctrl+click each of these folders if present, and Move to Trash.
  • UBF8T346G9.ms
  • UBF8T346G9.Office
  • UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost

Step 5- Remove from Dock and restart

1. If you put any of the Office applications in your Dock, go to each one and ctrl + click > Options > Remove from Dock.
2. Restart your Mac to complete the uninstall.

Using the License removal tool to Complete the uninstallation

Before you begin:

1. Check what license your version of Office is currently using. See, What version of Office am I using?

Note: If you’re looking for subscription features and your version is using a Microsoft 365 subscription license, then you don’t need to do the rest of these steps. You’re already using the correct license.

2. If you aren’t uninstalling the Office apps to reinstall them later, quit all Office apps. If you’ve already uninstalled Office, go to the next step.

Download and run the license removal tool

To ensure a smooth activation process for your Office, it’s essential to use the licensed removal tool to delete any previous licenses installed on your machine. Such licenses could include Office 365 or trial versions, which may lead to activation problems.

Please follow these steps to use the license removal tool:

1. Download the license removal tool.

2. Open the .pkg file from your Mac’s Downloads folder.

Note: If you get an “unidentified developer” error, try opening the file by holding Control + clicking the file > Open.

3. Select Continue and follow the prompts in the setup wizard.

Caution: We recommend you double-check that you have the correct account info ready by logging into your Microsoft Account and checking for the license you want to activate with.

4. When you are ready to complete the license removal process, click on the “Install” button. Depending on the tool and system settings, you may be prompted to enter your Mac’s local admin account password to proceed with the removal.

After the tool successfully removes the licenses, click on the “Close” button to finish the process. This ensures that any previous licenses, such as Office 365 or trial versions, are removed from your machine, reducing the risk of activation issues and allowing you to proceed with a clean license activation.

5. Next, open any Office application and sign in using the email account linked to your Microsoft Office for Mac license to activate the software. In case you encounter any problems during this process, consider reinstalling Office before attempting to sign in again. For a complete installation guide, go to this support article; 3 Easy Steps in Installing Office on Mac

Congratulations! With successful activation, please restart your mac, and you’ll be all set to start using Office.

Important Note: If your account is associated with both a Microsoft 365 for Mac license and a one-time purchase, you’ll be asked to select which license you want to activate. We highly recommend choosing Microsoft 365 for Mac whenever possible for the best experience.

6. Uninstall the License Removal Tool by dragging the Microsoft_Office_License_Removal file from Finder > Downloads to Trash.