What is Microsoft AutoUpdate?

Microsoft AutoUpdate installs the latest security fixes and the newest product improvements to keep your apps protected and up to date - including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Skype For Business, Microsoft Defender, Edge, Remote Desktop and Intune Company Portal.

Note that if you've purchased these apps from the Mac App Store, they get updated via the Store.

Microsoft AutoUpdate dashboard shows you the available updates so you can choose which ones to download and install. Some of these updates are critical and address high priority issues such as security vulnerabilities or performance issues. If you choose to postpone a critical update, we'll notify you again to make sure your Mac is safe.

Microsoft AutoUpdate Privacy

To learn about the information that we collect when connecting to Microsoft servers for these updates, see the Microsoft AutoUpdate privacy statement.

Check for updates and install

1. Open an Office app, like Word, then click Help > Check for Updates.
2. Microsoft AutoUpdate shows the number of updates available for your Microsoft apps.
3. Make sure to select Automatically Download and Install, to get the updates automatically as soon as they become available. With automatic updates turned on, your Office apps receive the latest security fixes and feature improvements, helping your Mac to stay protected and up to date.
4. Click Update to download and install all the available updates.

Learn about the available updates

The Microsoft AutoUpdate dashboard shows you the details of each update, such as the apps that are being updated, new security and feature improvements, size of the updates and other information. You will get exciting new features every month and security fixes on a regular basis.

1. Click the down arrow next to the Update button.
2. In the Updates Available window, review the apps, versions, installation date and the new features included with the update.
3. Then click Update All or click Update next to each app that you want to update. You can make this decision based on the information in the Window. For example, if you're in a hurry you can install the critical updates first and the optional ones later.

To learn more about each update, see these articles:

Release notes for Office for Mac

Release history for Microsoft AutoUpdate

Join the Insider programme

To get exclusive access to the newest features and updates, and the opportunity to send feedback directly to Microsoft, join our Insider programme.

You'll get preview builds for the latest features, security updates, and performance fixes that we release before anyone else who are on the older versions of Office. To learn more about the insider programme, see this page.

1. Open an Office app, like Word, then click Help > Check for Updates.
2. Click the Advanced... button.
3. Select if you want to be in the Current Channel (Preview) or Beta Channel programme:
   • Current Channel (Preview) gives you early access to fully supported builds with minimal risk.
   • Beta Channel is best if you want the earliest and unsupported preview builds that are released more frequently and before anyone else gets them.
4. Review the Licence Agreement and information that's collected when you use your apps.
5. Select Accept and then Check for Updates, to download the Insider updates.

Note: If you change your mind, you can go back to your older version at any time by selecting the Current Channel.

Turn on Automatic Updates

You can choose to check for updates manually, but with Automatic Updates, you can have the peace of mind that your Mac is always up to date with the latest security and feature improvements.

Simply check the box for Automatically download and install to get the updates as soon as they become available.

Reinstall the Microsoft AutoUpdate tool

If Microsoft AutoUpdate is not working properly, you'll see a message to inform you of the problem.

To resolve the issue, click OK on the message, then go to your Downloads folder and double-click Microsoft_AutoUpdate to install a new version of the tool.

We'd love to hear from you!

Let us know your thoughts about what works, what doesn't, and what we can do to improve.

Simply click Help > Send Feedback about AutoUpdate on the menu bar and send us your message.