Microsoft Office and Teams on your MacBook: common problems

Microsoft Office and Teams work fine on a MacBook, but sometimes Word freezes, Outlook will not sync or nobody can hear you in Teams. Often it is a setting, a permission in macOS or an outdated version. This article covers the most common Office and Teams problems on the Mac and how to fix them.

Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. If your camera, microphone or speaker does not work in any program, it may also be hardware; more about that at the end.

First: everything up to date

1. Open an Office program and choose Check for Updates in the Help menu. Microsoft AutoUpdate then looks for updates for all Office apps.
2. Also update macOS via System Settings, General, Software Update.

Many problems, especially after a new macOS version, are already fixed in the newest version of Office.

Teams: no sound or microphone

• Permission: open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone (and Camera) and check that Teams is on. Then restart Teams.
• Right device: in Teams under Settings, Devices choose the right speaker, microphone and camera. With headphones Teams sometimes picks the wrong one.
• Screen sharing does not work: give Teams permission for screen recording under Privacy & Security and restart Teams.

Word, Excel or PowerPoint freezes

1. Force quit the program with Command + Option + Esc. See Ctrl-Alt-Delete on a Mac.
2. Open it again; Office often offers a recovered version of your document.
3. If it keeps happening with the same document, copy the content into a new document. The old file may be damaged.
4. If your document is in OneDrive or iCloud and the connection is poor, save it locally for now.

Outlook does not sync

• Check your internet connection and whether you are still signed in (Outlook, Settings, Accounts).
• Remove the account from Outlook and add it again. Your e-mail is on the server and comes back.
• If you use the new Outlook view, try whether it works in the classic view, or the other way round.

Office keeps asking you to sign in

That is often caused by passwords saved in the keychain. Sign out of all Office apps, restart the Mac and sign in again. If that does not help, search Keychain Access for "Microsoft" and delete old items, or ask your IT department for help if it is a work account.

Sharing files with Windows users

If a document looks different for a colleague on Windows, it is usually because of fonts that are on one computer and not the other. Use standard fonts such as Calibri, Arial or Aptos, or save the document as a PDF if it has to look exactly the same. Preferably use the normal Office file formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx), not the Pages or Numbers formats.

Office makes your Mac slow or warm

Teams is a heavy program, especially with video. Close tabs and apps you are not using, and check in Activity Monitor what demands a lot. See Activity Monitor explained. If your MacBook gets hot or loud even with light use, read MacBook runs hot or slow.

When it is not software

If the camera, microphone or speaker also does not work in FaceTime or Photo Booth, Teams is not the problem. Then the hardware may be faulty, for example after a drop or liquid damage, or because of a damaged cable in the hinge.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

We test the camera, microphone, speakers, Wi-Fi and the rest of your MacBook, and tell you whether it is software or hardware. You hear beforehand what is needed. More on our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

Does Office work on a Mac with an Apple chip?

Yes, Office and Teams run natively on Macs with an Apple chip.

Can I open Office files without Office?

Yes, with Apple's Pages, Numbers and Keynote, or in the web version of Office.

Teams works in the browser but not the app. What now?

Delete the app and install the newest version again. Update macOS too.