Office 2016 End of Life: What It Means and How to Upgrade

Office 2016 end of life arrived on October 14, 2025, when Microsoft stopped providing security updates, bug fixes and technical support for it. Office 2016 still opens and runs, so nothing breaks overnight, but every newly discovered security flaw now stays unpatched. The safest move is to upgrade to Office 2024, supported until October 9, 2029, or to Microsoft 365, which updates continuously.

When Did Office 2016 Reach End of Life?

Office 2016 for Windows reached the end of extended support on October 14, 2025. Microsoft released it in September 2015, ended mainstream support in October 2020, and then provided five more years of security-only updates before the final cut-off.

Several related products share the same deadline or are close to it, which is why searches for "ms office 2016 end of life" often turn up other names too:

For every other version, our table of Office end of support dates lists the full history in one place.

Is Office 2019 End of Life at the Same Time?

Yes. Office 2019 for Windows reached end of support on the same day as Office 2016, October 14, 2025. Microsoft gave Office 2019 a shorter extended support phase, so the two versions retired together even though Office 2019 is three years newer.

This catches many people out. Moving from Office 2016 to Office 2019 is not an upgrade in support terms, because both are now in the same position. If you are replacing Office 2016, choose a version that is still supported.

What Happens to Office 2016 After End of Support?

After end of support, Office 2016 keeps working, but Microsoft no longer fixes it. Microsoft's end of support notice for Office 2016 and Office 2019 confirms there are no more security fixes, bug fixes or phone and chat support, and that performance and reliability may decline over time.

Here is the cause and effect in practical terms:

• Security. Word, Excel and Outlook open files from outside your organisation every day. When a flaw is found in how they read a file, supported versions get a patch; Office 2016 does not. A malicious attachment that targets that flaw keeps working against your PC indefinitely.
• Compatibility. New file features, add-ins and online services are built and tested for supported versions. Over time you can expect more formatting quirks and features that do not work.
• Compliance. Businesses that must show patched software, for example for cyber insurance or client security questionnaires, may find unsupported Office counts against them.

Your documents are not at risk of disappearing, and existing installations are not switched off. The risk grows slowly but steadily the longer you stay.

Can You Still Use Office 2016 Safely?

You can still use Office 2016, but it is only reasonably safe on a PC that is offline or used for a narrow, low-risk task. For a work PC that receives email attachments and browses the web, an unsupported Office version is an avoidable weak point.

The operating system matters too. Many Office 2016 users are also on Windows 10, which reached end of support on October 14, 2025, as explained in our Windows 10 end of life guide. Running unsupported Office on unsupported Windows doubles the exposure. If you must keep Office 2016 for a while, at least keep Windows patched, turn off macros from the internet, and be strict about unknown attachments.

What Are Your Upgrade Options?

You have three realistic upgrade paths, and the right one depends on how you prefer to pay and how long you keep software.

For most Office 2016 users, Office 2024 is the natural successor, because it works the same way: a perpetual licence you install once on your PC. Our Office 2024 collection includes Professional Plus and Home & Business editions. If you are unsure whether to keep buying once or switch to a subscription, our guide to Microsoft Office vs Microsoft 365 compares the two.

How to Upgrade from Office 2016 to Office 2024

Upgrading from Office 2016 means removing the old version and installing Office 2024 with a new product key; there is no paid in-place upgrade. Your documents, which are stored separately from the program, are not affected.

1. Check your current version in Word under File → Account → Product Information.
2. Back up your documents and, if you use Outlook, export or confirm your mailbox is synced to your email provider.
3. Note any add-ins you rely on and check they support Office 2024.
4. Uninstall Office 2016 from Settings → Apps → Installed apps (on Windows 10: Settings → Apps → Apps & features). Select the Office 2016 entry, then Uninstall.
5. Restart the PC.
6. Download and install Office 2024 using the instructions and product key in your order email. Our Office 2024 Professional Plus installation guide walks through each screen.
7. Open Word, enter or confirm your product key when prompted, and check File → Account shows the product as activated.

Office 2024 needs Windows 10 or Windows 11. Because Windows 10 is no longer supported, it is worth upgrading Windows at the same time if your PC meets the requirements.

A Common Mistake We See

The most frequent mistake is installing Office 2024 while Office 2016 is still on the PC. Different versions of Office can conflict, and the result is often activation prompts that will not clear or apps that open the old version by default.

Uninstall the old version first, restart, then install the new one. The second mistake is replacing Office 2016 with Office 2019 because it looks newer and is cheaper; as covered above, both are already unsupported. Our support team can help if activation does not complete, and every key is covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Office 2016 stop working after end of life?

No. Office 2016 continues to open, edit and save documents after its end of life on October 14, 2025. What has stopped is Microsoft's flow of security updates, bug fixes and technical support. The software becomes gradually riskier and less compatible, but it does not lock you out or delete files.

Is Microsoft Office 2019 end of life too?

Yes. MS Office 2019 for Windows reached end of life on October 14, 2025, the same day as Office 2016, and Office 2019 for Mac ended on October 10, 2023. Moving from 2016 to 2019 therefore does not restore security updates. Choose Office 2024 or Microsoft 365 instead.

Is Exchange Server 2016 end of life?

Yes. Exchange Server 2016 reached the end of extended support on October 14, 2025, alongside Office 2016. Microsoft's guidance points organisations towards the latest Exchange Server 2019 update as a step to Exchange Server Subscription Edition, or to Exchange Online. Plan the move with your IT provider.

When does Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB reach end of life?

Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB has an extended support end date of October 13, 2026. LTSB, the Long-Term Servicing Branch, receives security updates only and is mainly used on specialist devices such as kiosks and machine controllers. Organisations still running it after that date should move to a supported LTSC release.

Can I transfer my Office 2016 licence to Office 2024?

No. Office 2016 and Office 2024 are separate perpetual licences, and Microsoft does not offer a discounted upgrade from one to the other. Your Office 2016 key only activates Office 2016. To move to Office 2024, you need a new Office 2024 product key.

Conclusion

Office 2016 end of life means no more security fixes from October 14, 2025, and Office 2019 is in the same position. Office 2024 is the closest like-for-like replacement, supported until October 9, 2029; a genuine Office 2024 Professional Plus key is delivered instantly by email.

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