Microsoft AutoUpdate is the program that keeps your Office apps up to date on a computer running macOS. It works by detecting, downloading, and applying updates automatically in the background to minimize disruption and productivity loss when Microsoft publishes updates to your Office apps.
On macOS Ventura and later, it's possible to control which programs run in the background through the System Settings app.
If AutoUpdate was turned off and you open an app such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you might see an error message to change the System Settings. To fix this, you need to turn AutoUpdate on (or reinstall it if it's missing), so it can run in the background.
Turn AutoUpdate back on
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Open the System Settings app from Launchpad.
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Select the General category, and then select Login Items.
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Scroll down to the Allow in the Background section.
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Set Microsoft AutoUpdate to the allow position.
If Microsoft AutoUpdate is missing
If Microsoft AutoUpdate is missing from System Settings, it means the program is either missing or damaged.
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Select the button below to download the installer for the latest version of AutoUpdate.
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Run the downloaded installer package and follow the prompts.
