How sign in works in office 365

If you subscribe to Microsoft 365, you'll be prompted to sign in to use Office after installation, or after you sign out. Your subscription has a sign-in limit that determines how many Office installs you can sign in to at the same time. Use the tabs below to select your subscription type and learn more about sign-in limits for your subscription.

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With Microsoft 365, you can install Office on all your devices and sign in to Office on five devices at the same time. This includes any combination of PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones.

Get help signing in to Office

Here's what you need to know

Here are some tips for using Microsoft 365 on multiple devices:

• Each person who uses Office on a device must have an account that's associated with Microsoft 365. This can be the account that subscribes to Microsoft 365, or any accounts that share a Microsoft 365 Family subscription.

• When you install Office on a device, you'll be prompted to sign in the first time you start an Office app.

• Office remains activated as long as you're signed in. If you sign out, your account's license is removed and the app is deactivated. You can view and print files, but not create or edit files.

  To activate Office after you've signed out, you can sign in again with the account that's associated with your subscription.

• If you have more than five devices, Office will sign you out of devices automatically to stay within your sign-in limit. To use Office on a device where you've been signed out, just sign back in.

Common questions

I signed in. Should I stay signed in?

We recommend staying signed in to Office so that your apps remain activated.

What happens if I sign out of Office?

If you sign out, your apps will be deactivated. You can view and print files, but not create or edit files, until you sign back in. To learn more, see What happens when you sign out of Office.

If I share Microsoft 365 Family, how does signing in work?

You can share your Microsoft 365 Family subscription with up to five other people. Each person will use their own Microsoft account to install Office on all their devices and be signed in to five at the same time.

Get help sharing your subscription

Can other people sign in to Office on my device?

If a person signs in to Office on your device without a subscription, they will be able to view and print files, but not create or edit files. If you have Microsoft 365 Family, you can share your subscription with five additional people. Each person can sign in to Office using their own Microsoft account on your device to create and edit their own files.

Get help sharing your subscription

With Microsoft 365, you can install and sign in to Office on 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, and 5 phones.

Get help signing in to Office

Here's what you need to know

Here are some tips for using Microsoft 365 on multiple devices:

• If you sign in to Windows using your work or school account, you'll be signed in to Office automatically. On Macs and mobile devices, sign in using your work or school account to activate Office.

• Office remains activated as long as you're signed in. If you sign out, your apps will be deactivated. You can view and print files, but not create or edit files, until you sign back in.

• Office will sign you out of devices automatically to stay within your sign-in limit. To use Office on a device where you've been signed out, just sign back in.

Common questions

I signed in. Should I stay signed in?

We recommend staying signed in to Office so that your apps remain activated.

What happens if I sign out of Office?

If you sign out, your apps will be deactivated. You can view and print files, but not create or edit files, until you sign back in.