How do I activate my free Microsoft Office 365 subscription? - Coolblue (2024)

FAQs

How do I activate my free Office 365 subscription? ›

You activate Microsoft 365 by signing in with a Microsoft account. If we detect your Microsoft account, we'll show it on this screen. After you sign in, your product is added to your Microsoft account, so that you can reinstall it later, or manage your new subscription, without a product key.

For a free Office 365 activation, consider signing up for an educational account. Many schools offer students and faculty access to Office 365 with their school email addresses. This allows you to use all its features without paying for a subscription.

Enter your Microsoft account credentials (email and password) or create a new Microsoft account if you don't have one. After signing in, Microsoft Office will attempt to activate automatically using your Microsoft account. If successful, you'll see a confirmation message, and Office will be activated.

Get started with Office 365 for free

Students and educators at eligible institutions can sign up for Office 365 Education for free, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and now Microsoft Teams, plus additional classroom tools. Use your valid school email address to get started today.

The product key is preinstalled on your PC, included with the packaging the PC came in, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. For more info, contact your hardware manufacturer, and for pictures of authentic product keys and COA labels, see How to tell your hardware is genuine.

This is a source of confusion for those who buy a new Windows computer. Most Windows installations have Office apps installed by default. It's possible to launch the desktop Word app and view documents for free, but document editing is locked until you pay. The Mac app also requires payment to edit documents.

The answer is yes, but there are limitations. For example, they may only activate MS Office 365 for a limited time, or the keys you find online may not work in your region or country.

You'll be asked to provide a method of payment so that there's no interruption in your service after 30 days. You won't be charged before your trial ends.

What's the difference between a Microsoft 365 subscription and free web apps. If you see a Free badge after signing in with your Microsoft account at Microsoft365.com, it means you don't have an active Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, but you do have access to the free web apps and online cloud storage.

Why is Excel telling me to activate my subscription? ›

This message is often triggered by a problem with your Microsoft 365 subscription payment. For example, if your payment was declined due to an expired or cancelled credit card, your subscription may become expired or suspended.