Introduction
This article provides instructions on how eligible students and employees can download install Microsoft 365 desktop applications onto their personally owned computers. The Microsoft 365 desktop applications are also known as "Microsoft Office" or "Microsoft Office Professional". This article also covers Microsoft's mobile apps for Apple and Google Android devices.
Eligibility
Students currently enrolled in courses for a current or future semester are eligible to receive a Microsoft 365 desktop application license. Many (but not all) full time employees also receive a Microsoft 365 desktop application license assignment.
For active but un-enrolled RIC students and employees that do not receive a full Microsoft 365 desktop application license for personal use, the web version of Microsoft 365 is available to them on the Microsoft 365 web site. This includes web versions of the most common Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
If you have a question about license eligibility, please contact the ITS Help Center and we can assist in reviewing your RIC account access and the level of licensing applied.
Requirements
Microsoft updates and publishes the requirements for the Microsoft 365 desktop applications on a regular basis. We recommend reviewing them here at this link:
Microsoft 365 System Requirements
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/system-requirements-for-microsoft-365-for-business-education-and-government-use-13eda659-3dfc-448e-b2cd-70ebb989be47
In more general terms, the following recommended system requirements for the Microsoft 365 desktop apps are:
- An Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows computer released within the last 5-8 years.
- A version of Apple macOS or Microsoft Windows that is still "supported" and is receiving regular software updates.
- As of April 2026, this is Apple macOS 13, 14, 15, and 26 for Apple Macintosh computers.
- As of April 2026, this is Microsoft Windows 10 22H2 and Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2.
- A reliable Internet connection to download and install the software onto the computer.
- 10 GB of storage space on the computers hard drive or solid state drive.
Older systems that fall outside of these ranges may still be able to install the Microsoft 365 desktop applications. However, you may encounter performance or crashing when using them.
Installation Instructions (Windows PC + Mac)
Please follow the steps below for downloading and installing the Microsoft 365 desktop applications onto your computer:
1. Go to the Microsoft 365 My Account web site: https://portal.office.com/account/ - you will be asked to login with your RIC M365/SSO account username and password if you are not already logged into Microsoft 365.
2. Select the Install Office button.
3. The installation file will now begin to download from Microsoft. The completed installation file will be located in the Downloads folder of your computer, or wherever your web browser is configured to save files downloaded from the Internet. It may take a few minutes to download depending on the speed of your connection.
4. Open the installer file that was just downloaded from the My Account web site. You may be asked to enter your computer's username and password for permission to install the application.
Macintosh Installer
After opening the installer file that was downloaded, follow the steps for installing the Microsoft 365 application onto your Mac. This is what the installer application looks like when launched on your computer.
Windows PC Installer
After opening the installer file that was downloaded, follow the steps for installing the Microsoft 365 application onto your Windows PC. This is what the installer application looks like when launched on your computer.
5. After installation is completed, you can launch one of the Microsoft 365 applications to activate the install with your RIC M365/SSO account. We recommend using Microsoft Word for this purpose, but Excel or PowerPoint also have the same functionality built-in for activation. Opening Microsoft Outlook may not trigger an activation request.
On a Windows PC, you will see these applications in your Start Menu where you can browse the Apps section to find them, or type in the search box. On a Macintosh, you will see these applications in your Applications folder, or they can be found by using the Launcher (or Apps in macOS 26 and later) or by searching for them in Spotlight.
Macintosh Activation
Select the Activate Microsoft 365 option from the Word menu. If the option is presented, select that you already have an account or a subscription. Then enter your RIC M365/SSO username and password.
Windows PC Activation
After launching a Microsoft 365 application, select sign-in, and enter your RIC M365/SSO username and password to complete the activation.
Once Microsoft 365 is activated, it's ready to use.
Microsoft 365 "Mobile" Apps
Microsoft publishes applications that can be installed on a Google Android or Apple iOS/iPadOS device. These apps are located in their respective App Stores. These applications provide many features that are also available in the desktop computer versions of the applications. We recommend you have the latest version of Apple iOS, iPadOS, or Google Android on your device for the best performance with Microsoft's mobile apps. After install, you will be asked to authenticate with your RIC M365/SSO username and password.
For convenience, here are links to the primary Microsoft 365 applications (current as of April 2026):
Apple App Store
Microsoft Word
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-word/id586447913
Microsoft Excel
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407
Microsoft PowerPoint
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-powerpoint/id586449534
Microsoft OneNote
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246
Microsoft Outlook
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-outlook/id951937596
Microsoft OneDrive (Cloud Storage)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-onedrive/id477537958
Google Play Store
Microsoft Word
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.word
Microsoft Excel
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.powerpoint
Microsoft OneNote
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote
Microsoft Outlook
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.outlook
Microsoft OneDrive
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.skydrive
Google ChromeBook
Microsoft 365 is supported on a Google ChromeBook using the web version that's available at https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps. The Chrome web browser may offer you the option to install a "web app" version when you open them, which adds them to the ChromeBook's app shortcuts menu. There are no separate downloads or installs available for Microsoft 365 for ChromeBook devices.