What is Word 2021 and why you should upgrade
Word 2021 is the latest version of Microsoft Word that was released in October 2020. It is part of the Office suite of applications that also includes Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. Word 2021 is a one-time purchase that you can install on one PC or Mac for use at home or work. Unlike Microsoft 365, which is a subscription service that gives you access to the latest versions of Office apps and other benefits, Word 2021 does not require an internet connection or a Microsoft account to use it.
If you are using an older version of Word, such as Word 2016 or Word 2019, you might want to upgrade to Word 2021 for several reasons. First, Word 2021 has new features and improvements that can help you create better documents faster and easier. Second, Word 2021 has better compatibility with Windows 11 and Windows 10, as well as with other Office apps and services. Third, Word 2021 has more security and stability updates that can protect your data and prevent crashes.
New features and improvements in Word 2021
Some of the new features and improvements that you can find in Word 2021 are:
Modern comments: You can now add comments to your documents in a more intuitive and collaborative way. You can @mention people to get their attention, reply to comments in a thread, mark comments as resolved or unresolved, and filter comments by status or person.
Text predictions: You can now get suggestions for what to write next based on your previous words. You can accept the suggestions by pressing the Tab key or reject them by pressing the Esc key. You can also turn off this feature if you don't want it.
Accessibility checker: You can now check your documents for accessibility issues that might prevent people with disabilities from reading or understanding them. You can also get suggestions on how to fix the issues and make your documents more inclusive.
Transcribe audio: You can now transcribe recorded or live audio into text directly in Word. You can also edit the transcript, insert it into your document, or save it as a separate file.
Co-authoring: You can now work on the same document with others in real time and see their changes as they happen. You can also chat with them, share feedback, and resolve conflicts.
Smart Lookup: You can now get more information about a word or phrase in your document by right-clicking it and selecting Smart Lookup. You can see definitions, synonyms, images, and web results from Bing.
System requirements and compatibility for Word 2021
To run Word 2021 on your PC or Mac, you need to meet the following system requirements:
Operating system
Processor
Memory
Hard disk space
Display
Graphics
Windows 11 or Windows 10
1.6 GHz or faster, 2-core (PC); Intel processor (Mac)
4 GB RAM (PC); 4 GB RAM (Mac)
4 GB available disk space (PC); 10 GB available disk space (Mac)
1280 x 768 screen resolution (PC); 1280 x 800 screen resolution (Mac)
DirectX 9 or later, with WDDM 2.0 or higher (PC); No graphics requirements (Mac)
Note that Word 2021 is not compatible with older versions of Windows or Mac OS, such as Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or Mac OS X 10.13 or earlier. You also need to have a Microsoft account and an internet connection to activate and update Word 2021.
How to download and install Word 2021 on your PC or Mac
There are three main options for getting Word 2021 on your PC or Mac: buying Microsoft Office Professional 2021, buying Office Home & Student 2021, or subscribing to Microsoft 365. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks, depending on your needs and preferences. Here is a comparison of the three options:
Option Price Features Updates Devices --- --- --- --- --- Office Professional 2021 $439.99 one-time purchase Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access No future updates One PC or Mac Office Home & Student 2021 $149.99 one-time purchase Word, Excel, PowerPoint No future updates One PC or Mac Microsoft 365 Personal $69.99 per year or $6.99 per month Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, OneDrive (1 TB), Skype (60 minutes per month) Latest updates and features Up to five PCs or Macs, five tablets, and five phones Option 1: Buy Microsoft Office Professional 2021
If you want to get the full suite of Office apps for your PC or Mac, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access, you can buy Office Professional 2021. This is a one-time purchase that you can install on one device for use at home or work. However, you will not receive any future updates or new features for the apps.
Steps to purchase and download Office Professional 2021
Go to the Office Professional 2021 product page.
Select Buy now and follow the instructions to complete your payment.
After your purchase is confirmed, go to office.com/setup.
Sign in with your Microsoft account and enter your product key.
Select your language and region and click Next.
Select Install Office and follow the instructions to download and install Office Professional 2021 on your device.
Launch Word 2021 and activate it with your Microsoft account.
Benefits and drawbacks of Office Professional 2021
The main benefits of Office Professional 2021 are:
You get the full suite of Office apps for your PC or Mac.
You pay only once and own the apps forever.
You don't need an internet connection or a Microsoft account to use the apps.
The main drawbacks of Office Professional 2021 are:
You don't get any future updates or new features for the apps.
You can only install the apps on one device.
You don't get any cloud storage or online services from Microsoft.
Option 2: Buy Office Home & Student 2021
If you only need the basic Office apps for your PC or Mac, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can buy Office Home & Student 2021. This is a one-time purchase that you can install on one device for use at home or school. However, you will not receive any future updates or new features for the apps.
Steps to purchase and download Office Home & Student 2021
Go to the Office Home & Student 2021 product page.
Select Buy now and follow the instructions to complete your payment.
After your purchase is confirmed, go to office.com/setup.
Sign in with your Microsoft account and enter your product key.
Select your language and region and click Next.
Select Install Office and follow the instructions to download and install Office Home & Student 2021 on your device.
Launch Word 2021 and activate it with your Microsoft account.
Benefits and drawbacks of Office Home & Student 2021
The main benefits of Office Home & Student 2021 are:
You get the basic Office apps for your PC or Mac.
You pay only once and own the apps forever.
You don't need an internet connection or a Microsoft account to use the apps.
The main drawbacks of Office Home & Student 2021 are:
You don't get any future updates or new features for the apps.
You can only install the apps on one device.
You don't get any cloud storage or online services from Microsoft.
You don't get Outlook, Publisher, or Access, which are useful for email, publishing, and database management.
Option 3: Subscribe to Microsoft 365
If you want to get the most out of Office apps and other Microsoft services, you can subscribe to Microsoft 365. This is a subscription service that gives you access to the latest versions of Office apps, as well as 1 TB of cloud storage on OneDrive, 60 minutes of Skype calls per month, and other benefits. You can choose between Microsoft 365 Personal, which is for one person, or Microsoft 365 Family, which is for up to six people. You can also cancel your subscription at any time.
Steps to sign up and download Microsoft 365
Go to the Microsoft 365 product page.
Select the plan that suits your needs: Personal or Family.
Select Buy now and follow the instructions to complete your payment.
After your purchase is confirmed, go to office.com/setup.
Sign in with your Microsoft account and follow the instructions to download and install Microsoft 365 on your devices.
Launch Word 2021 and sign in with your Microsoft account.
Benefits and drawbacks of Microsoft 365
The main benefits of Microsoft 365 are:
You get the latest versions of Office apps for your PC, Mac, tablet, and phone.
You get 1 TB of cloud storage on OneDrive for each user.
You get 60 minutes of Skype calls per month for each user.
You get other perks such as premium templates, fonts, icons, and photos in Office apps.
You get regular updates and new features for the apps and services.
The main drawbacks of Microsoft 365 are:
You have to pay a recurring fee every month or year.
You need an internet connection and a Microsoft account to use the apps and services.
You might not need all the features and benefits that Microsoft 365 offers.
How to activate and update Word 2021 after installation
After you download and install Word 2021 on your device, you need to activate it with your Microsoft account. Depending on which option you chose to get Word 2021, the activation process might be different. Here are the steps for each option:
Activation process for different versions of Word 2021
Office Professional 2021 or Office Home & Student 2021: Launch Word 2021 and sign in with your Microsoft account. Enter your product key if prompted. Your Word 2021 is now activated.
Microsoft 365 Personal or Microsoft 365 Family: Launch Word 2021 and sign in with your Microsoft account. Your Word 2021 is now activated as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription.
After you activate Word 2021, you should also update it to get the latest security and stability patches, as well as any new features or improvements that might be available. Depending on which option you chose to get Word 2021, the update process might be different. Here are the steps for each option:
Update process for different versions of Word 2021
Office Professional 2021 or Office Home & Student 2021: Open Word 2021 and go to File > Account > Update Options. Select Update Now and wait for the updates to download and install. Restart Word 2021 if prompted.
Microsoft 365 Personal or Microsoft 365 Family: Open Word 2021 and go to File > Account > Update Options. Select Enable Updates and wait for the updates to download and install automatically. Restart Word 2021 if prompted.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download and install Word 2021, the latest version of Microsoft Word that comes with many new features and improvements. We have also compared the different options you have for getting Word 2021, such as buying Office Professional 2021, Office Home & Student 2021, or subscribing to Microsoft 365. Finally, we have explained how to activate and update Word 2021 after installation. We hope this article has helped you get started with Word 2021 and enjoy its benefits.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Word 2021:
Is Word 2021 free? No, Word 2021 is not free. You have to pay a one-time fee to buy Office Professional 2021 or Office Home & Student 2021, which include Word 2021. Alternatively, you can pay a monthly or yearly fee to subscribe to Microsoft 365, which gives you access to Word 2021 and other Office apps and services.
Can I use Word 2021 without an internet connection? Yes, you can use Word 2021 without an internet connection if you buy Office Professional 2021 or Office Home & Student 2021. However, you will need an internet connection to activate and update Word 2021. If you subscribe to Microsoft 365, you will need an internet connection to use Word 2021 and other Office apps and services.
Can I use Word 2021 on my phone or tablet? Yes, you can use Word 2021 on your phone or tablet if you subscribe to Microsoft 365. You can download the Word app from the App Store or Google Play Store and sign in with your Microsoft account. You can also access Word online from your browser on any device.
Can I use Word 2021 with other versions of Office? No, you cannot use Word 2021 with other versions of Office, such as Office 2016 or Office 2019. You can only use Word 2021 with other Office 2021 apps, such as Excel 2021, PowerPoint 2021, and Outlook 2021.
How long does Word 2021 last? Word 2021 lasts as long as you have it installed on your device. You can use it indefinitely without paying any additional fees. However, you will not receive any future updates or new features for Word 2021. If you want to get the latest versions of Office apps and services, you can subscribe to Microsoft 365.
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