Routine maintenance, security patches, and performance enhancements. Performance and Bug Fixes
Microsoft Word for Mac version was a stable release issued on May 10, 2022 . This update focused primarily on quality improvements and bug fixes rather than introducing major new features. Key Update Information Release Date: May 10, 2022 (Current Channel). Build Number: 22050700.
Standard security updates were included to protect against potential vulnerabilities. User-Reported Issues
Reports on developer forums highlighted occasional memory pressure issues in larger documents (180+ pages).
Despite the performance focus, some users reported specific difficulties with version 16.61:
Some users on older OS versions like Catalina reported that the Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) tool occasionally failed to verify the package for companion apps like Excel. Managing This Version
22 Jul 2022 — Latest Office Insider updates If you see the following version and build numbers when you look in the product's About dialog, you' Microsoft Support Technical Bug Report: Critical Memory Leak in Word for Mac
Update history for Office Insider for Mac - Microsoft Support