Elaeocarpus macrophyllus is a large lowland tropical rainforest tree, occurring at elevations of c. 100–500 m asl on Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan in Indonesia. Specimens that closely resemble it have been collected from Sabah in Malaysia, but further research is required to confirm the taxonomy of these specimens. It has likely been extirpated from large parts of North Sumatra due to habitat loss, however, an area of habitat analysis indicates potentially suitable habitat remains in southern North Sumatra. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be between c. 560,000–1.05 million km², greatly exceeding any of the threatened categories under criterion B1, and this is expected to be reflected in its area of occupancy. It currently has 12–13 identifiable threatened locations. While estimates on total population size are not available, it can be prevalent within agroforestry schemes and has been collected from secondary forest. Despite this, due to the severity, scope and manner of habitat loss across its range, the population is suspected to be declining, but further research is required to confirm this trend. It is not known to be severely fragmented or subject to extreme fluctuations. There has been a 20–37% decrease in tree cover across its range since 2000 and it is undergoing a continuing decline in its EOO, AOO and the area, extent and quality of its habitat driven by conversion to oil palm plantations, timber plantations, small scale agriculture, illegal logging and conversion of forest to shrub and grassland. However, the degree to which this matches to population reductions is uncertain. Despite these threats, given its wide EOO, large area of habitat, and numerous known localities, it is assessed as Least Concern.

Elaeocarpus macrophyllus occurs at elevations of c. 100–500 m asl in western and central Indonesia on Java (Backer and Bakhuizen van Den Brink 1968, POWO 2023), Sumatra (Yates #2241 (P), Boshproefstation #2747 (L)) and Kalimantan (Tata 2019). Specimens which closely resemble it have also been collected from Sabah, Malaysia (Evangelista #696 (US)), however, further determination of these specimens is required and pending further research they are omitted from the assessment. The species is likely extirpated from its single known locality in North Sumatra due to widespread habitat conversion. However, an area of habitat analysis following Brooks et al. (2019) indicates that areas of potential habitat remain in southern North Sumatra. As such, its extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be between c. 560,000–1.05 million km², with a best estimate of between c. 560,000–973,660 km². Its area of occupancy based on herbarium specimens has not been included in the assessment as this value likely represents a significant underestimate; though uncertain, the true AOO is likely to be large given an area of suitable habitat exceeding 60,000 km². The species has 12–13 known threatened locations, but given the potential wide range this is likely an underestimate. It should be noted that the species has been erroneously listed as endemic to Java in some sources (POWO 2023). Further research on its distribution with a focus on North Sumatra and Sabah is recommended.

During a survey of a rubber-rattan complex agroforestry plot, Tata (2019) identified the species as being relatively prevalent. However, further research is required to establish if these data are applicable at the population level. It is suspected that the population is declining due to widespread habitat loss across its range (Estoque et al. 2019, Austin et al. 2019). It is not known to be severely fragmented or subject to extreme fluctuations. Further research on the population status and trend of this species is required.

Elaeocarpus macrophyllus is a large tree growing to 20–30 m tall with a diameter at breast high of c. 0.6 m (Backer and Bakhuizen van den Brink 1968, McDonald and Afriasini #3414 (K)). Its primary habitat is tropical lowland humid forest (Backer and Bakhuizen van den Brink 1968), however, it can also be found in old secondary forest with Elaeocarpus, Cassia and Micromelum (McDonald and Afriastini #3414 (K)), as well as Rattan-Rubber agroforestry systems (Tata 2019).

Indonesia is one of the world's deforestation hotspots (Austin et al. 2019, Higgingbottom et al. 2019), with lowland humid forests, this species' primary habitat, being particularly affected. There has been an estimated 20–37% decrease in tree cover across its range since 2000 (Global Forest Watch 2023), and habitat loss is viewed as the predominate threat to this species. In Java, this been a process ongoing for centuries if not thousands of years, with intensive deforestation occurring during the 19^th–20^th centuries (Smiet 1990, Semah and Semah 2012). Forest loss on Java is so extensive that only an estimated 7–10% of natural forest remains (Smiet 1990, Whitten et al. 1997), with remaining habitat largely comprising montane forest scattered within protected areas (Higginbottom et al. 2019). Due to the historic extensive loss of habitat on Java, rates of tree loss are relatively low compared with other parts of its range (Global Forest Watch 2023), with major threats being illegal logging (Bong et al. 2016) and small-scale agriculture (Austin et al. 2019).  Across Sumatra and Kalimantan, tree loss is active and ongoing (Global Forest Watch 2023). Drivers for deforestation on Sumatra and Kalimantan are varied, but major drivers are expansion of oil palm and timber plantations, other large-scale plantations, and the conversion of forest into scrubland and grassland (Austin et al. 2019, Gaveau et al. 2016). Conversion of forest to scrub and grassland is often linked to dry seasons and spikes in fire events, however, causes of fire events are often unknown (Austin et al. 2019).

McDonald and Afriastini (#3414 (K)) state that its fruits are edible. Beyond this, no use or trade information is available.

The species has been recorded from the Ujung Kulon and Gunung Gede-Pangrango national parks and within areas which have since been listed under Indonesia's forest moratorium (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2023, Global Forest Watch 2023). The moratorium has also listed large areas of potentially suitable habitat across this species' range. Passive conservation is assumed within these areas but it is not known if specific conservation measures are in place and it is not known to be held in any ex situ collections or genetic depositories (BGCI 2023, Genesys PGR 2023). The collection and storage of germplasm in an ex situ collection and genetic resource bank is recommended.