Recently Microsoft has launched Excel app for iPad. Being an Excel addict, I could hardly wait to test it. And here is the result.
Excel App for iPad – What is it?
Several years after iPad launch, Microsoft finally created apps for Word, Power Point, One Note & Excel. The Excel app is a miniature version of Excel on your iPad. It is capable of displaying almost all Excel workbooks with ease. You can even create your own workbooks using the app.
What do you need to use it?
- An iPad (duh!)
- Free Microsoft Excel for iPad app
- Optional Microsoft Office 365 subscription (if you want to create or edit files)
Introduction & Demo of Excel for iPad
To help you understand how the Excel for iPad app works and what it can do, I created a short video. Watch it below
(Click here to watch it on our YouTube Channel)
Demo file to play with your Excel iPad app
If you want to see what the app can do, download this demo file:
- Open Safari (or your browser) on iPad
- Visit https://files.chandoo.org/ipad-demo.xlsx
- Open the file in Excel app when prompted
Are you using Excel app on your iPad? How do you like it?
It has been just a week since I started using Excel app on my (wife’s) iPad. I love it so far. It is a quick way to look at a spreadsheet, see what is going on and explore the information. I think creating a workbook on it would take a lot of time (or a good keyboard) though.
What about you? Have you downloaded and tested the app? Please comment your experience.
If you have not downloaded it, time to get it.
If you don’t have an iPad, here is a chance to win it.
9 Responses
Wow! That’s great.
Just curious to know, What would be the best way to publish BI excel dashboards within enterprises(secured) so that multiple users can login and take a look. I know Excel shared services (MOSS) could be one of the solutions but anything simpler than that? Finally user should be able to see the dashboards in different geographies(login access controlled), in different types of PCs(conventional pcs, tabs, smart phones etc) and still cost effective and simple.
We publish multiple reports that function as full-featured BI solutions. These include summaries with filtering ability, linked charts, graphical elements and detail data.
Using this viewer, the filtering ability works, as does the ability to resize columns – so it’s a tremendous improvement (over viewing these reports as, basically, pdfs).
However, the graphical elements come through haphazardly (or not at all), the charts are not visible, and – weirdest twist – some table data is visible, while other tables completely disappear.
how much will you really be able to get done using excel on a ipad? Isn’t it basically a glorified viewer on a tab?
Hi Dan,
The main use of this is obviously viewer. But I think it also has many simple uses (like simple templates, ability to edit values and trigger changes in outputs, analyze by touching). Eventually MS may be able to add some sort of on-demand features (for example you can invoke data model, slicer capabilities by hooking up with MS cloud servers)
Excel for iPad
What’s Hot !
1. Similarity to desktop cousin
2. Magical Keyboard
3. Support Charts
4. Sort and Filter
5. Insert/Delete sheets/rows/columns
6. Use Functions
7. Save files to directly one drive
8. Table styles
What’s Not
1. Can only view documents, to edit need office 365 account
2. Does not support Macros
3. External data connections not supported
4. No support for Slicers
5. Does not support Pivot Tables
6. Cannot save files to dropbox or google drive
7. Track changes feature is not available.
Just so I’m clear, does Excel for iPad – without a 365 subscription – allow the user to type (or select from a dropdown) something into the file which updates the file but can’t be saved, or is the user restricted just to navigating the model?
eg I have a Loan Repayment model I’d like to share, where the user can select a loan term, interest rate, etc to determine what their loan repayment would be. I’d like my iPad users to be able to use the model to assess loan options in this way, without having to have a 265 subscription.
Thanks
Hi Chandoo,
Can iPAD or iPhone read .xlsm (macro enabled excel files)..
As one of our client looking this feature in iOS platform. Your suggestion, feedback are highly appricated
@Sankar
I believe they can open the files, but the macro components won’t work