The terms spreadsheet and Excel are by now well and truly interchangeable. You don’t use a search engine; you Google it. You don’t vacuum; you get out the Hoover. And when you need to crunch numbers, you reach for Excel.
But just because you’re on the go with a smartphone, it doesn’t mean your number is up. Indeed, you can get the iconic Microsoft spreadsheet on your phone and do everything you can do on a desktop. Excel-lent.
First up, check you don’t have it on board already. Most Android phones have an MS app folder lurking. Check in there. Or find the app using your phone’s search function.
If you draw a blank or have an iPhone, don’t worry. You can download MS Excel as an app to your phone.
Manage charts, accounting, budgets, etc. with Excel’s contemporary templates
Run calculations using data analysis and formulas
Get compatibility across devices
Bring data to life with chart maker
Review and edit charts data
Create spreadsheets
Share files with a few taps
If numbers are your game, you should definitely have this app on your smartphone or tablet. Excel is a powerful tool for crunching data and handling numbers, so having it readily available while on the go will be a big time saver.
The free version has some limitations, naturally. But for quick edits, reviews, and so on, it’s probably enough to get by.
However, you can unlock more of the features on your phone Excel if you are a Microsoft 365 user. This gives you access to premium features, including:
Adding and modifying chart elements
Editing custom colors and formatting of shapes
Creating charts with customized layouts and styles
Using data maps for data analysis
Creating and editing SmartArt
It’s free
Similar to the desktop version
Clean, easy to use interface
Multi-language support
Easy to share and collaborate with others
Sounds good in theory, but screen size can be an issue
You need Microsoft 365 to unlock all the features
To get started with Microsoft Excel on your mobile, you first need to sign in via a free Microsoft account.
The app is downloadable for Android via Google Play. App requirements vary by device. However, you need a post-Kitkat and Lollipop device with an ARM or Intel processor and a gig’s worth of RAM.
If you need the upgrade, you can do so by taking out a Microsoft 365 subscription if you’re not already a subscriber. This will unlock all the features on your phone or tablet if the free version proves too limited for your needs. You can purchase Microsoft 365 from Google Play.
iOS device users need to have 259.2 MB of free space and be running iOS 13.0 or later.
The price of Microsoft 365 varies depending on your package. A Personal (one user) account with one terabyte of storage costs $69.99 per year. The six-user Family account costs $99.99 per year. There’s currently a free month’s trial on the Family package.
