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Open and edit spreadsheets with ease on your Android device 

Open and edit spreadsheets with ease on your Android device 

Vote: (20 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Microsoft

Version: 16.0.17328.20152

Works under: Android

Also available for Windows Mac

Vote:

Program license

(20 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Microsoft

16.0.17328.20152

Works under:

Also available for

Android

Windows Mac

Pros

  • OneDrive and Dropbox Sync
  • Standard Excel Functions

Cons

  • Limited High-End Features
  • Ribbon Interface

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet and data organization app that has been highly popular in the productivity industry for years. Microsoft has recently made a push to include more cross-platform functionality in their software, so they are moving toward a system that focuses primarily on the mobile landscape. They have finally learned that they need to port their software to other operating systems if they want to remain successful instead of attempting to coerce users to switch away from platforms like iOS and Android.

As one might expect, this mobile version of Excel is severely lacking in the advanced features that many professional users have come to expect from the app. It only includes the most basic functions, like formatting text, changing the view of a spreadsheet, inserting charts, pictures, and text, and basic formulas. Users can't create formulas using selection as they can in the full version, and the search function for formulas is absent.

The app does not include any options to edit inserted images, and there is no way to change the page layout. It's also impossible to import data or automatically format new data. There are also some features missing from the collaboration system. It is possible to email spreadsheets as attachments, but multiple users can not edit cloud-based documents as they can in the full version.

One saving grace for the app is that users can sync Dropbox and OneDrive accounts to it, which makes it much easier to open and save documents to those services. These are, unfortunately, the only third-party cloud services that are supported.

Most users who are at least partially familiar with Excel will be frustrated to learn that the infamous ribbon interface from any version of Office after 2007 has been included in this app. Some will find this to be a hinderance, but the stripped down nature of this app makes the ribbon interface much more manageable. Users can easily swap menus and find the function they need. Those that are fluent in the desktop version of Excel will most likely find the limitations of the mobile version to be incapacitating. If you are accustomed to using Excel for advanced functions on a daily basis, the mobile version should be avoided.

The touchscreen controls of the app are surprisingly responsive and functional, but one downside is that the keyboard for entering text populates more than half the screen, so there will be times when the cell being populated will be covered by the keyboard. This problem is less severe with an Android tablet instead of a smartphone, especially if portrait view is used. The touch controls could be a bit more precise, but beyond that, they are excellent.

It will take some time to see if this port will survive in the long run since it will most likely require some updates to become a fully-functional mobile version of the Excel that everyone loves.

Pros

  • OneDrive and Dropbox Sync
  • Standard Excel Functions

Cons

  • Limited High-End Features
  • Ribbon Interface