You can open XLSX files on iPhone three ways. Tap the file in the Files app for a quick read-only preview. Open it in Numbers, Apple's free spreadsheet app, to edit and total it. Or use Microsoft's Excel app, which keeps the workbook in XLSX format while you edit. For converted statement rows, Excel or Numbers both work.
Previewing an XLSX file on iPhone with Quick Look in Files
Quick Look is the preview that appears when you tap a file in the Files app. It shows an XLSX workbook as a read-only table, with no app to install. That is enough to confirm a converted statement arrived with its rows and columns, but you cannot sort, sum or change a cell there.
Use the preview as a first check. Scroll to the bottom to see that the last transaction is there, and swipe sideways to see every column. If the workbook has more than one sheet, the preview usually lets you switch between them. Anything beyond looking needs Numbers or Excel, and the share button in the preview hands the file to either one.
Opening an XLSX workbook in Numbers on iPhone
Numbers opens an XLSX workbook by importing it into its own format. Apple's guide to importing an Excel file into Numbers on iPhone gives the route: in the document manager, tap Browse, find the Excel file and tap its thumbnail. Numbers comes free with the iPhone, so this route costs nothing.
The import creates a Numbers copy. Your original XLSX stays where it was, untouched. That is safe, but it means any edits live in the Numbers copy, and you need to export again if someone else expects an Excel file. For a statement you only want to read and total, the import is the quickest free route. Values and simple formulas such as sums usually come across. Complex formatting and features that only Excel has may look different.
Editing an XLSX file in the Excel app on iPhone
The Excel app edits XLSX workbooks in place, so the file stays an Excel file the whole time. Microsoft's file type table for Excel on mobile lists XLSX as one you can open and edit on iOS. That makes Excel the better choice when the workbook will go back to a computer.
Simple changes cost nothing on an iPhone. According to Microsoft's mobile apps plan page, people without a qualifying plan still get basic editing on personal files, and the free tier's screen cap of 10.1 inches is larger than any iPhone. Tapping a premium tool brings up a prompt to buy a plan.
Which iPhone XLSX app should total your converted rows?
For totalling converted statement rows, either Numbers or Excel does the job. Select the amount column and both apps show the sum at the bottom of the screen. Pick Excel if the file must stay XLSX for someone else. Pick Numbers if you just want the answer and nothing else needs the file.
A comparison table for XLSX on iPhone
| What you need | Quick Look in Files | Numbers | Excel app |
|---|---|---|---|
| View rows and columns | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Edit cells | No | Yes, in a Numbers copy | Yes, in the XLSX file |
| Show a quick total | No | Yes | Yes |
| Keep formulas working | Shows results | Most simple formulas | Yes |
| Saves as | Nothing saved | Numbers format, export for XLSX | XLSX |
| Cost on a phone | Free | Free | Basic edits free, premium features paid |
A converted statement is a flat list of dates, descriptions and amounts, so it rarely uses anything that breaks between the apps. If you are deciding whether a PDF should become a spreadsheet at all, choosing between PDF to Excel or Word sorts files by what they contain.
Why does an XLSX file open read-only on iPhone?
An XLSX file opens read-only on iPhone for a few reasons: you opened it in the Quick Look preview, the file sits in a shared or locked location, or it is not really an XLSX file. Check the extension first, since the Excel app treats some workbook types differently.
When the file is not really XLSX
Microsoft's file type table shows that on iOS the Excel app opens XLS and CSV files read-only. An older XLS file or a CSV with a spreadsheet icon can look like an XLSX in a list, but it will not let you edit in Excel. Open a CSV in Numbers instead, or see opening a CSV file on iPhone for the other routes.
Other blocks to check
- Opened from an attachment preview. Mail and chat apps show a preview, not the file. Save it to Files first, then open it from there.
- A premium feature. Basic editing is free, but a premium feature stops at a subscription prompt. Undo that step and finish the edit another way.
- A damaged download. If no app opens it, download the workbook again on Wi-Fi.
Android has a similar set of apps and blocks. Opening an XLSX file on Android compares them. FastBankConvert, which is getting ready to open, is being built to deliver its download as an Excel file on the phone itself; you can join through Get started.