This wikiHow teaches you how to open an Excel file and view the contents of the spreadsheet. You can use a desktop spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel, a web-based spreadsheet viewer such as Google Sheets, or the Excel mobile app to open, view, and edit Excel spreadsheets on a computer, phone, or tablet.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Using Desktop Programs
Step 1. Locate and right-click the Excel file you want to open
Find the spreadsheet file on your computer and right-click its name or icon to view the options in the drop-down menu.
Step 2. Hover over the Open with option in the right-click menu
A list of available applications will be displayed in the submenu.
Step 3. Select Microsoft Excel on the "Open with" menu
Microsoft Excel will run on the computer and the selected file will be opened.
- If you don't see Microsoft Excel, click " Other " or " Choose another app ” to view all applications.
- If you don't have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer, check out the available subscription plans and get a free trial at
- As an alternative, you can download and use a free, open-source office suite such as Apache OpenOffice (https://www.openoffice.org) or LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org).
Method 2 of 4: Using Excel Online
Step 1. Open Microsoft Excel Online via an internet browser
Type or paste https://office.live.com/start/excel.aspx into the address bar and press Enter or Return on your keyboard.
- If prompted, sign in using your Microsoft ID or Outlook account.
- You can use Excel online on both desktop and mobile internet browsers.
Step 2. Click the Upload a Workbook button in the top right corner of the page
This button looks like a blue, up-pointing arrow icon in the top-right corner of the page. A file navigator window will open and you can select a spreadsheet file from your computer.
Step 3. Select the Excel file you want to open
Locate the spreadsheet file in the file navigator window and click on its name or icon to select it.
Step 4. Click Open
It's in the lower-right corner of the file navigator pop-up window. The selected file will be uploaded and opened in Excel online.
You can view and edit files directly through your browser
Method 3 of 4: Using Google Sheets
Step 1. Open Google Sheets via an internet browser
Type or paste https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets into the address bar, then press Enter or Return on your keyboard.
- Alternatively, visit https://sheets.google.com. The same page will load.
- Sign in to your Google account if you're not automatically signed in.
- You can use Google Sheets through both desktop and mobile internet browsers.
Step 2. Click the folder icon in the top right corner of the page
You can see this button in the top right corner of the spreadsheet list, next to the “ AZ" An "Open a file" pop-up window will be opened.
Step 3. Click the Uploads tab
You can find this tab in the tab bar under the "Upload a file" heading in the pop-up window. After that, you can open the Excel file from your computer.
Alternatively, you can click on the tab “ My Drive ” and opens the file from the Google Drive library.
Step 4. Drag and drop the Excel file into the "Open a file" window
When in the tab Upload ”, you can drag and drop spreadsheet files from your computer into the window.
- The Excel file will be uploaded to Google Sheets and opened in an internet browser.
- Alternatively, click the button “ Select a file from your device ” in blue and select your file manually.
Method 4 of 4: Using Excel Mobile App
Step 1. Open the Excel app on your phone or tablet
The Excel icon looks like a green and white “X” and draws a spreadsheet. If the app isn't already installed, you can get it:
- Via iTunes App Store for iPhone/iPad at
- Via Google Play Store for Android devices at
Step 2. Tap Sign in later at the bottom of the screen
With this option, you can use the Excel mobile app on your phone or tablet without signing in to a Microsoft account.
Alternatively, enter your registered email address, phone number, or Skype ID, then tap the green and white arrow icon to sign in to your account
Step 3. Touch the Open button
This button looks like a folder icon on the navigation bar. The available file directories will be displayed.
- On iPhone, it's in the lower-right corner of the screen.
- On Android devices, it's in the upper-left corner of the screen.
Step 4. Select the directory where the spreadsheet file is stored
Once the folder is selected, all the files stored in it will be displayed.
If you want to open a file stored on the internal storage space of your phone or tablet, select “ This Device " or " On My iPhone ”/” iPad ”.
Step 5. Select the spreadsheet file you want to open
Touch the file to open it in the Excel mobile app.
