Microsoft Excel for Android is the mobile version of Microsoft Excel, designed to work on Android phones and tablets. Microsoft Excel for Android complements Microsoft Word for Android and Microsoft Powerpoint for Android. Alternatively, you can download the complete Office suite for access to the full range of tools.
Microsoft Excel for Android allows you to use Microsoft Excel on most Android phones and tablets. Excel for Android lets you perform the essential functions of the desktop version and encapsulates the look and feel of the desktop version, wrapped up in a touch-friendly design.
Betwen the sheets
Excel for Android is suitable for creating professional spreadsheets or if you just need to make quick edits to figures or formulas on-the-go. Excel for Android preserves all the original formatting and you won’t lose any tables, formulas or other formatting when you move switch devices or go back to editing on desktop. You can, of course, access your Excel documents in the cloud wherever you are and Excel for Android supports a variety of online storage solutions.
Excel for Android works well for basic accounting, although if you’re running a business and need to keep your finances in order you could consider a cloud accounting app such as FreshBooks or Xero.
Optimized for touch screens
The look and feel of Microsoft Word for Android pays homage to the desktop version but it’s been adapted to work with touch screens, so accessing certain features is different to the way you would do it on desktop. However, it still retains the familiar navigation and menu options in the ribbon to help you get started and get familiar with how it works.
The look and feel of Excel for Android is just like the desktop version.
All the same features you will recognize from Excel such as formulas, tables, charts, and sparklines are included in the Excel app and they’ve all been optimized for touch devices. In fact, Excel has been designed so that you can use it with one hand and create spreadsheets at the same time. Excel for Android lets you draw insights on-the-go as well as add formulas, reorder columns, and resize tables in Excel with just a few swipes.
Always-on access
Microsoft Excel for Android allows you to access your recent files from any Android device and go back to them later on another device, with Excel remembering where you left off (although this is only possible with an Office 365 subscription).
You can save Excel documents created in Excel for Android in OneDrive, One Drive for Business, SharePoint, Google Drive, Box and Dropbox. You can also share documents via all of these online storage solutions from within Excel or share your documents with others by simply emailing a hyperlink or attachment.
Excel for Android also allows you to track changes, comment, and mark-up docs with comments and transparency so that anyone sharing or looking at the document can see why a change has been made.
Excel for Android allows you to edit formulas and figures wherever you are.
CSV woes
The main problem you might experience with Microsoft Excel for Android is compatibility issues with certain spreadsheets, especially CSV files. For some reason, you may find that documents downloaded from different sources may not open in Excel for Android – and there’s not much you can do if this happens other than post the problem on the Microsoft support forums. This seems to be a particular problem when Excel has to deal with custom properties linked to cells.
Although downloading Microsoft Excel for Android is free to use for viewing, creating and editing docs on devices with a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller, you must purchase an Office 365 subscription to unlock all editing functionality. Office 365 is also required to create or edit on tablets with a screen larger than 10.1 inches.
If you don’t have a subscription, you can buy Office 365 Home or Office 365 Personal from within the application. An Office 365 subscription not only gives you Excel but also entitles you to Word and PowerPoint on Android, iPad and iPhone. It also allows you to install Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote on PCs or Macs.
Conclusion
For anyone that uses Excel regularly and needs to edit their documents on the move, Microsoft Excel for Android is an excellent tool, although you may not be able to open all spreadsheets that it should be able to.
If it’s a specific accounting software you’re looking for, it may be better to opt for a SaaS solution, which generally offer tighter integration with your other business systems and extra features for things like accounts payable, invoicing, and billing.
Have you tried Microsoft Excel for Android? Let us know what you think. Is it still top dog for doing your accounts, or do you have an alternative you prefer. Comment below and share your thoughts with the Android AppStorm community.
