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OneDrive Mobile App Spreadsheet Problems

Jason Parton 5 Reputation points
2025-10-03T13:47:52.55+00:00

When trying to open a xlsx file via the onedrive app on my phone, excel tries to open the file as a text document rendering it unreadable.

The files open fine everywhere else. I've downloaded them, saved them again, reuploaded them, but nothing. The problem persists. It's only xlsx files and it doesn't appear to be all of them.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Android

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  1. Arlene D 36,060 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-03T20:22:27.3366667+00:00

    I get what you mean, that’s definitely frustrating. If the files were opening earlier in the day and then suddenly switched to showing as text, that usually means something changed in how the OneDrive app’s built-in viewer is handling Excel files. Microsoft only guarantees full support for .xlsx files through the Excel app on Android, so even if it worked before, the viewer isn’t always reliable.

    The best fix is to install the Excel app from Google Play and open the files there. If the files still open fine on OneDrive web, then they’re not corrupted, it’s just the mobile app viewer acting up. Reporting it through the app does help Microsoft track these bugs, but using Excel is the supported way to avoid the issue.

    Best,

    Arlene

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  2. Arlene D 36,060 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-03T14:52:36.2766667+00:00

    Got it, thanks for the info. Since you’re on Android without the Excel app, OneDrive uses its built-in viewer, which sometimes can’t open certain .xlsx files properly. The supported way to open all Excel files on your phone is to install the Excel app from Google Play and open them there. It’s also a good idea to check the problem files on OneDrive web to make sure they’re not corrupted.

    If they open online but still won’t open on your phone, you can report the issue in OneDrive under Settings > Help & Feedback > Report a Problem.

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  3. Arlene D 36,060 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-03T14:36:22.28+00:00

    Hi there!

    Are you using Android or iOS, and which versions of OneDrive and Excel are installed? Microsoft supports opening Excel files directly from the OneDrive mobile app, but if Excel opens a file as a text document, it usually means the app doesn’t recognize the file properly.

    To fix this, make sure both OneDrive and Excel are updated to the latest version, open the Excel app first and use its Open menu to access the file from OneDrive, verify the file extension is exactly .xlsx, and check the same file on OneDrive web to confirm it opens correctly in Excel Online.

    Let me know if that works.

    Best,

    Arlene

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