Microsoft 365 excel on ipad drop down list has stopped allowing a selection from list to be entered to cell

Sandy Adams 0 Reputation points
2025-12-23T14:36:53.36+00:00

An excel file we created on desktop and access via microsoft 365 on our ipad has suddenly stopped allowing you to select an item from drop down list. The list displays and when you type part of the word, only these items show which is all as it should be but when you select and enter from this criteria, only the part of the word you entered shows in the cell and since this part of the word does not exist in list it shows an error message "That value is not valid" "Someone has restricted values that can can be entered into this cell." as you'd expect it to say as cell does not match with the data validation criteria.

This file has been used daily and working fine for past couple of years. I have signed out and back in to microsoft 365 several times, I have uninstalled and reinstalled excel on ipad. I have recreated a small selection file for testing which has nothing on it except for numbers and this seems to select as it should but when I add a mix of numbers and alpha to the list(like there is in my original file) the error happens again although you can see all items on list for selection when you try to select alphanumber item it just leaves whatever you have typed in the cell which obviously does not match data validation and throws up the error. Although I have protection on my original file my test file is just one sheet with a few numbers on it and a drop down list and I still have the same issue. For further info I have both boxes ticked - ignore blank and in cell dropdown on the original file and testing file created on desktop. This only happens on Ipad, accessing the same file from laptop or desktop works as it should.

Here is a brief example:

List: 10,11,12,13,14,20,22,M20,M30

If I type "1" - 10.11.12.13.14 all show on the list, I scroll to select for example "11" and "11" populates the cell.

If I type "M" - M20. M30 show on the list, I scroll to select for example "M30" and "M" populates not "M30" as it should and thus throws an error message.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | iOS
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  1. AI answer

    2025-12-23T14:37:09.3066667+00:00

    It seems that you are experiencing an issue with the dropdown list in Excel on your iPad, where it does not allow the selection to populate the cell correctly. Since this issue occurs only on the iPad and not on your desktop or laptop, it may be related to how the Excel app handles data validation on iOS devices.

    Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

    1. Check Data Validation Settings: Ensure that the data validation settings are correctly configured in your Excel file. You mentioned that you have the "ignore blank" and "in-cell dropdown" options checked, which is good. Double-check that the source for the dropdown list is correctly set up.
    2. Update Excel: Make sure that your Excel app on the iPad is up to date. Sometimes, bugs are fixed in newer versions of the app.
    3. Clear Cache: If possible, clear the cache of the Excel app on your iPad. This can sometimes resolve unexpected behavior.
    4. Test with Different Data: Since you mentioned that a test file with only numbers worked, try creating a new test file with a similar mix of alphanumeric items to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is specific to the original file.
    5. Recreate Dropdown List: As a last resort, try recreating the dropdown list in your original file. Sometimes, data validation settings can become corrupted, and recreating them can resolve the issue.

    If the problem continues after trying these steps, it may be worth reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance, as there could be a specific issue with the Excel app on iPad that needs to be addressed.

    References:

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  2. Daniel-Vo 6,275 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-25T09:39:51.5133333+00:00

    Dear Sandy Adams,

    Thank you for posting your question on the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Based on your description, it appears that in Excel for iPad, data validation drop-down lists containing alphanumeric values (letters and numbers) may not function as expected. When you type part of an item and select it from the list, Excel only inserts the typed characters instead of the full value, which then triggers a validation error because the entry does not exactly match the allowed list.

    To help investigate further, could you please confirm which iPad model you are using, along with the iOS version and the Excel app version installed?

    In the meantime, this behaviour may be related to the data validation settings applied to the cells. You can try the following steps to check:

    1. Select the affected cell(s).
    2. Go to the Data tab.
    3. Select Data Validation (under the Data Tools group).
    4. Check whether a validation rule is applied.
    5. Tick “Apply these changes to all other cells with the same settings”, then click Clear All.
    6. User's image

    I hope the information above is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".        

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