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excel drawing and selecting cells at the same time.

Kenneth Myers 0 Reputation points
2026-02-23T17:54:14.6533333+00:00

I have a Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, (no s-pen, no touch settings) running the mobile excel app. When you select the draw option in excel, you then select what pen or highlighter you need, then select the draw with finger option, you should be abble to draw with no selections of cells. what is happening is the draw option is not disabling the cell selection. I really need a fix for this.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Android
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  1. Kal-D 7,365 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-22T22:21:07.62+00:00

    Hi Kenneth Myers,

    Thanks for the clear description. What you’re seeing isn’t the expected behavior. In Excel for Android, once you select Draw, choose a pen or highlighter, and turn on Draw with Finger, touch input should switch to inking mode instead of continuing to select cells.

    A few common reasons this can happen include:

    • Excel not fully switching into Draw mode
    • A temporary app or cache issue affecting touch input
    • The behavior being limited to a specific workbook
    • The current Excel app build not handling ink mode correctly on that device

    Please try the steps below in order:

    1. Open a new blank workbook and test Draw with Finger there. If it works in a blank file, the issue may be specific to that workbook.
    2. Force close Excel, reopen it, and test again.
    3. Go to Android Settings > Apps > Excel > Storage > Clear cache. Use Clear cache, not Clear data, unless you’re prepared to sign in again.
    4. Restart the Galaxy Tab, then test Excel again. This can help refresh touch and input handling.
    5. Update Excel from the Google Play Store if an update is available.
    6. If it still happens in a blank workbook, go to Help > Feedback in Excel and report the issue so the product team can review device‑ or build‑specific behavior.
    7. If possible, test with a basic capacitive stylus. If stylus input behaves differently from finger input, that helps narrow this down to a touch handling issue.
    8. As a last step, reinstall Excel (after confirming your files are saved or synced).

    Since the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite doesn’t require an S Pen for Draw with Finger, this points more toward an app or input handling issue rather than a missing tablet setting.

    If the issue continues, please reply with:

    • Your Excel app version
    • Whether this happens in all workbooks or only one
    • Whether a capacitive stylus behaves differently from finger input

    Please let me know if this proves useful to you, or if you would like further assistance.

    I'm looking forward to your reply.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-02-23T17:54:21.7433333+00:00

    It seems that you are experiencing an issue with the draw feature in the Excel app on your Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, where the cell selection is not being disabled while drawing. Unfortunately, the provided context does not contain specific solutions for this issue with the mobile Excel app. However, a common troubleshooting step for similar problems is to ensure that your app is updated to the latest version, as updates often fix bugs and improve functionality.

    If the problem persists, you may want to check the app's settings or consult the Microsoft support forums for further assistance specific to your device and app version.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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