Problem with my IPad Pro and my IPhone 16 Pro to edit excel

Cristina Ionescu 0 Reputation points
2026-07-05T15:41:29.5+00:00

Hi,

For the last month when the last update was made, I started not being able to use my xcel app. More precisely I am having problems with editing my excel spreadsheets on my IPad and IPhone which I was always able to do so for years now…..

When I try to edit, even though I am already signed in it requires me to sign in again, and then when I click in a box to edit it, I get a message saying “focus edit”, and it won’t let me type anything into the cell. I’ve tried to fix the problem multiple times, and I am very frustrated because I can’t figure out what is going on. This “focus edit” feature just appeared on my electronics and I do not know what to do with it. I’ll appreciate it if you can help me with this issue.

Also, going into my online account I noticed that on the section that says “devises” both my iPhone and iPad no longer are there after the update. PLEASE HELP ME.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | iOS
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  1. Hendrix-C 19,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-05T20:39:13.0933333+00:00

    Hi Cristina,

    Based on your description, this is likely a sign-in/licensing activation issue in Excel for iOS. The "focused edit" option is normally an Excel iOS editing feature/context menu, but if Excel is not recognizing your Microsoft 365 sign-in or license, the "focused edit" may show up and not let you type.

    I suggest you can follow these steps to narrow down the situation:

    • Firstly, on a browser (e.g. Safari), go to My account and make sure the Microsoft account you use in Excel has an active Microsoft 365 subscription.
    • Then go to your iPhone/iPad to sign out of Excel completely and sign back in: tap you profile picture > Sign out > fully close Excel (or you can completely delete the app and reinstall a fresh new installation) > sign in again with the correct Microsoft account with the active subscription.

    You can try these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, please feel free to reach out again in the comments on this post. I'm happy to assist you further and we can investigate together to find out a solution.

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it.

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