When I edit an Excel file that's shared on Teams, my collaborators don't see my live changes

Grant Nia 0 Reputation points
2026-08-25T02:41:23.2933333+00:00

When editing an Excel file that is shared on Teams, employees do not see the changes live

You have to save the file to be able to see the changes made

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows
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  1. Dora-T 375 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-25T03:10:38.6966667+00:00

    Hi Grant Nia

    To better understand the issue, could you please provide a few additional details? 

    1.Are all collaborators editing the workbook using Excel Desktop, Excel for the web, or a mix of both? 

    2.Is the workbook stored in the Teams Files tab (SharePoint/OneDrive) and opened directly from there? 

    3.Does the issue occur for all users or only specific users? 

    4.Is AutoSave enabled for the affected users when editing the workbook? 

    Based on my research, similar cases indicate that real-time updates may not appear in Excel Desktop, while the changes are visible in Excel for the web. This can happen for several reasons, such as AutoSave being disabled or the desktop app not working with the same cloud copy of the workbook that other collaborators are editing. 

    As an initial test, could the affected users open the same workbook in Excel for the web and check whether changes made by other collaborators appear in real time? 

    For reference, you may also find this related discussion helpful: Shared Teams File Not Showing Live Updates on Desktop App - Microsoft Q&A 

    I look forward to your update. 

    Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.   

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-25T02:41:41.86+00:00

    For live co-authoring in an Excel file shared through Teams, the file must stay connected to the cloud copy and AutoSave must be active. If collaborators only see updates after a manual save, the usual causes are that the workbook was not opened from the cloud location, AutoSave is off, or the app is not fully syncing changes.

    Try this:

    1. Open the workbook directly from Teams or from the browser using Open in Desktop App.
      • Do not open a downloaded local copy or a separate synced copy.
      • Expected result: Excel stays connected to the cloud version used by everyone else.
    2. In Excel desktop, check the AutoSave toggle in the upper-left corner.
      • Turn AutoSave on.
      • If AutoSave is greyed out or will not stay on, reopen the file from Teams or the browser.
    3. If others still do not see changes immediately, wait a minute or two.
      • Excel and the cloud can take a short time to communicate.
    4. Make sure everyone is using a co-authoring-supported app version.
      • Supported versions listed in the documentation include Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel for the web, Excel for Android, Excel Mobile, and Excel for iOS.
      • Older Excel versions may prevent simultaneous editing visibility.
    5. If editing in Excel for Microsoft 365, make sure everyone has AutoSave turned on.
      • This is required to see colored selections and live collaboration behavior in supported desktop versions.
    6. If the file is synced with OneDrive, make sure syncing is active and not paused.
      • A paused or interrupted sync can delay cloud updates.

    If the issue happens only in the desktop app but works in Teams or the browser, that strongly points to the desktop app not being fully connected to the cloud copy or AutoSave not being active for those users.

    Also note:

    • Co-authoring shows each other’s changes as they happen, but some workbook actions such as sorting and filtering affect everyone’s view.
    • The Unsaved Changes pane only shows changes that have not yet uploaded to the cloud, and only certain edit types such as cell values and formulas.

    References:

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

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