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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Microsoft Excel

45
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Microsoft Excel for mobile devices is praised for its core functionality and utility for data management, but it is frequently criticized for missing key desktop features, persistent login issues, and numerous bugs and crashes, especially after recent updates.

4.8★ lifetime (1,421,546) Free to download since 2014 by Microsoft Corporation updated 0.2 mo ago recent negative 66% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Bugs & Instability Missing Features Login & Account Issues Paid Features & Subscriptions User Interface & Experience
5★64
4★9
3★11
2★18
1★148
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Microsoft Excel's mobile app offers essential spreadsheet capabilities, making it useful for basic data analysis and organization. However, recent user reviews highlight significant frustrations with missing advanced features, frequent login requirements, and widespread performance issues like freezing and data loss, despite developer claims of performance enhancements.

What users like

  • Effective for basic data management and day-to-day tasksR10R24R28R40
  • Familiar and easy to use for long-time Excel usersR7R32R37R57
  • Convenient for use across multiple devices (iPhone, iPad, laptop)R55R76R93

What users complain about

  • Missing many key features found in the desktop version, such as advanced graphing, VBA macros, and file optionsR1R13R25R43
  • Users are constantly logged out and required to sign in, often failing without an internet connectionR2R3R4R41
  • Frequent bugs, freezing, and crashing, especially after recent updates, leading to data loss and usability issuesR30R53R66R168
  • Editing functionality is often problematic or requires a paid subscriptionR13R18R31R38
  • User interface is considered weak, cumbersome, and inconsistent compared to desktop versionsR1R14R15R48

Latest update · v2.111.3

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

• General quality and performance enhancements.

Recurring themes

Missing Features negative
Many users express disappointment that the mobile app lacks essential features present in the desktop version, such as advanced graphing, VBA macros, and comprehensive file options, limiting its utility for professional work.R1R13R25R43
Login & Account Issues negative
A prevalent issue is the constant requirement to log in, often failing or encountering errors, which makes offline use difficult and frustrates users with paid subscriptions.R2R3R4R41
Bugs & Instability negative
Numerous recent reviews report the app freezing, crashing, not saving work, and other glitches, especially after updates. This contradicts the developer's notes about 'quality and performance enhancements'.R21R26R30R52
Paid Features & Subscriptions negative
Users are frustrated by the need for a paid subscription to access editing features, especially when they feel they have already paid for Microsoft products or expect basic functionality for free.R11R13R18R29
User Interface & Experience mixed
While some find the app easy to use, others criticize the weak, cumbersome, or inconsistent user interface compared to desktop versions, with issues like disappearing toolbars, difficult navigation, and poor copy/paste functionality.R1R13R14R15

Who it's for

This app is for users who need basic spreadsheet functionality for day-to-day tasks, budgeting, or simple data analysis and are already familiar with Excel R10R28R40R55. It is suitable for school use . It is not for users who rely on advanced Excel features like VBA macros, complex graphing, or seamless cross-device functionality R1R13R25. Users who require stable performance, consistent saving, and reliable login without an internet connection should avoid it R2R3R21R30.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative (66.4% negative), which contrasts sharply with the lifetime rating of 4.75/5. This suggests a significant decline in user satisfaction recently, likely due to the reported bugs and login issues. Many positive reviews are very brief and lack detail, while negative reviews are specific about problems.

Frequently asked

Does the Microsoft Excel mobile app support all features of the desktop version?
No, the Microsoft Excel mobile app is missing many key features found in the desktop version, including advanced graphing options, VBA macros, and certain advanced file functionalities R1R13R25R43.
Do I need to pay to use Excel on mobile?
While the app is free to download, many users report that editing documents requires a paid subscription R11R13R18R38.
Are there issues with logging into the Excel mobile app?
Yes, many users report constant issues with being logged out and repeatedly required to sign in, often encountering errors or needing an internet connection to do so R2R3R4R41.
Does the app have problems with freezing or crashing?
Yes, numerous recent reviews indicate that the app frequently freezes, crashes, or becomes unresponsive, especially after recent updates, leading to potential loss of unsaved work R21R30R53R66.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R10] 5/5 · US Data Analysis: Love it,…easy to use yet powerful to manage data for day to day easy and fast tasks, suitable for all levels of experience and knowledge.
  2. [R24] 5/5 · US Review: This app helps me a lot with my job
  3. [R28] 5/5 · US MUST HAVE!!!: This app literally saved my finances and a whole lot of time. Thanks, Microsoft!!!
  4. [R40] 5/5 · US Review Microsoft Excel: Easy to navigate and handy to have to do my budget information.
  5. [R7] 5/5 · US Great: Definitely enjoy the app. Not a total clone of excel for pc, but wonderful none the less.
  6. [R32] 5/5 · US A great spreadsheet program!: I’ve used Excel since before Microsoft bought it. And MS has done right by it, keep the original and expanding its utility over the decades. Excel forevermore!
  7. [R37] 5/5 · US My go -to app: I’ve worked with Excel for over 20 years. Not sure what I would do without it very easy to use and hopefully it will go back to replacing Google sheets.
  8. [R57] 5/5 · US still the best!: I grew up on Excel, while I was going through vocation school getting my diplomas and certificates for education in accounting, actually I first started with lotus 123, then came along Excel, and I never looked back since, keep up the great work
  9. [R55] 5/5 · US Excellent: Use this app for all my proposals & invoices! I have been able to use this from my IPhone IPad and laptop for the last 14 years it’s very convenient and easy to operate.
  10. [R76] 5/5 · US Exceptional program: A learning curve for me, but lots of help online, many questions answered concisely. Lots of other users lending advice too. It’s a win, and I can get it done on my iPhone! That’s the biggest win of all!
  11. [R93] 5/5 · US Excellent tool: I love Excel . I can see everything from our live job board every where I go.
  12. [R1] 2/5 · US Comes up Short on Key Excel Features: Key features missing that drive poor productivity - Would not recommend unless you are desperate and it’s free too. Simple key features are missing from the iOS version of Microsoft Excel… >> Poor graph features >> “Advanced File” option(s) missing >> User interfaces are weak compared to Windows Desk / Lap top versions >> Etc…Etc…Etc
  13. [R13] 3/5 · US Typical Microsoft: Does not support vba macros Does not support editing without paying Wow i can see my data but….. Sometimes the bottom and top toolbars disappears when you scroll down and you have to hit fx to get it back or scroll up. This is not always convenient. This is cumbersome and can lead to errors
  14. [R25] 3/5 · US App is missing a lot of functionality: App for Excel is missing many simple features that are in the desktop version.
  15. [R43] 3/5 · US So close but not quite there yet: I like using the app on my M4 IPad Pro, however, I wish Microsoft would give it the full functionality we get on windows PCs
  16. [R2] 1/5 · US Constantly logged out: How many times can I get logged out of an account? Every time I go to use this I am required to log in again. It is almost impossible to use this program offline.
  17. [R3] 2/5 · US A Problem: Good app, but a major problem, why do I have to sing almost every time I want to edit a form?!!!! Sometimes I don’t have no internet connection so I can’t use my forms.
  18. [R4] 1/5 · US Microsoft's sign in system makes their products unusable: Literally have to sign in every time I try to open a document or join a teams call. It never remembers me and it never works to log n. It's so horrible. I literally have two separate paid 365 accounts and Microsoft cannot let me sign into either one. There's always some random error message that says something like "something went wrong". N
  19. [R41] 1/5 · US Pain in the butt app: I use this app for one thing only: to log mileage when I gas up my car, which for me means I open it about every 30 days. In that time this piece of cr_p has forgotten who I am and makes me sign in again. I’m just trying to get on with my day but now I have to type my full email address in the blazing sun when I can hardly see the screen. It literally takes more time than to
  20. [R30] 1/5 · US From a good product to a buggy mess: Please stop using AI in development! Your product is now full of bugs, and users have basically become your testers. Files don't open right, files don't save right, among other glitches. I only use it out of habit since I've subscribed for years, but I'm already moving to alternatives.
  21. [R53] 1/5 · US Trash: On i pad this thing will just close randomly while I’m typing and i will lose so much work. Where is the autosave?
  22. [R66] 1/5 · US Every Update Breaks More Things: I use this app heavily on my personal Apple devices, and every new update breaks more features. An example would be after a recent update, every time I try to color fill a cell, the fill feature freezes in place, so I can only see half of the screen and lose my ability to edit any further, so I have to back out of the document, force close the app, and then restart
  23. [R168] 3/5 · CA Mobile app no longer works: The mobile app keeps freezing and crashing since the ios26 update. Very frustrating.
  24. [R18] 1/5 · US Inconsistent uses between iPad and iPhone: You need to be logged in and with a paid account on iPad to print. For iPhone, you just need to be logged in. Makes excel completely useless on iPad.
  25. [R31] 1/5 · US Edit: Having issues not letting me edit a document
  26. [R38] 1/5 · US Nothing ever works.: Half the time it won’t let me edit, even though we pay a subscription. Sometimes it doesn’t load. It’s a terrible program.
  27. [R14] 1/5 · US Garbage: Makes no sense if you have ever used on a desktop, which pretty much the entire world has. Why would you change what works and everyone knows?
  28. [R15] 2/5 · US Office for iPads: I absolutely hate the Microsoft Office 365 version for iPads. The menus are very different and are a complete nuisance to use.
  29. [R48] 1/5 · US no easy copy paste: horrible.. no copy paste and hidden find and replace! this is agile development.. take what works, make it worse and have the customers test for free.. this is a trend in all major players! it will blow up in your face
  30. [R21] 1/5 · US Currently bad: App currently does not save what you are working on. If I opened an excel link from email and completed work on a required template . Any disturbance to the app like a minor check on notifications will cause a complete disappearance of any work completed. Then you are left to start over . If the device is connected to the internet and the email link brings you directly to the app wh
  31. [R26] 1/5 · US Update makes it not work !!: Horrible !! Why do you update then no longer work !!! It was working fine now i need to load an entire new system !!!
  32. [R52] 1/5 · US Needs to be more  IPadOS friendly than what is currently is.: To many glitches they need to make sure it is 100% compatible to iPadOS.
  33. [R11] 1/5 · US Paid App: Using it On my iPad isn’t for free
  34. [R29] 1/5 · US Bought and Paid for but can’t share easily: I have this version for my iPad and another for my Mac; the versions do not play well with each other and you need to pay another version to have them be able to share even when at home

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store