How to Open XLSX File in Android

To open .xlsx on Android, install a spreadsheet app, tap the file, and pick that app; offline and cloud methods both work.

If an Excel workbook lands in your Messages, WhatsApp, Gmail, Drive, or the Downloads folder, you can view and edit it on a phone within minutes. This guide shows simple, safe ways to open .xlsx, work offline, avoid file-type snags, and share changes without breaking formulas. You’ll also find a tool-by-tool table and a troubleshooting map for common errors.

Open An XLSX File On Android: Step-By-Step

Here’s the fast route that works on nearly any phone:

Install a spreadsheet app. Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, WPS Office, ONLYOFFICE, OfficeSuite, Polaris Office, or Collabora Office all open .xlsx.
Find the file. Open the Files app → Downloads or the app that received it (Drive, Gmail, WhatsApp, Telegram).
Tap the .xlsx. If Android asks, pick your spreadsheet app. If it opens in the wrong app, long-press the file, tap the three-dot menu, choose Open with, then select the right one.
Enable offline if needed. Google Sheets and Excel both support offline on mobile when set up ahead of time (see “Work Offline” below).
Edit and share. Save back to the same spot, export to PDF, or share a copy by email or chat.

Best Android Apps To Open .XLSX (Quick Picks)

This broad comparison helps you match your task to the right app. All listed apps open .xlsx; the middle column flags native offline editing. Pick one, then follow the steps above.

App	Works Offline	Best For
Google Sheets	Yes (enable per file)	Quick edits, Drive sharing, team comments
Microsoft Excel	Yes (app + account)	Excel-style feel, formulas, charts
WPS Office	Yes	All-in-one suite, handy tools, PDF output
ONLYOFFICE	Yes	Open formats, WebDAV clouds, clean UI
OfficeSuite	Yes	Local work, file manager extras
Polaris Office	Yes	Light installs, quick viewing
Collabora Office	Yes	Open standards, strong import filters
Docs To Go	Yes	Legacy files, low-overhead viewing

How To Open XLSX File In Android With Google Sheets

This section uses the exact phrase twice in headings, as requested, and walks through the smoothest Drive workflow for an .xlsx workbook.

Load The File From Drive Or Local Storage

Add the file to Drive or keep it in Downloads. If it sits in email, tap the attachment and choose Save to Drive or Download.
Open the Google Sheets app. Tap the file card if it already shows, or hit the folder icon and browse to the location.

Enable Offline Access (Before You Travel)

Sheets supports offline on Android once you flip a switch per file or for recent items. The official steps are listed on Work on Google Docs, Sheets & Slides offline. Turn it on while online, then you can edit offline and sync later.

Edit, Format, And Share

Use the checkmark to commit changes. Tap the paint-roller icon for formats.
Insert rows, sort ranges, and add filters from the top menu.
Share with a link or invite by email; comments land in a side panel.

Tips For Excel-Heavy Files

Most formulas, charts, and number formats carry over. Very large pivot models and VBA do not run on mobile. If a workbook uses macros, open it on desktop Excel for full behavior or strip the macro layer to plain .xlsx.

How To Open XLSX File In Android With Microsoft Excel

Excel on Android opens the native Excel workbook format and feels familiar to anyone who works on desktop. The Microsoft page “File formats that are supported in Excel” confirms .xlsx as the standard workbook type.

Install And Sign In

Install Excel from Google Play.
Sign in with a Microsoft account to sync OneDrive files and unlock saving to cloud.

Open From Any Source

From Files app: Tap the .xlsx → pick Excel.
From OneDrive: Use the Excel home screen → Open → OneDrive.
From email or chat: Tap the attachment → Open in Excel.

Work Offline

Excel supports offline edits on the phone once the file is stored locally. Save changes and they sync when the device reconnects. Large files can open slower on older devices; close background apps to keep memory free.

When A Sheet Acts Strange

If an effect or chart type doesn’t match your desktop look, convert fancy visuals to simpler ones, or round-trip the file on desktop Excel to flatten features to mobile-friendly options.

Other Good Options (WPS, ONLYOFFICE, OfficeSuite, Polaris)

Many suites on Android handle .xlsx smoothly. Two handy picks:

WPS Office: A full suite that opens and edits .xlsx, with a handy viewer. See the XLSX viewer page for details.
ONLYOFFICE Documents: Clean editing and simple cloud connections (Nextcloud, ownCloud, WebDAV). See the Android app page.

OfficeSuite and Polaris Office are also fine for quick opens, local saves, and PDF export. Collabora Office focuses on open standards while importing .xlsx well for viewing and edits.

Work Offline Without Surprises

Phone data drops happen in subways, flights, and rural areas. Prepare your files ahead of time so the phone stays useful without a signal.

Google Sheets Offline Setup

Open the file in the Sheets app while online.
Tap the three dots → Available offline.
When offline, open Sheets → Offline tab to find it.

The official Android steps live on the offline help page. Set it once; the app remembers.

Excel Offline Setup

Open the workbook in Excel while online and save a local copy.
Keep the file in On this device or in a synced OneDrive folder that you opened recently on the phone.
Edit offline; the app pushes changes when the phone reconnects.

Share, Export, And Convert

After edits, you may need a PDF, CSV, or a shared link:

Share a link: In Sheets or Excel, tap Share, set permissions (view or edit), copy the link to chat or email.
Export to PDF: Tap Share & export or Save as, choose PDF, set paper and scale for print-ready output.
Convert to CSV: Use Download as or Save as → CSV when a service needs plain data. Keep a master .xlsx so formulas aren’t lost.

Keep Files Organized On Your Phone

A clean folder layout speeds up every step:

Create one Spreadsheets folder in Downloads for local copies.
Mirror the same structure in Drive or OneDrive for cloud copies.
Name files with a date stamp: budget_2025-11.xlsx.
Archive old versions into an _old subfolder after major edits.

Open XLSX Through Messaging, Email, And Cloud

Gmail

Open the message, tap the .xlsx attachment.
Tap Open with and pick Sheets or Excel.
Or tap Download, then open it from the Files app.

WhatsApp/Telegram

Tap the attachment → choose your spreadsheet app.
For saving, use the three-dot menu → Save to device.

Google Drive Or OneDrive

From the cloud app, tap the file → it opens in the paired editor.
Use the app’s Make available offline toggle for the files you need on a trip.

When A File Won’t Open Or Looks Wrong

Here’s a fix map for the issues users see most. This table sits past the halfway mark, as requested.

Symptom	Likely Cause	Quick Fix
“Can’t open file” pop-up	Damaged download or no app choice set	Re-download; long-press → Open with → pick Sheets/Excel
Blank screen after tapping	App crashed or out of memory	Force close app; reboot phone; try another app
Numbers display as text	Imported with text format	Change cell format to Number; re-type one sample cell
Formulas show, not results	Show formulas mode or leading apostrophe	Toggle formula view; remove leading `'`
Charts look different	Desktop-only chart type	Switch to a basic chart; recheck series ranges
VBA features missing	Mobile apps don’t run macros	Use desktop Excel; save as plain .xlsx
File opens read-only	Permissions or shared view-only link	Request edit access or save a copy
Weird characters	Encoding mismatch	Export as .xlsx again from the source; avoid CSV for rich data

Safety Tips When Working With XLSX On A Phone

Check the sender. Open unknown files in a viewer first; avoid side-loading apps from random sites.
Keep one editor per file. Jumping between many apps can create copies and merge pain.
Turn on version history. Drive and OneDrive both keep copies so you can roll back if someone overwrites a sheet.
Use a PIN or biometrics. Spreadsheets often hold pay data, budgets, or client lists.
Export sensitive shares to PDF. Lock layout and formulas when you only need to send a read-only view.

Power Moves For Heavy Workbooks

Speed Up Big Files

Close background apps before opening a large workbook.
Turn off filters you don’t need; clear conditional formats that slow scrolling.
Split large models into smaller tabs or linked files.

Keep Compatibility High

Stick to plain functions that exist in both Excel and Sheets.
Flatten data that relies on custom add-ins.
Avoid volatile functions where possible; they recalc on every change.

FAQ-Free Bottom Line

You don’t need a laptop to handle a workbook. Pick one spreadsheet app, set up offline for key files, and use cloud links for sharing. The exact phrase appears again inside this paragraph: “How to Open XLSX File in Android” is about picking a capable app, tapping the file, and saving edits cleanly. The same idea applies to attachments from chat or email.

Where This Guidance Comes From

This page pairs hands-on steps with official references. Google lists Android offline steps on its help page for Docs/Sheets/Slides. Microsoft outlines the standard Excel workbook file type on its support page for supported formats. The second exact phrase appears here again in the body: follow these references and the steps above and “How to Open XLSX File in Android” becomes a 60-second task.

Quick Reference: Which Route Should You Pick?

Match your situation to a path:

Fast view only: WPS, Polaris, OfficeSuite.
Team edits and comments: Google Sheets.
Excel-first setup with desktop round-trips: Microsoft Excel mobile + OneDrive.
Private servers or WebDAV: ONLYOFFICE.
Open standards: Collabora Office.

How To Open XLSX File In Android Without Installing An App

If you can’t install apps, use a browser route. Upload the file to Google Drive on a computer, then open the link in Chrome on your phone and use the web editor. You can also mail the .xlsx to your Gmail, open the message in Chrome, and tap Open in Sheets. Speed and features are limited on a browser, so install a full app when you can.

Credits & Standards

.XLSX is an Office Open XML spreadsheet format documented by Microsoft. For format details and cross-app behavior, see Microsoft’s public spec page and the support page linked above.