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Can’t edit Excel .xlsx in iphone (app is updated)

Hi, I hope someone can help me out.
My iphone app version is 322.2.2
And I am trying to edit through ny iphone app an excel document (which I created on my Mac and is saved as an .xlsx.

I click on rhe doc and then click “open” (which is in a gray box at the bottom)
but I dont get the editing (pencil icon) option after that, I Can only share, save to Files ot print. I used to edit my documentes right there and the changes would be made so that when I accesed the document again either from Mac, ipad or iphone, the changes where up to date

Hope someone can help me out 🙂

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Accepted answers

Jay

Hi @SBabiche, we appreciate the feedback on this matter. As my colleague said, ti isn't possible to edit Excel files natively in the Dropbox mobile app. The files would need to be opened in the Excel app to be able to edit them.

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Hannah

Hey @SBabiche, thanks for joining our Community!

To edit an Office file through the Dropbox app, firstly you'll need to also install the appropriate Office app, in this case the Excel app.

Once that's installed, open the file from the Dropbox app and tap on the "open with" button (the square with an arrow right below the "Open" button).

This should allow you to choose the Microsoft Excel app, so you can edit your file and your edits will save back to Dropbox.

I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any questions.

SBabiche

thanks, excel app is up yo date 🥴 dont know why it wont work.

It only works if I open excel app and edit there, then it will be updated in dropbox, but the edit was made through excel app, not dropbox app (and i like dropbox because I have passcode to enter)

Hannah

Thanks for getting back to me, @SBabiche.

I'm afraid you can't edit an Office file just through the Dropbox app; you'll need the Excel app to edit it and any edits you make, will save to Dropbox as well.

Are you having trouble editing the file when following the steps I gave you in my previous reply?

SBabiche

thanks Hanna 🙂
the thing is I must grant permission in excel to open drobox and than means whenever I open excel, my dpx files are available without password for entering app. As in dpx app i hace a password so i can access app

Jay

Winston W.1

First, the Dropbox iOS app does not recognize the Microsoft 365 iPhone app. I installed that, then had to also install the individual Excel app for the Dropbox app to show "Open with . . .", with "Microsoft Excel" as the option. Instructions should clarify that you need the specific app (Excel, Word, etc.).

Second, the instructions from Hannah for editing an Excel spreadsheet are not quite clear. [See below for better instructions which do not require linking Dropbox to Microsoft.]

Here's what I found for opening an Excel spreadsheet to edit it:

1. Install Microsoft Excel app from iPhone app store.

2. Open the Excel spreadsheet in the Dropbox app.

3. At the bottom of the window, click on the box with an arrow pointing up and to the right (northeast if it were a compass). This box is to the left of the Link button (looks like a link in a chain) and the Share button.

4. A pop-up will say in gray "Open with . . ." with "Microsoft Excel" below it. Click on "Microsoft Excel"

[The instructions from Hannah have 3 and 4 in reverse order, which is confusing.]

5. If you have not linked Dropbox with Microsoft Office, you will get a pop-up which says

" Sign in to Dropbox to link with Microsoft Office Integration.

I stopped at that point. I agree with the OP that you should not have to link Dropbox to Microsoft to be able to edit an Office document.

Luckily, you can open an Excel spreadsheet saved in Dropbox from the Excel app, without linking Dropbox to Microsoft

1. Download Excel from the iPhone app store if you don't already have it.

2. Open the Excel app.

3. Tap on the icon of a folder on the bottom right of the Excel app screen.

4. Tap on "Files App"

5. At the top of the screen it will show which iPhone files folder it's currently in. If it's not Dropbox, click the back button on the top left. In my case, that was marked "On My iPhone". Once I did that, the screen showed folders on the phone, but not Dropbox. The back button at the top left now said "Browse". Click on that. [Essentially, keep tapping on the top left back button until you get to the Browse page.]

6. You should now be at a page titled "Browse" top center, with "Cancel" on the left. In the Locations list in that page you should see Dropbox as an option, likely below "iCloud Drive" and "On My iPhone". Click on Dropbox.

7. You will see the files and folders in Dropbox. Navigate to the Excel file you want to edit and open it.

8. You can now edit the file.

The default for the Excel app is to "autosave" the file. When I went away from the file in the Excel iPhone app, and checked it on my Mac, the file had the edit I'd made.

Note: The first time I tried this it worked. When I tried it again I got an odd message about changing Privacy Settings. However, quitting both the Dropbox and Excel apps and starting over got it working again. After I did a small edit, and went out of the file in the Excel app, and tried to go back, I got the same Privacy Settings message, and had to quit and restart again. This appears to be a bug. I will need to play with this some more.

Good luck.

Winston W.1

SBabiche -

See my reply to Hannah's instructions above. If you open the file from the Excel app you should not have to link Dropbox to Microsoft.

Not sure how this works if you have a password set to open the Dropbox app each time. That could block Excel from opening it. Give it a try and post back if you can.

Thanks.

Andre777

Hello everyone, i can’t open & edit excel file in iPhone using Microsoft Excel Apps. I have tried to open using Microsoft Excel Apps for iPhone but always show “Microsoft Office Integration would like access to the files and folders in your Dropbox“, than when i click allow i sgill can’t open my Excel File using Microsoft Excel Apps for iPhone. Someone can help me to solve this problem?

Andre777

Hallo Hannah, i have installed the excel app in my iPhone. But i still can’t open excel file from dropbox. When i tried to open it i got a pop-up which says "Sign in to Dropbox to link with Microsoft Office Integration.” then i tried to sign in and allow to link dropbox with microsoft. But i still CAN’T open & edit my excel file in excel apps. Can you help me to solve this?

Megan

Hi @Andre777, thanks for posting here today!

Can you clarify exactly when this started happening? Have you made sure both your Microsoft, and Dropbox app are up-to-date?

Also, can you clarify if you're using an individual Dropbox plan, or a Business one?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!

Andre777

Hi @Megan it started 1 week ago. Yes, both Microsoft and Dropbox app are up-to-date.

I am using individual Dropbox plan.

Walter

Hey @Andre777, thanks for the additional information.

Can you please let us know your device's exact OS version and the versions of both the Dropbox app and the Microsoft app? Are you logged into a Microsoft account as well on your device when attempting to edit your files?

Do you see the integration in your connected apps tab?

Andre777

Hi @Walter

OS Version: 17.4.1
Dropbox: 378.2
Microsoft 365 (office): 2.85
Excel: 2.85

Yes, i logged into a Microsoft account as well on my device when attempting to edit my files.

Yes, i see the integration in my connected apps tab.

Megan

Would you mind sending us a screenshot of the exact message you see when trying to open your Excel files through Dropbox @Andre777?

Andre777

Hi @Megan

I fixed it already. I tried to sign out the dropbox storage account on microsoft apps & re-sign in again, then it fixed.

Thank you for assistance anyway.

Megan

Awesome @Andre777 , at your service any time!

Enjoy!