iOS Excel app not working

TM87 300 Reputation points
2025-10-17T15:03:01.7766667+00:00

I have noticed in the last few days that the Excel app is malfunctioning on my iPhone. Version 2.102.1. I have tried deleting and reinstalling it. The app seems to struggle when I search for text in spreadsheets. It starts to hang and freeze. Can someone please look into this? It was fine before.

The spreadsheet also seems to go blank when I’m scrolling down.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | iOS
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7 answers

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  1. MSToTheMoon 175 Reputation points
    2025-10-18T14:09:43.2566667+00:00

    Try this temporary solution:

    Disable wifi (or toggle on airplane mode) when it freezes and then enable it again.

    After doing this the app works fine until I restart it (Excel application?) again.

    Credit can be found in:

    https://free.blessedness.top/en-gb/answers/questions/5589186/excel-word-freezes-on-iphone-ios-26-and-ipad-ipado

    9 people found this answer helpful.

  2. Harold Milan 5,075 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-17T15:59:49.0166667+00:00

    Hi There,

    Thanks for reaching out. I know how frustrating it is when an app you rely on like Excel starts freezing or going blank, especially when it was working perfectly just days ago.

    This issue seems to be tied to Excel version 2.102.1 on iOS, which may have introduced a bug affecting how the app handles search and rendering in spreadsheets.

    This can cause the app to hang, freeze, or display a blank screen when scrolling or searching particularly in larger or more complex files.

    Reinstalling the app doesn’t resolve it because the problem likely lies in the app’s current build or compatibility with recent iOS updates.

     

    Force Close and Reopen Excel:

    Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen and close Excel completely

    Reopen the app and try again

    Check for App Updates:

    Go to the App Store > Excel > Update

    If a newer version is available, install it

    Restart Your iPhone:

    A fresh reboot can sometimes clear temporary memory issues affecting app performance

    Use Excel Online as a Temporary Workaround:

    Open Safari and go to Excel Online

    Sign in and open your spreadsheet there

     

    You can submit feedback directly from the app:

    Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app - Microsoft Support

    Tap your profile icon > Help & Feedback > Send Feedback

     

    Let me know how it goes, Happy to help!

    2 people found this answer helpful.

  3. Preetham S 10 Reputation points
    2025-10-18T15:55:13.0433333+00:00

    This update just bricked the app on my iPhone 12 mini. I have to turn on airplane mode and turn it off to make it work again as told by someone here. Pls Microsoft fix this.

    2 people found this answer helpful.

  4. Piyush Rana 355 Reputation points
    2025-10-18T09:58:44.9166667+00:00

    This is a reported issue with the latest Excel app version on iOS. Microsoft is likely aware and should address it in an upcoming update. In the meantime, use Excel Online as a workaround.


  5. Irish 0 Reputation points
    2025-10-18T14:08:57.1133333+00:00

    I ended up finding a workaround. I don’t know where you guys save your files, but I was saving mine to my iCloud. I ended up saving my spreadsheet to my OneDrive and that seemed to do the trick. So maybe you can try saving it to your OneDrive if it’s not already there.


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