Excel Mobile App for iPad Suddenly Freezing, Failing to Save, and Becoming Unresponsive Across 22+ Devices

Kane Wyatt 45 Reputation points
2026-09-18T00:58:20.86+00:00

We have approximately 22 service technicians who use the Microsoft Excel mobile app on iPads every day to complete inspection reports in the field. This workflow has worked reliably for years.

However, within the span of approximately one day, all of our technicians began experiencing severe performance and reliability issues with Excel for iPad.

The issues include:

  • Excel taking an extremely long time to save files or failing to save altogether.
  • The app freezing or becoming unresponsive when attempting to Save a Copy.
  • Files occasionally failing to save changes.
  • The on-screen keyboard sometimes failing to appear when selecting a cell.
  • General freezing, lagging, and instability that has made Excel effectively unusable for our field technicians.

What is particularly unusual is that this began affecting essentially all of our technicians at approximately the same time.

We have a wide variety of iPads in service, including 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th-generation models, newer M4 iPads, and iPad Air models with different storage capacities. The same problems are occurring across all of them.

The devices are also running a variety of iPadOS versions, ranging from older versions to the newest available version. The issue does not appear to be isolated to a particular iPad model or iPadOS version.

We have also tested different file locations and network conditions. The problem occurs when:

  • Saving files locally on the iPad.
  • Saving to OneDrive.
  • Saving to iCloud.
  • Connected to Wi-Fi.
  • Connected through cellular service.
  • Using the device offline/in Airplane Mode.

We have tried troubleshooting the devices and Excel app extensively, but so far nothing has resolved the problem. Because Excel has become unreliable for our field operations, we have temporarily had to move our technicians to Google Sheets.

Given that the issue appeared almost simultaneously across 22+ devices with different hardware, iPadOS versions, storage configurations, network connections, and save locations, we are wondering whether there was a recent Excel for iOS/iPadOS app update or service-side change that could be responsible.

Has anyone else recently started experiencing similar issues with Excel for iPad — particularly freezing, extremely slow saving, failure to save, or the keyboard not appearing?

If Microsoft is aware of a current issue with Excel for iPad, is there a known workaround or an estimated fix?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | iOS

7 answers

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-18T00:58:38.8566667+00:00

    Yes. Similar reports exist for Excel on iPhone and iPad after recent app updates, including freezing on launch or during use. One accepted answer also states that a recent Excel update introduced a known bug and that it is not tied to a specific iOS version. That matches the pattern described across mixed iPad models, storage sizes, network types, and OS versions.

    Supported workarounds from the available guidance:

    1. Update Excel and the other Microsoft 365 apps from the App Store.
    2. After updating, sign out and sign back in, then restart the app and the iPad and retest.
    3. If Excel freezes, close it from the recent apps screen, restart the iPad, and relaunch Excel.
    4. On iPad, try resetting the app:
      • Open Settings
      • Select Excel
      • Under RESET, tap Reset Excel
      • Turn on Delete Login Credentials
      • Close Excel completely, then reopen it
    5. If needed, also try Settings > Excel > Reset > Reset Cloud Settings, then restart Excel.
    6. A reported temporary workaround for some iOS cases is to turn off Wi‑Fi or enable Airplane mode when the app freezes, regain access, then reconnect.
    7. If the issue continues, uninstall and reinstall Excel. Before doing that, make sure files are stored in OneDrive or another cloud location so work is not lost.

    For Microsoft-tracked iOS app sign-out instability, the documented next step is to install the latest app updates because fixes are being rolled out through the App Store. If the problem still reproduces after updating and resetting, collect diagnostics by submitting Send a Frown feedback after reproducing the issue and record the Session ID, app version, device details, and screenshots.

    No estimated fix date is provided in the available material.

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

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  2. Jade Ng 15,860 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-18T02:18:50.73+00:00

    Dear Kane Wyatt,

    Thank you for providing the detailed information regarding the Excel for iPad issue.

    As an initial troubleshooting step, please follow the recommendations provided by AI Assist, including updating the Excel app and iPadOS to the latest available version, and resetting the iPad, then check whether the issue persists.

    If the issue continues, since the same symptoms are occurring across approximately 22 devices with different iPad models, iPadOS versions, network connections, and storage locations, I sincerely recommend you try to create a support ticket from: Microsoft 365 Admin Center>Support>Help & Support. You can raise support ticket from: https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?#/support/requests

    The support team over there has higher permission than us to investigate the issue from background, they have more resource and correct escalation channel in handling this kind of issues. This would be a more efficient way in handling the case for you.  

    For reference:  Get support | Microsoft Docs       

    Thanks for your patience and understanding so far.  Hope you having a nice day and really much warm regards to you as well!  

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  3. Joe 5 Reputation points
    2026-09-29T19:24:12.42+00:00

    This problem surfaced on my Iphone 12 pro max in the time referenced above. I have tried signing out of Excel for IOS, clearing the cache, uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Nothing works. I can open a file from OneDrive and save it and that will sync to Excel/IOS.

    When I work on the iphone and try to save and exit, the app just hangs.

    PLEASE FIX THIS!

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  4. bhavana8284-6297 5 Reputation points
    2026-09-29T03:18:38.08+00:00

    Yes — this appears to be a real, currently reported Excel-for-iPad issue, not simply a problem with one of your 22+ devices.

    Reports from September 15–26, 2026 describe nearly the same pattern: Excel on iPad freezes while saving, existing workbooks fail to save, and the problem occurs across different iPads, iPadOS versions, storage locations, and networks. Microsoft moderators have acknowledged seeing similar reports and advised affected users to submit feedback/support cases. �

    Microsoft Learn +1

    What the evidence suggests

    The problem began around September 15–17, 2026 for multiple users. �

    Microsoft Learn +1

    Some users report new blank workbooks saving normally while older/existing workbooks hang, suggesting the problem may involve particular workbook states rather than storage capacity alone. �

    Microsoft Learn

    It has been reported with local iPad storage, OneDrive, iCloud and other storage locations, including when offline, which makes a simple network/OneDrive problem less likely. �

    Microsoft Learn

    Reports also span different iPad generations and iPadOS versions. �

    Microsoft Learn

    Microsoft specifically recommends reporting the issue from Excel and providing the Excel version/build, iPad model, iPadOS version, storage location, and description of the existing-workbook saving failure. �

    Microsoft Learn

    What I would do for the 22+ devices

    1. Stop relying on Excel for iPad to save the only copy of important reports.

    Use Excel on the web, Windows/Mac, or another working device where possible. Microsoft Q&A users have reported that the same workbooks work correctly on PC/Android. �

    Microsoft Learn

    1. Preserve unsaved work before force-closing Excel.

    If a workbook is currently open and contains important changes, try copying the data into a new workbook or opening the workbook through Excel for the web/another device before terminating the app.

    1. Have your Microsoft 365 administrator open one organization-level support ticket.

    For 22+ affected devices, this is more useful than treating each iPad as an independent fault. Microsoft staff specifically recommend contacting the Microsoft 365 administrator and opening a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. �

    Microsoft Learn

    1. Send in-app feedback from several affected devices.

    Include the exact Excel build and iPadOS version and state that 22+ devices started experiencing the same save/freezing behavior at approximately the same time. �

    Microsoft Learn +1

    1. Don't assume reinstalling Excel will fix it.

    Several affected users have already tried restarting, reinstalling Excel, resetting credentials/settings, changing storage locations and working offline without resolving the problem. �

    Microsoft Learn

    There are also reports of a separate Microsoft 365/Office client regression during September, although the documented incident I found concerns Excel copy/paste rather than specifically the iPad save freeze, so I wouldn't claim that incident is the cause of your problem. �

    Penn Mail Services

    Bottom line: with 22+ iPads showing the same sudden behavior across different hardware, networks and storage locations, the evidence strongly points toward a software/service regression affecting Excel on Apple devices, rather than 22 individual iPad failures. The Microsoft community has active reports matching your symptoms as of late September 2026. �

    Microsoft Learn +1

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