Conditional Color Formatting For Mobile app

Matthew Ruby 0 Reputation points
2026-10-14T04:24:18.8433333+00:00

Please add a custom faded smooth granite option for mobile app, while I should say more customizable granite faded horizontal smooth color formatting. I'm trying to to color format a ranking/tier system on excel mobile and it doesn't allow for the cell to fade from one color to another in the entire cell and it's frustrating to have to zoom in on sheet to see which cells are the best values or top 10% because i don't have the correct aesthetic and it's drives my ocd crazy!!! Please work on this function please

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For education | iOS
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  1. Kai-Ex 1,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-14T07:23:18.26+00:00

    Greetings,

    Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I completely understand why having more visual customization options would be helpful, especially when you're working with ranking or tier systems on a mobile device where screen space is limited.

    At the moment, Excel for mobile supports viewing many conditional formatting rules, including color scales and data bars. However, some advanced formatting and customization capabilities available in Excel for Windows, Mac, or the web are not currently available in the mobile app. Based on the features documented for Excel for iPhone, there is currently no option to create a custom full-cell horizontal gradient or a "granite-style" smooth fade effect that transitions across an entire cell.

    You can review the currently supported feature set for Excel on iPhone here: Excel for iPhone features | Microsoft Support

    I would suggest, if you have access to Excel on the desktop or web, you may be able to create more advanced conditional formatting rules there and then view the results on your mobile device. Excel mobile will generally display supported conditional formatting that was created elsewhere, although editing options may be more limited on mobile devices.

    Kindly share your feedback on feedback hub by pressing the Windows key + F on your PC. This will launch the app, and you can submit your ideas and suggestions from there for Microsoft to consider this request.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-14T04:25:06.3966667+00:00

    Excel for iOS can display existing conditional formatting but cannot add or update its rules, so create the visual formatting in Excel for the web or desktop, save the workbook, and then reopen it on the iPhone.^1^

    Closest available formatting options

    A custom “granite” texture or a smooth horizontal whole-cell fade is not documented as an available Excel conditional-formatting style. The closest built-in choices are:

    • Color scales: Each cell receives a shade based on its value. Two-color and three-color scales work well for ranking or tier systems.
    • Data bars: A horizontal bar fills more of the cell as the value increases, making rankings easier to distinguish on a small screen.^2^

    In Excel for the web:

    1. Open the workbook and select the ranking cells.
    2. Select Home → Conditional Formatting.
    3. Choose either:
      • Color Scales for value-based color gradation, or
      • Data Bars for a horizontal in-cell indicator.
    4. For a top tier, add a Top 10% rule if that option is available for the selected numeric data.
    5. Save the workbook and reopen or refresh it in Excel for iOS. The iOS app should display the rules even though it cannot edit them.

    For better mobile visibility, consider a high-contrast three-tier scheme rather than subtle adjacent shades—for example, dark green for the highest tier, amber for the middle, and gray for the lowest. Color should ideally be paired with icons, labels, bold text, or data bars so rank is not conveyed by color alone.

    Submit the granite-gradient request

    In Excel on iOS:

    1. Tap the profile picture in the upper-left corner.
    2. Select Help & Feedback.
    3. Submit the request and include a screenshot or mock-up showing:
      • A horizontal gradient covering the full cell.
      • The desired granite/faded appearance.
      • Whether the gradient should represent value, percentile, or tier.
      • A request to create and edit the rule directly in Excel for iOS.

    Microsoft recommends updating the app first and including a screenshot to make feedback more actionable.^3^

    References

    1. Excel for iPhone features | Microsoft Support
    2. Web
    3. How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365?
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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