Experiencing Excel issues on iPad since latest app update

Question

Experiencing Excel issues on iPad since latest app update

norman jackson 100

Excel continually freezes/hangs and doesn’t allow me to select cells etc on my iPad since the latest app update. I have uninstalled and reloaded the app but this problem persists. It still performs ok on iPhone (so far)?

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Michael Fossberg 0 Reputation points

2025-10-20T10:40:41.36+00:00

I have recieved an update today 20/10, but this update haven’t fixed the problem…
Alina Khaliq 0 Reputation points

2025-10-20T11:30:23.61+00:00

I’m having the exact same experience but on an iPhone 17 using the excel app. Any time I open a file and click on a cell the app freezes. I can’t see the options to reset settings on the phone app.
Desktop Administrator 0 Reputation points

2025-10-20T12:58:09.9733333+00:00

Having read the Reddit solution I found that switching off wi-fi on my iPad resolved the issue. However, I forgot about the mobile data connection until afterwards so not sure what is going on.
norman jackson 100 Reputation points

2025-10-20T13:13:22.3733333+00:00

Carried out app update this morning. Still froze so deleted and reinstalled the app. Still froze so tried turning off wifi and turning back on. The app seems to be working normally now🤞🏻
Larry Hinton 5 Reputation points

2025-10-21T01:16:43.3566667+00:00

I am having the same issue. I am running IPadOS 26.0.1. I saw that updates to Excel, Word, and Powerpoint were available this morning. I needed to use Excel to update a spreadsheet, so did not update any apps. I went ahead and updated the spreadsheet and took the time to work on a Word document. Everything worked fine for both apps.

I went ahead and updated all the pending apps. This evening I needed to work on that same spreadsheet. I tried several times to open the spreadsheet, but Excel kept crashing. I was finally able to open the spreadsheet but was unable to enter any data or change the selected cell.

In the past, it might take a reboot of the IPad, so I did that but it made no difference. Excel kept crashing. To see if the issue persisted with Word, I tried opening the same document from this morning. I was able to open the document, but not able to add or delete anything. I had to force a close of the app.
RobertA-9607 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T15:35:29.0366667+00:00

This is still an issue for me. Outrageous really that touch interaction is fried on a paid, and not cheap, app made for devices whose only input is A LITERAL TOUCHSCREEN - and what? 5 days later they still haven’t fixed it.
RJC 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T16:25:05.8166667+00:00

Like everyone else Excel freezes and Word does the same - two updates and still faulty.
jerry sirus 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T21:31:52.2366667+00:00

I have two iPads, I phone and my excel is still locking up on all of them! Have been in touch with apple and they haven’t corrected it either!
NM07UAS 20 Reputation points

2025-10-22T12:51:17.62+00:00

Unless you need them, try settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. Seems to have sorted for me.
PhillyLawyer 20 Reputation points

2025-10-22T16:52:06.39+00:00

The suggestion to try "settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications" is the one thing that has worked for me so far. Fingers crossed.
paul bird 0 Reputation points

2025-10-23T07:18:36.7766667+00:00

Many thanks NM07UAS - worked for me
JanetC 0 Reputation points

2025-10-23T07:44:45.6933333+00:00

I have the same problem; excel keeps hanging even after closing and relaunching the excel app. This is so frustrating!
PhillyLawyer 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T08:23:35.05+00:00

Another user has provided a solution that works: go to Setting-Apps-Excel and turn off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. Since doing that yesterday, Excel and Word have worked perfect on my iPad and iPhone. I don’t use Contacts, Siri or Notifications and won’t be turning them back on, but even if you do this is a good temporary solution.
Dixie Hart 0 Reputation points

2025-10-24T16:11:49.7866667+00:00

There was an update today, excel works fine now. Go to apps and check for updates.
Sue Sedlak 25 Reputation points

2025-10-24T22:37:39.38+00:00

I updated to 18.7.1 and both excel and word are working fine for me.
alan neibauer 5 Reputation points

2025-10-24T22:49:57.2333333+00:00

Yes! Same here
Larry Hinton 5 Reputation points

2025-10-24T23:37:40.44+00:00

From my experience, the issue with Excel and Word manifested itself with IOS 26.0.1. The Word and Excel update this morning fixed the issue.
Brad Suggs 0 Reputation points

2025-11-13T13:16:56.98+00:00

Still see similar issues on v2.103.25110712
C. Wes Duncan 0 Reputation points

2025-11-15T15:28:38.5833333+00:00

Excel for iPhone has the same issue. There is no way to copy/paste or fill on any of my iOS devices at 26.1.

6 answers

Your answer

Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Michael Fossberg 0 Reputation points

2025-10-20T10:40:41.36+00:00

I have recieved an update today 20/10, but this update haven’t fixed the problem…
Alina Khaliq 0 Reputation points

2025-10-20T11:30:23.61+00:00

I’m having the exact same experience but on an iPhone 17 using the excel app. Any time I open a file and click on a cell the app freezes. I can’t see the options to reset settings on the phone app.
Desktop Administrator 0 Reputation points

2025-10-20T12:58:09.9733333+00:00

Having read the Reddit solution I found that switching off wi-fi on my iPad resolved the issue. However, I forgot about the mobile data connection until afterwards so not sure what is going on.
norman jackson 100 Reputation points

2025-10-20T13:13:22.3733333+00:00

Carried out app update this morning. Still froze so deleted and reinstalled the app. Still froze so tried turning off wifi and turning back on. The app seems to be working normally now🤞🏻
Larry Hinton 5 Reputation points

2025-10-21T01:16:43.3566667+00:00

I am having the same issue. I am running IPadOS 26.0.1. I saw that updates to Excel, Word, and Powerpoint were available this morning. I needed to use Excel to update a spreadsheet, so did not update any apps. I went ahead and updated the spreadsheet and took the time to work on a Word document. Everything worked fine for both apps.

I went ahead and updated all the pending apps. This evening I needed to work on that same spreadsheet. I tried several times to open the spreadsheet, but Excel kept crashing. I was finally able to open the spreadsheet but was unable to enter any data or change the selected cell.

In the past, it might take a reboot of the IPad, so I did that but it made no difference. Excel kept crashing. To see if the issue persisted with Word, I tried opening the same document from this morning. I was able to open the document, but not able to add or delete anything. I had to force a close of the app.
RobertA-9607 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T15:35:29.0366667+00:00

This is still an issue for me. Outrageous really that touch interaction is fried on a paid, and not cheap, app made for devices whose only input is A LITERAL TOUCHSCREEN - and what? 5 days later they still haven’t fixed it.
RJC 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T16:25:05.8166667+00:00

Like everyone else Excel freezes and Word does the same - two updates and still faulty.
jerry sirus 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T21:31:52.2366667+00:00

I have two iPads, I phone and my excel is still locking up on all of them! Have been in touch with apple and they haven’t corrected it either!
NM07UAS 20 Reputation points

2025-10-22T12:51:17.62+00:00

Unless you need them, try settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. Seems to have sorted for me.
PhillyLawyer 20 Reputation points

2025-10-22T16:52:06.39+00:00

The suggestion to try "settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications" is the one thing that has worked for me so far. Fingers crossed.
paul bird 0 Reputation points

2025-10-23T07:18:36.7766667+00:00

Many thanks NM07UAS - worked for me
JanetC 0 Reputation points

2025-10-23T07:44:45.6933333+00:00

I have the same problem; excel keeps hanging even after closing and relaunching the excel app. This is so frustrating!
PhillyLawyer 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T08:23:35.05+00:00

Another user has provided a solution that works: go to Setting-Apps-Excel and turn off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. Since doing that yesterday, Excel and Word have worked perfect on my iPad and iPhone. I don’t use Contacts, Siri or Notifications and won’t be turning them back on, but even if you do this is a good temporary solution.
Dixie Hart 0 Reputation points

2025-10-24T16:11:49.7866667+00:00

There was an update today, excel works fine now. Go to apps and check for updates.
Sue Sedlak 25 Reputation points

2025-10-24T22:37:39.38+00:00

I updated to 18.7.1 and both excel and word are working fine for me.
alan neibauer 5 Reputation points

2025-10-24T22:49:57.2333333+00:00

Yes! Same here
Larry Hinton 5 Reputation points

2025-10-24T23:37:40.44+00:00

From my experience, the issue with Excel and Word manifested itself with IOS 26.0.1. The Word and Excel update this morning fixed the issue.
Brad Suggs 0 Reputation points

2025-11-13T13:16:56.98+00:00

Still see similar issues on v2.103.25110712
C. Wes Duncan 0 Reputation points

2025-11-15T15:28:38.5833333+00:00

Excel for iPhone has the same issue. There is no way to copy/paste or fill on any of my iOS devices at 26.1.

Answer 1

Jhun Buala 5,720 Independent Advisor

Hi Norman,

Loss of scrolling or cell selection after entering data is a part of touch-interaction bug in the latest Excel update for iPad. I think this is an Excel app issue affecting iPads after the latest updates. As of now the recent version of the Excel update is: Version 2.102.1, but it doesn't list yet the exact bug you've been experiencing.

For now just keep checking the App Store, since Microsoft is aware of the issue and already pursuing a stability hotfix for this.

Regards,

Jhun

norman jackson 100 Reputation points

2025-10-18T11:10:33.6266667+00:00

Thank you
Jhun Buala 5,720 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-10-18T11:17:06.1+00:00

Hi Norman,

Im sorry for not finding an immediate solution to your Excel lag issue. I hope you wont hesitate to message Microsoft to find solutions on your future concerns and issues.

Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Jhun
RJC 0 Reputation points

2025-10-21T08:56:06.52+00:00

I note this morning that there has been a further update 1.102.2, but this has not cured the problem. There is also a similar issue with Word since the recent updates. Regards RJC
NM07UAS 20 Reputation points

2025-10-22T13:44:31.3366667+00:00

Unless you need them, try settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. Seems to have sorted for me
Larry Hinton 5 Reputation points

2025-10-22T17:09:38.9633333+00:00

I did not see an option for contacts, but I did turn off “Push Notifications” and that worked, at least for Excel.
Mike Taylor 0 Reputation points

2025-10-22T23:27:46.38+00:00

Just turned off all notifications for Excel and it seems to have worked

Answer 2

Piyush Rana 385

This appears to be an issue introduced with the latest Excel app update for iPad. Monitor for any new updates in the App Store, as a fix may be released soon. For now, consider using the web version of Excel as a workaround.

MSFans 70 Reputation points

2025-10-18T10:04:32.7466667+00:00

May I ask whether you have tried to use the web version on an iPad? I found this workaround not useful because the web version is basically unusable on iPad since I could not find the scroll bar to navigate to different rows.

let alone this issue is affecting iPhone and web version on iPhone is uneditable.

Please advise how you use the Excel web version on an iPad.
Piyush Rana 385 Reputation points

2025-10-18T10:14:03.67+00:00

The Excel web app has limited functionality on iPad and iPhone browsers and may not support all navigation or editing features. Unfortunately, there is no reliable workaround at this time until Microsoft updates the Excel app.
norman jackson 100 Reputation points

2025-10-18T10:18:54.37+00:00

I simply swiped the screen to the rows I needed and selected the cells from there. However, I have now found that when I enter data, the ability to swipe to the top rows has been lost!

The app on my iPhone is currently performing as it should but this could change soon it seems!
MSFans 70 Reputation points

2025-10-18T10:27:53.68+00:00

So Excel web app is not a real workaround at this moment if I interpret this correctly.
Piyush Rana 385 Reputation points

2025-10-18T10:44:11.8633333+00:00

That is correct—the Excel web app is not a practical workaround for this issue on an iPad right now. It will be necessary to wait for Microsoft to release an app update that resolves the problem.
alan neibauer 5 Reputation points

2025-10-21T00:57:59.2566667+00:00

If I turn on airplane mode, it works fine. Does this suggests anything?
NM07UAS 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T09:03:55.4366667+00:00

Unless you need them, try settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. (For Word issues Settings- apps- word)

Answer 3

Sue Sedlak 25

Thanks for the suggestion. I turned on airplane mode, turned it off again. Then turned off wi-Fi and turned it back on. I can now access and edit my files. I don’t know which thing worked but one or both did.

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

Jhun Buala 5,720 Independent Advisor

Hi Norman Jackson,

Good Day. I hope everything still fine. Im Jhun an independent Advisor. Lets try to do some troubleshootings and try to solve your Excel lagging/freezing issue.

First, try to close excel completely. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen>hold> and swipe off the Excel on the screen. Reopen and test again.

Second, Clear Excel's cached data. On Settings > Excel > Reset Excel > Reset Settings. If it does not delete your files just reset the app configuration.

Third, check for the latest update and make sure Excel and your Ipad's OS are fully updated. Microsoft usually quickly release a fix when a massive freezing issue occurs.

Fourth, try to disable your autosave or i-cloud temporarily. Try to open a locally saved file on your device and try to test it.

Fifth, try to use Excel in Airplane Mode. This is to test if it works without background syncing or cloud files.

Sixth, try to fully restart your Ipad. Also check for the free storage spaces on your device (atleast must have 2-3 GB free remaining space).

I hope one of the steps above will solve the issue.

Regards,

Jhun

MSFans 70 Reputation points

2025-10-18T09:11:24.96+00:00

None of these work. Is MS aware of this issue and begin to address it? It’s quite a number of reported cases already and I am surprised that still offering these non applicable general solutions.
Mandy K 0 Reputation points

2025-10-19T06:22:13.7+00:00

Yes i have tried all of these and still doesn’t work
alan neibauer 5 Reputation points

2025-10-21T00:58:56.5+00:00

It works in Airplane mode. What might this indicate?
NM07UAS 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T09:06:00.45+00:00

Rather than turning off WiFi or using airplane mode, unless you need them, try settings-apps-excel and toggle off access to Contacts, Siri and Notifications. (For Word issues Settings- apps- word)