Home › Guides › How to open an XLSX file
How to open an XLSX file
Open .xlsx files on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android, with or without Excel, and fix the ones that won't open.
The quickest way to open an .xlsx file is to double-click it: if Microsoft Excel is installed, it opens there. No Excel? You still have several free options, on any computer or phone.
Programs that open XLSX files
| Program | Cost | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Paid (Microsoft 365) | Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android |
| Excel for the web | Free with a Microsoft account | Any browser |
| Google Sheets | Free with a Google account | Any browser, iPhone, Android |
| Apple Numbers | Free | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| LibreOffice Calc | Free | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| xlsxtocsv viewer | Free, no account | Any browser (file isn't uploaded) |
On Windows
- Double-click the .xlsx file. If Excel is installed, it opens.
- If Windows asks which app to use, pick Excel, or LibreOffice Calc if you've installed it.
- No Excel? Open office.com, sign in with a free Microsoft account and upload the file to open it in Excel for the web.
On a Mac
Double-click the file. Without Excel, it opens in Numbers, which comes free with every Mac. You can also press the space bar on a selected file in Finder for a quick preview.
On iPhone or Android
Tap the attachment to preview it, or open it in the free Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets app to edit. On iPhone and iPad, Numbers works too.
Without Excel, in your browser
- Google Sheets: upload the file to Google Drive, then right-click › Open with › Google Sheets.
- Our viewer: drop the file into the XLSX viewer. It shows every sheet and lets you copy the data or save it as CSV, and the file never leaves your computer, which matters for private data.
When an XLSX file won't open
- "Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid." The file may be incomplete or was renamed from another format. Download it again, or drop it into our viewer, which detects the real format.
- It opens read-only with a yellow bar. That's Protected View for files from the internet. Click Enable Editing only if you trust the sender.
- It's damaged. In Excel, use File › Open, select the file, click the arrow next to Open and choose Open and Repair.
- It asks for a password. You need the password from whoever sent it; there's no legitimate way around it.
How to save or download a file as XLSX
- Excel: File › Save As › Excel Workbook (*.xlsx). Use this to update old .xls files too, or convert a whole batch with the XLS to XLSX converter.
- Google Sheets: File › Download › Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).
- From a CSV: use the CSV to Excel converter.
New to the format? Read what is an XLSX file.
FAQ
Questions
Which program is used to open XLSX files?
Microsoft Excel is the main one, but Excel for the web (free with a Microsoft account), Google Sheets, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice Calc all open .xlsx files too. For a quick look with nothing to install, use our online XLSX viewer.
How do I open an XLSX file without Excel?
Upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets, open it in Numbers on a Mac, install the free LibreOffice, or drop it into our browser viewer, which reads the file without uploading it.
Why won't my XLSX file open?
The most common reasons are a download that didn't finish, a file that was renamed from another format, or Excel blocking it in Protected View. Try downloading it again, open it with File › Open › Open and Repair in Excel, or try a different program like Google Sheets.
Can I open an XLSX file on my phone?
Yes. The free Microsoft Excel app (iPhone and Android) opens .xlsx files, and so do Google Sheets and, on iPhone, Numbers. Tapping the attachment in your email app usually gives you a preview too.
How do I save a file as XLSX?
In Excel, choose File › Save As (or Save a Copy) and pick Excel Workbook (*.xlsx). In Google Sheets, choose File › Download › Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).