How to Open Excel Files: Complete Beginner's Tutorial

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In-depth guide for opening Excel files on your PC or phone

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: September 3, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Using Excel on Desktop
|
• Using Excel Online
|
• Using Google Sheets
|
• Using the Mobile App
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

This wikiHow teaches you how to open an Excel file and view the spreadsheet file's contents. You can use a desktop spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel, a web-based spreadsheet viewer like Google Sheets, or the mobile Excel app to open, view, and edit Excel spreadsheets on any computer, phone, or tablet.

How to Open .XLSX (Excel) Files

To open Excel files on desktop, right-click (or control-click) the file. Select Open with and select Excel or another similar app. Alternatively, log into Microsoft Excel Online and select Upload a file to upload and view your .XLSX file.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Excel on Desktop

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1. 
   1
   Find and right-click the Excel file you want to open. Find the spreadsheet file on your computer, and right-click on its name or icon to see your options in a drop-down menu.

   • If you're using a Mac, you can control-click the Excel file.
2. 
   2
   Hover over Open with on the right-click menu. A list of available apps will pop up in a sub-menu.
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3. 
   3
   Select Microsoft Excel on the "Open with" menu. This will launch Excel on your computer and open the selected file. If you're using a Mac and you don't have Excel, you can open .XLSX files using the built-in application, Numbers.

   • If you don't see the Excel app here, click Other or Choose another app to see all your apps.
   • If you don't have Excel installed, you can use Excel Online for free or purchase a subscription.
   • As an alternative, you can download and use a free, open-source office suite like Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Excel Online

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1. 
   1
   Open Microsoft Excel Online in your internet browser. If prompted, enter your Microsoft login information and log in.

   • You can use Excel online in any desktop or mobile internet browser.
2. 
   2
   Click the Upload a file button near the top of the page. This will be next to the green "Create blank workbook" button. It will open your file navigator and allow you to select a file from your computer.
3. 
   3
   Select the Excel file you want to open. Find your spreadsheet file in the file navigator window, and click on its name or icon to select it.
4. 
   4
   Click Open. This button is in the bottom-right corner of the file navigator pop-up. It will upload your spreadsheet file and open it in Excel Online.

   • You can view and edit your file in your internet browser.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Google Sheets

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1. 
   1
   Open Google Sheets in your internet browser. If you're not automatically signed in, log in with your Google account.

   • You can use Google Sheets in any desktop or mobile internet browser.
2. 
   2
   Click the folder icon on the top-right. You can find this button in the upper-right corner of your spreadsheet list, next to the AZ button. It will open the "Open a file" window in a pop-up.
3. 
   3
   Click the Upload tab. You can find it on a tab bar below the "Upload a file" heading in the pop-up. This will allow you to open any Excel file from your computer.

   • Alternatively, you can click the My Drive tab and open a file from your Google Drive library.
4. 
   4
   Drag and drop your Excel file on the "Open a file" window. When you're in the Upload tab, you can just drag and drop any spreadsheet file from your computer here.

   • This will upload your Excel file to Google Sheets and open it in your internet browser.
   • Alternatively, click the blue Select a file from your device button, and select your file manually.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using the Mobile App

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1. 
   1
   Open the Excel app on your phone or tablet. The Excel icon looks like a green-and-white "X" and a spreadsheet icon.

   • Excel is available for iPhone and iPad in the App Store and for Android in the Google Play Store.
   • Log in to your Microsoft account if you haven't already. You must have an account to use the mobile app.
2. 
   2
   Tap the Open button. This button looks like a folder icon on a navigation bar. It will open your available file sources.

   • On iPhone, it's in the lower-right corner of your screen.
   • On Android, it's in the upper-left corner of your screen.
3. 
   3
   Select where your spreadsheet file is saved. Selecting a source here will open all the files saved to this location.

   • If you're opening a file saved to your phone or tablet's local storage, select This Device or On My iPhone/iPad here.
4. 
   4
   Select the spreadsheet file you want to open. Tapping a file will open it in the Excel mobile app.
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