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GJN11's avatar
GJN11
Tin Contributor
Sep 21, 2026

Excel iOS app not autosaving and freezing.

Is anyone else having issues with latest version of Excel iOS app not autosaving and freezing when trying to back out of file or save a copy to iPad or iPhone?

22 Replies

  • beauj1992's avatar
    beauj1992
    Copper Contributor

    Yeah this is killing our guys, we're at a construction company and they're all updating Excel sheets from a Teams Sharepoint location and it's basically broken. I've had them turn off Download over Wi-Fi Only and reset their Excel via iOS settings but no change. It'll work for a little bit then same issue.

  • andyhi's avatar
    andyhi
    Tin Contributor

    Same problem with Excel on on both my ipad and Iphone for more than a week.   When I try to close the file on ipad/iphone - More times than not, Excel screen goes grey (forever) when I should get the saving/closing spinning wheel.  I never get a time out or connectivity error but I suspect I should.  Have to force close and reopen excel before the GUI is usable again.  This occurs on ipad OS and iphone OS 26.7.  Issue occurred with last minor version of Excel mobile as well as latest version.  Same file from OneDrive using desktop version of Excel opens, saves, closes with no problems every time.  Sometimes updates made with desktop version will show up on ipad, others times not.  Issue is almost certainly a comms issue between mobile excel and the backend OneDrive (SharePoint Online) infrastructure.  Have signed out/in to mobile excel, reset app, reinstalled app, restarted phone and ipad, etc... Nothing seems to help.  This is a ~500kb spreadsheet I update 3 - 6 times per month for 4+ years mostly via ipad... never had this problem prior to the last ~1-2 weeks or so.    I've left in app support request days ago and nothing but crickets.  WTF MS Support?    

  • Phileades's avatar
    Phileades
    Copper Contributor

    This is happening to me too. A good workaround I’ve found is to open my Excel wkbook in Google Sheets using Google Drive to keep it synched. I hope Microsoft fix the issue asap though. 

  • Phileades's avatar
    Phileades
    Copper Contributor

    This is happening to me too. A good workaround I’ve found is to open my Excel wkbook in Google Sheets using Google Drive to keep it synched. I hope Microsoft fix the issue asap though. 

  • memememe410's avatar
    memememe410
    Copper Contributor

    Me too I was aware it would start to no longer save on my ipad but not on my iPhone, what is happening?

  • Lw2468's avatar
    Lw2468
    Copper Contributor

    I use excel on an iPad Pro and it now hangs up while closing out more than 50% of the time. If I open the file, make 1 quick edit and close it, it typically works. But if I’ve been in the file for 10 minutes or more and made multiple changes, the autosave doesn’t work, the file hangs up, and I have to hard reboot my iPad to regain use. This has become a big problem in the last month, and even more significantly in the last few days. (My excel & iOS have been kept up to date all the while.)

  • tanchik77's avatar
    tanchik77
    Copper Contributor

    same problem, all workers cann't fill checklists since last monday , terrible

  • Spaz's avatar
    Spaz
    Copper Contributor

    I’ve deleted the app on my iphone and reinstalled it twice. It worked temporarily. I killed Co-pilot in Excel and that also worked temporarily.

  • Spaz's avatar
    Spaz
    Copper Contributor

    Yes, mine too. Its become unusable.

  • hparsonage's avatar
    hparsonage
    Copper Contributor

    Yes for the last few weeks it’s been happening. Hanging on closing file. Both iPhone and iPad, although strangely I just checked the iPad and it hung then I checked for app update and there was an update available from yesterday which I did. Then I tried an file and it closed ok on the iPad. But then I tried again and the next time it hung on closing. I’ve deleted the app and reinstalled on the iPhone and it is still the same. I’m on IOS 27 now but it was happening on 26. 

    H

    • GJN11's avatar
      GJN11
      Tin Contributor

      Describes exactly what’s still happening to me (even after updating yesterday to the new version).  I thought maybe it had something to do with fact I’m currently overseas in strange wifi/IP addresses, but with the couple of replies, now I think we do have a systemic iOS issue.  And good luck getting legit Microsoft support.