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Reeseig's avatar
Reeseig
Copper Contributor
Jul 21, 2026

Best Excel password remover for Mac as I forgot Excel password

I set a password on an important Excel spreadsheet a while back on my mac and completely forgot what it was. The file has data that's urgently needed and there's no unprotected backup copy saved anyw...
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Nobel_Baynes's avatar
Nobel_Baynes
Steel Contributor
Jul 21, 2026

Remove it directly in Excel (if you know the excel password.)

This is the easiest method to remove password from excel on mac if you can open the file:

Step 1: Open the workbook and enter the password.

Step 2: Go to Review tab → Protect Sheet or Protect Workbook, and click Unprotect (or Stop Protecting).

Step 3: If it's a password required to open the file (not just edit), go to File → Save As, then in the save dialog click File Format options / the security options button, clear the password fields, and save.

A couple of practical notes:

Newer versions of Excel for Mac sometimes tuck this under File → Save As → File Format: Excel Workbook (.xlsx) → Options rather than a single visible button — the label can shift slightly between versions, so look for "General Options" or a small "Options" link near the bottom of the Save As dialog.

This method only works if you already know the current password without using an excel password remover on mac as Excel won't let you strip a password you can't first unlock.