Excel on Android - numeric keypad

[blackcat]

Most of my data entry in Excel is numeric, and I really like to choose the dedicated keyboard for number entry. There are three minor issues:

• Sometimes when I go back to Excel after a while it has defaulted back my standard keyboard (I used Gboard).  Minor nuisance, because I have to reselect.
• In any case, an option to automatically select this keyboard when a cell is formatted as one of the number type would be useful (and the opposite for text)
• The keyboard should use the system defaults for keyboard sound and vibration.

All pretty minor, but I feel they get between me and one of the most useful pieces of Android software.

[#2]

Thank you for the feedback!
Can you check this on the latest Beta build?
We have included auto-surfacing the number keyboard based on cell formatting.
We will look into the other feedbacks.

[#3]

I'm not seeing the number keyboard auto-surface - I'm on 1.0.1 (16.0.11425.20016).   For example, this is on cells formatted as "Number", zero decimal places.  Thanks.....

[#4]

OK, a bit more information.  It's working, to some extent.  Here's a sequence...

• Open a XLSX
• Click on a cell known to be formatted as a number
• Click the function bar to enter a value.  At this time, the on-board keyboard appears.  I'm using gboard, and it's just the regular QWERTY layout
• Before entering a value, click on another numeric format cell. Now the numeric keyboard does appear.

This is on a Galaxy S8+.  Maybe I'm missing something?

[#5]

Appreciate the feedback.

Will look into it and get back.

[#6]

@Siddharth_Vora 

Good day,

I'm using Excel 1.0.1 (16.0.11601.20074) on Lenovo TB3-730x very often every day.

My question is: is it possible to permanently disable the switching between the various keyboard based on cell formatting, since for me this auto-surfacing is counterproductive: the Hacker's Keyboard, the default keyboard I'm using, already has all the necessary letters and numbers I need.

Thanks for your reply.

[#7]

@Siddharth_Vora 

I'd like to follow up on this and ask how I can format a cell so that the numeric keyboard pops up when I go to enter a value. (I'm assuming that what "auto-surfacing the number keyboard based on cell formatting" means.) Thanks!

[#8]

@blueskies you can format the cell as numeric, currency, date, time, datetime.

In that case double tapping the cell to edit should bring up the numeric keyboard.

[#9]

@Siddharth_Vora 

That would make sense! Unfortunately it doesn't happen consistently that cells formatted for number default to the number keyboard. Maybe it's an android bug.

Thanks!

[#10]

I hate that yall took the keyboard / number pad selection off. I have spreadsheets that in the "auto-surfacing" update that I need the keyboard but only have use of the number pad and vice-versa. Please change it back. This is NOT a good update.

[#11]

Hi! I read you comment, is that true?.
I'm just looking for an answer, why in one of my tablet, excel gives me an option to switch between ABC keyboard to numeric panel, and in other not ?
If someone knows please I need help with this..
Thanks

[#12]

@Katherine14121300 

I had the same problem today.The numeric keypad switched off and I couldn't get the little keybd icon back at the top of the qwerty surface kybd. It seemed to switch off randomly.I tried opening a new spreadsheet and double clicked in a cell and it came back! All my other spreadsheets were now ok,ie I was able to switch between numeric and qwerty ok.I don't know if this is a fix or not but time will tell.

[#13]

I've spent hours on the phone to Samsung& Microsoft & neither have been able to resolve it. Has anyone come up with a fix yet?

[#14]

No, I'm still trying to figure out, is very uncomfortable 😕.. if someone comes up with something,
I also tried what las reply said.. and didn't work..

[#15]

Hi Katherine,
Since the numeric icon reappeared yesterday it's been fine on my Samsung S2.It must be a bug/ update problem.Sorry I can't be of help.

[#16]

Very frustrating! Now I'm trying to type in a string and it keeps bringing me the numbers keyboard. I can't change the keyboard back to alphanumeric.

Microsoft should include a user setting to enable or disable this feature

[#17]

@ESoggy

Not brilliant, but probably the best solution available: -

Click on the cell.

Click on the Home > Number Format icon (Fifth icon along the Home ribbon on my tablet)

At the bottom of this drop-down menu, click on "Text".

The cell will now be formatted as text, and the keyboard will be the alphanumeric one.

(To get the numeric keyboard back, click on a cell, then Number Format > whatever takes your fancy.)

[#18]

Hi, I've followed your instructions but it didn't work at all. If a cell has the numeric keyboard, changing the cell info to "text" just alters the details in the cell. It makes no difference to the keyboard at all.

[#19]

@Tony7799 

Sorry, I should have added two more steps.

After clicking on the cell and then on Home > Number Format > Text, you may need to click on any other cell, then back onto the original cell. The keyboard should now be alphanumeric, because you have changed the "Number Format" to Text.

Microsoft wisdom dictates that they couldn't possibly change the keyboard immediately to match the "Text" comand. 🙂

I have just tried this on both my tablet and my android phone. Apart from the difficulty on the phone finding Home> Number Format, it worked on both.

Are you on a tablet or a phone?

[#20]

Hi, thanks for the reply. It works! Bit of a pain but at least I can use it again.

Thanks for the help.

Oh, I also tried then reverting the cell back to 'number' from 'text' just in case it messed up any formulas & it keeps the keyboard as alphanumeric which is very handy. Glad to have finally been shown a workaround.

(Just as an aside, I was using a tablet. Both my tablet & phone are Samsung, both android 10 & fully updated, but on my phone I still have the bar with the option of switching keyboards. It's only on my tablet it's disappeared. Very strange)

But again, many thanks. Really appreciate it.