Excel features are better used on mobile than on computers

Excel is an office application that many people like to use on the desktop because handling work is easier. However, that does not mean that using Excel on a phone is inconvenient. In fact, for certain jobs, Use Excel on mobile is more suitable.

Convert photos into spreadsheets

One of the most obvious hardware advantages smartphones have over desktop computers is the built-in camera. The Excel smartphone application takes advantage of this through features Insert data from images (Insert Data from Picture). Instead of having to manually re-enter financial tables, paper invoices or schedules from photos into spreadsheets on your computer, you can simply use your phone to take a photo or import an existing image. Excel will analyze the image, identify the rows and columns, and then convert the visual data into editable spreadsheet cells.

You just need to open the toolbar (ribbon) and select Insert (Insert) > Data from Picture (Data from Picture). You can take photos directly or import them from any storage location on your phone. You can also crop the image to keep only the portion of the data table you want to import.

While optical character recognition (OCR) eliminates much of the tedious manual data entry work, because it’s an automated extraction tool, you’ll still need to double-check the results to make sure there are no misread digits or formatting errors before putting the data into your Excel file.

Enter data using Cards View

Standard spreadsheets often shrink significantly on mobile screens, forcing users to constantly pinch, zoom, and scroll horizontally across dozens of columns. The Cards View feature in Excel solves this problem by adapting the interface to mobile touch screens.

When you format a range of cells in a spreadsheet to Table in Excel, then tap the icon Cards Vieweach row in that table becomes a separate digital card, presented vertically. Instead of trying to shrink the entire data table from the desktop version onto the 6-inch screen, this mode only displays one record at a time.

You’ll see a plus icon at the bottom of the screen to add new rows. Tap any card to edit that row. Additionally, the column icon in the upper right corner of the Cards View screen allows you to manage columns. You can change the number format, delete columns, or add new columns.

With each card (corresponding to a row), you can in turn enter data into information fields such as date, amount or notes. This method helps you enter each item accurately without worrying about accidentally clicking the wrong cell next to it or losing track of it when working on a data table that is too large.

Record data as you work

With a smartphone, you can record data in real time as the event occurs. Whether you’re keeping track of sports scores, taking stock of inventory, or recording business expenses at the checkout counter, your phone lets you capture information right at the moment the activity happens. Furthermore, when a workbook is connected to Microsoft OneDrive or another cloud storage service, the data you enter on your mobile device will sync with the main workbook. Thanks to that, colleagues working in the office can analyze data directly as soon as the data is updated.

Look up information when away from your desk

Excel on mobile is at its best when used as an information lookup tool rather than an editing workspace. When you open an Excel file on your phone, you usually only need to search for specific data, not to change complex formulas or rebuild the entire spreadsheet.

A quick lookup on your phone is often much more practical than having to open your laptop. For example, you can check inventory while walking around the warehouse, review budget goals during a meeting, or look up specs and compare prices while shopping for laptops at the store.

While Excel on desktop is optimized for building complex models, Excel on mobile is ideal for viewing and evaluating results from those models when you’re away from your desk.

Simple data entry for those unfamiliar with Excel

If you provide an entire spreadsheet to regular users, employees who are not Excel-savvy, the spreadsheet may become corrupted or corrupted. On a desktop computer, they will have to open the file, find the correct worksheet, determine the next blank row, select the correct column, and then enter the data without accidentally messing with formulas or formatting. Meanwhile, on mobile devices, they just need to open the Cards View, enter information in the necessary fields and send.

By building a well-structured and well-protected master spreadsheet file on your computer and then saving it to the cloud, you can give field workers access to simplified data entry interfaces on mobile devices. They can enter the necessary information without having to directly manipulate formulas, VBA code, or the underlying cell structure.