Skip to main content

How to convert Apple Numbers to Excel

Numbers and Excel on a MacBook with a business person.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There's a lot to love about Apple products, but since much of the working world runs on Windows, it can be frustrating trying to transfer files from one platform to the next. In fact, because you'll find Microsoft Excel on both Windows and Mac, it's quickly become the defacto spreadsheet software for most businesses, schools, and even for personal computing needs. Thankfully, if you've been using Apple Numbers and need to convert a sheet to Excel, Apple has a built-in function that makes this a painless process.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Mac, iPhone, or iPad

  • Apple Numbers

Here's how to convert Apple Numbers to Excel so you can collaborate with team members working with Windows software.

Convert Numbers to Excel on Mac

You can easily convert your Numbers workbook to an Excel file by exporting it in just a few steps.

Step 1: Open your workbook in Numbers and select File from the menu bar.

Step 2: Select Export to and choose Excel in the pop-out menu.

Export to Excel in the Numbers File menu.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: When the Export Your Spreadsheet window opens, confirm that you’re on the Excel tab.

Step 4: Next to Excel worksheets, pick either One per sheet or One per table depending on if you want to create a worksheet for each sheet or each table in the workbook.

If you choose One per table, you can optionally check the box to include a summary worksheet. This worksheet contains links to all tables for quick access.

Export selections from Numbers to Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: You can then check the box to require a password to open the exported workbook. If you choose this option, then enter the password, verify it, and include a hint if you like.

Password option for exporting to Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 6: Select Next, choose a location to save the file, optionally edit the name and add tags, and pick Export.

Then, head to the location where you saved the file to open it. From there, you can share or send the Excel workbook like any other file on Mac.

Name and location dialog box for Numbers.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 7: You can also do this file conversion at iCloud.com. Just sign in to your account, find the file you want to convert to Excel, then click the More button. You'll then be able to choose to download a copy in whichever format you prefer (in this case, as an Excel document).

Convert Numbers to Excel on iPhone and iPad

If you work with Numbers on your iPhone or iPad, you can export a workbook to Excel similarly to Mac.

Step 1: Open your workbook in Numbers and select the three dots on the top right.

Step 2: Choose Export and pick Excel. Then, select Done.

Step 3: Select One per sheet or One per table. If you choose the latter, optionally turn on the toggle to include a summary worksheet.

Step 4: Pick Export.

If there are any changes to your workbook due to the export, you’ll see those next. Select Continue.

Step 5: Choose a location to save, send, or share the exported file and follow any subsequent prompts to do so.

By converting an Apple Numbers workbook, those you work or share with can easily open the file in Excel.

For more, look at how to convert Excel to Google Sheets.

Sandy Writtenhouse
Sandy has been writing about technology since 2012. Her work has appeared on How-To Geek, Lifewire, MakeUseOf, iDownloadBlog…
How to add a column in Excel

Microsoft Excel is a powerful database management tool with all sorts of in-depth problem-solving functions and dynamic formatting. To make the most of it, though, you need to know the basics. Using Microsoft Excel to add a column is quick and easy. You can do it in just a few quick steps once you've learned how.

Read more
How to make a graph in Excel
A person looking at bar charts on a PC.

If you use Microsoft Excel regularly for studying or work that requires a spreadsheet to be filled with data-driven information, then you know it can be quite difficult and time-consuming to decipher -- even more so for those who are not familiar with analytical-based data.

Whether spreadsheets are complicated or not, the fact remains that graphs help break down your data into an easier to understand format, enhancing the general readability of your Excel spreadsheet.

Read more
How to use ChatGPT to write Excel formulas
A laptop opened to the ChatGPT website.

Not everyone is an Excel spreadsheet expert and you may not always know how to write the formulas you need for a given data set. If you're having trouble figuring out the right formula for your data and computation needs, there's a new option that can help you write up that formula in just a few steps.

That option is ChatGPT, the buzzy, new AI chatbot from artificial intelligence company OpenAI. And among everything else ChatGPT can do, it can also write Excel formulas. In this guide, we'll show you how to use Microsoft Excel and ChatGPT together. Let's get started.

Read more