How to create an Excel hyperlink connected to a local file on iPad?

Question

Hi. I wish to replicate a simple function I use on Windows all the time.

EXAMPLE: Using Excel (Office 365) on an iPad Pro, I save the Excel file in a local folder. I save a PDF file in the same folder. I confirm their existence using iPad Files app. I can open the PDF file directly from within the Files app.

Within the Excel file, I type the file name in cell A1, and type "=hyperlink(A1)" in cellA2. When I click on A2, then click link, then Open, i get the message, "Sorry, we couldn't open this link. The link address may be invalid, or you may not have permission to open it."

I need to link to local files, not cloud-based files, because I will not have Internet access when using this Excel file. And I wish to use relative links rather than absolute links showing the file folder structure so that when finished, I can share the entire folder with all linked files and know that the hyperlinks will work.

What am I missing, and how can I accomplish this, please? If you can help me with this, you will have made my entire year. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi! This is Ruchi, an independent expert.

For this, try this formula: =HYPERLINK(link_location,[friendly_name])

In your case= Link_location is cell number (in attached file its F1), friendly_name is name of the link (in attachment it is "cell")

=HYPERLINK(F1,"cell")

Answer 2

Ruchi, thanks so much for the quick reply. I appreciate your time.

I added the cell name to the formula as you suggested, but continue to get the same error. As you can see, both files are in the same iPad folder. Still searching for clues.

Answer 3

Is it possible that the issue has to do the filename extensions in Ipad OS?

When I copied the PDF file into the iPad, it saved without the .PDF extension. Since my Windows files and programs always include the extension in the file name, I edited the sample PDF file name to include the .PDF.

...

No, I proved this possibility wrong.

Thanks,

David

Answer 4

HI David,

As per the pic shared by you, just confirm me, you have inserted hyperlink in A1 column. (I am not able to see the link the pic).

Follow, the link to attached the file in column A1: https://www.wikihow.com/Insert-Hyperlinks-in-Mi...

Try this. Hope this will solve the problem.

Regards

Ruchi

Answer 5

Thanks again, Ruchi. Your kindness is appreciated.

There are two ways to insert hyperlinks:

 1)  Manually type the file name in one cell, and link to it from a second cell using the =Hyperlink formula.

2. Use the Insert function as you are describing, which automatically adds the Hyperlink function.

Because my working files contain many thousands of links and all of the linked files are in one folder, approach 2 tends to massively slow down the Insert links pop-up window. Many others have noted that as the number of inserted hyperlinks reaches a large number (depending on the computer's RAM and processor speed), clicking on links tends to slow down as well. While I use fast workstations, I have experienced this slowdown, and have reverted to always use approach 1, which is what I was displaying in my screenshot.

To show that my current problem is not in the Hyperlink function, I added a new Inserted link in cell A3 to the same file (using approach 2) in this screenshot and named it Cell2. (Typed Cell2, clicked Insert > Hyperlink, typed in file name.)  It also does not work, giving the same error message on the iPad.

My only current hypothesis is that relative links do not work in Excel for iPad OS/ iOS.

I know that for years, anyone using Excel on iPad has been unable to download a worksheet with local links in it (from any shared cloud service), because when it is first opened, Excel changes all hyperlinks to look on the cloud for each linked file. Apparently Microsoft has never responded to many frustrated corporate users who lost months or years of man-hours by opening their master files and having all links destroyed. I found these discussions after I experienced the same failure. The only common workaround seemed to be to turn off auto-save (thereby disconnecting from syncing), edit the file separately on the iPad.

I stopped trying to resolve this problem last year, but came back to this issue now that Apple has created Files app and is finally allowing some direct access to file management on iPads. 

If you have any other thoughts, I will certainly appreciate them.

Cheers,

David