Does Microsoft know that the program Microsoft 365 does not function fully on an iPad.

Question

Does the Microsoft company know that the program Microsoft Office 365 does not function fully on iPads. My friend and I both purchased a program and downloaded them to our iPads. My friend also downloaded her program to her laptop and it was like a different program. I had already asked for assistance from 'the light bulb' at the top of the screen because there was not a 'save' option or I could not print grid lines. The screenshot of what I should have been able to see in 'layout' was nothing like what appeared on my screen - there were barely any options. My friend said her iPad was the same.

The program on her laptop is like the detailed Excel I used years ago but what is on my iPad is like a skeleton of the program she has on her laptop. I am terribly disappointed and feel that anyone who purchases this program for an iPad is being very shortchanged. I tried to tell the Microsoft people but they closed me down saying. 'I had already asked the question' (it was about the grid lines). The iPad was expensive and I chose it instead of buying a laptop and I believe I should not have to purchase a laptop to use all the functions of the program.

I am using a new iPad 10 with the very latest update in both Apple and Microsoft. Please download Microsoft 365 on to the latest iPad (my iPad is just a couple of months old) and you will see what I mean. I think when we ask for assistance, the support people are looking at computers not iPads.

Please try to fix this problem because you must have a lot of disappointed and very unhappy customers and we are two of them.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello Jonathan

Thank you once again for taking the time to help me. To be honest, I have managed to work with the tools available on the iPad version of Excel. It has taken longer but, fortunately, it wasn't a major task and there isn't a great deal to finish. For a larger, more involved project, though, I would have to use a laptop or desk computer.

The gridlines do make it easier to follow the data on the spreadsheet so I will certainly try your method.

Thank you again.

Regards

💐

Answer 2

Hi Maria Carney,

Thank you for your response. 

Upon my tests, it appears that by default, Excel for iPad is unable to print table lines. I have identified an alternative approach, which involves manually setting borders in the 'Start' tab prior to printing.

Microsoft is committed to progressively improving the functionality of Excel for iPad, striving to make it as consistent with the PC version as possible. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,

Jonathan Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 3

Thank you for your reply.

However, this was not a 'free app' of Excel. It was part of the program, Microsoft 365 and, as I explained, the program appears to have all the functions of the previous versions when downloaded to a laptop.

I have not tried to use any of the other programs - there was so much missing from Excel that I thought Microsoft would surely fix the problem once they realised. I am terribly disappointed in the product and wish there had been something in the instructions advising it wasn't suitable for use on iPads.

Thank you for your assistance. I will check that support link. Maybe they can tell me how to print gridlines also.

Regards

💐

Answer 4

Hi Maria Carney,

Thanks for visiting Microsoft Community.

I understand your frustration in not achieving the expected results while using Excel on your iPad. It's completely reasonable to want the same functionality on your mobile device as you have on your PC application, and I empathize with your sentiment. You mentioned that iPads can be quite expensive, and I agree. Despite their high price point, iPads, being mobile devices running on iPadOS, excel in portability and touch-screen convenience but do fall short in compatibility and performance when compared to PCs running Windows. This disparity means that Excel for iPad, available as a free app, is designed as a lighter version of its desktop counterpart and cannot encompass all of its features.

Microsoft is indeed mindful of user experience and is continuously working to enhance its products. Regarding the "Save" option you brought up, it does function somewhat differently from the desktop application. Here is an official support article that might help clarify:

Where is Save As? - Microsoft Support

We appreciate your support for Microsoft products and your understanding. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best Regards,

Jonathan Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist