Can't edit Excel spreadsheet on new iPad MINI less than 10" diagonal

Question

Hi, until 2 days ago I was using the free Microsoft 365 account on my old iPad Mini to edit Excel spreadsheets. That iPad died and I'm now trying to edit a spreadsheet with Excel on my new iPad Mini A17 Pro. Note that the diagonal measurement of the screen is less than 10 inches. When I try to edit I get this message: "Activate Microsoft 365 to create and edit documents". I thought 365 would let you use a free account if the device was less than 10" (?) Can anyone help with this? Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Carol,

Thank you for your response.

Since everything looks good in your end I suggest to contact our live support so that they further look into this. Click on the link below.

https://support.microsoft.com//contactus 

Chan G

Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 2

Hi, thanks for the instructions on how to verify I have the most recent version of an app. I tried that and discovered that Excel needed updating. I updated Excel and still got the "Activate Microsoft 365" message, so just to be doubly sure I uninstalled and reinstalled Excel again. Still got the message.

You mentioned screen size. I assure you, my iPad Mini's screen size is less than 10.1 inches. I've measured it with a tape measure myself, but just for confirmation I went to Apple's site and got the hardware specs, which are here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/121456

It lists the height as 7.69 inches and the width as 5.3 inches. I then used the Pythagorean theorem to determine that the diagonal measurement is 9.34 inches.

So, what's going on? One thought I had is, this iPad Mini A17 Pro has only been sold since last October, so it's relatively new. Maybe Microsoft hasn't been informed yet that it's less than 10.1 inches? If this isn't the answer, can you think of anything else that might be the issue? What else can I do?

Answer 3

Hi Carol,

Thank you for your response.

If you downloaded it from the App store then definitely you have the latest version of Excel and you can also check for updates manually with the steps below and if issue persist possibly this has something to do screen size.

Steps on how to update Excel:

Update via App Store

1. Open the App Store on your iPad.
2. Tap on your profile icon (top right corner).
3. Scroll down to Available Updates.
4. Find Microsoft Excel and tap Update.

Chan G

Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 4

Thank you for your quick reply. I tried all of your suggestions, with one exception, and nothing has worked. I don't know how to ensure that the Excel I'm using is the latest version. I just downloaded it again from Apple's App store - does that mean it's the most current version? I haven't gotten any messages from it that indicate it needs updating. If I still need to, how do I verify that it's the current version?

Answer 5

Hi Carol,

Thank you for using Microsoft products and making community posts.

I understands the importance of resolving this issue but Generally, Microsoft allows free editing on devices with screens smaller than 10.1 inches, so your iPad Mini should qualify. However, some users have reported issues where they are unexpectedly prompted to activate Microsoft 3652.

Here are a few things you can try:

1. Sign out and sign back in: Sometimes, logging out of your Microsoft account and signing back in can refresh the app and restore free editing access.
2. Check for updates: Ensure that your Excel app is updated to the latest version.
3. Reinstall the app: Uninstalling and reinstalling Excel may resolve the issue.
4. Verify your screen size: Microsoft’s free editing policy applies to devices below 10.1 inches, so double-check your iPad Mini’s exact screen measurement.

Please feel free to let me know how it goes.

Chan G

Microsoft Community Moderator