Sheet view not working in Excel for the web/Excel online/Excel web version

Question

Hi support,

I have a question regarding Excel for the web, aka Excel online and Excel web. My team accesses Excel online via Dropbox (not sure if that is important or not). We would like to use sheet view in order to not see each other's sorting when we are all editing a sheet at once. However, we find that we are seeing each other's sorting even with sheet views turned on. We created our sheet views using the directions at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-and-manage-sheet-views-in-excel-0eea3dc5-d7d1-44c5-a953-25ebfbd6c1a6. Does sheet view work in Excel for the web? In Excel for the web when accessed through Dropbox?

Some information that may be useful:

• This issue happens regardless of how many team members are simultaneously editing the sheet. It's as though sheet view is not turned on at all
• We have tried using sheet view when both members are using a different sheet view, as well as when only one member is using sheet view and the other is using the Default view. The result is the same - we both only see the default view, as though sheet view is not turned on at all
• Sheet view is not grayed out in the toolbar. It appears fully active and functions exactly as described in the page linked above, with the exception that there is no effect on how spreadsheets appear to us (we all continue to see the Default view, and each other's sorting, when sheet view is turned on)
• We have been using Excel online through Dropbox for a little over a year, and the issue has been there since the beginning. However, only now is sheet view becoming crucial to our workflow, so that is why I am reaching out.

Grateful for any insight, it seems like a great tool.

Answer 1

Hi Annie,

Sheet View is supported in Excel for the web, but Microsoft documents it as intended for workbooks stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. When a file is accessed through third‑party storage such as Dropbox, Sheet View behavior can be inconsistent and isn’t something Microsoft documents as a supported scenario.

Since you’ve also tested the workbook after moving it to OneDrive and still only see the Default view, the next step is to determine whether this is a workbook‑specific issue rather than a limitation of Sheet View itself. A good way to test this is to create a brand‑new .xlsx workbook directly in OneDrive, add a small sample table, share it from OneDrive, and then have two users open it in Excel for the web. Each user should create their own Sheet View before applying any sorting or filtering.

If the original file was previously saved as .xls, or contains legacy features carried over from older formats, Sheet View and co‑authoring may not behave correctly even after moving the file to OneDrive.

Also, after creating a Sheet View, confirm that each user remains inside their named Sheet View (shown in the Sheet View dropdown). If Excel exits the view or reverts back to Default, any sorts or filters will again affect everyone.

If the new OneDrive‑created .xlsx file works as expected, that confirms the feature itself is functioning and the issue is likely tied to the original workbook. If it does not work even in a new file, the behavior is more likely related to co‑authoring or session handling in Excel for the web.

For reference:

• Create and manage Sheet Views in Excel
• Collaborate on Excel workbooks at the same time with co‑authoring
• Troubleshoot co‑authoring in Office

Please let me know if this proves useful to you, or if you would like further assistance.

I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 2

Sheet Views work in Excel for the web, but only when the workbook is stored in SharePoint or OneDrive. Sheet Views are not supported for workbooks stored in other locations such as Dropbox.

Key points from the product behavior:

1. Sheet Views storage requirements
   • Sheet Views “can only be used in a document that is stored in a SharePoint or OneDrive location.”
   • If a file is not in SharePoint or OneDrive, Sheet View commands may appear, but the feature is not supported as designed for coauthoring isolation of sorts/filters.
2. What Sheet Views are designed to do
   • Sheet Views let each collaborator apply their own sorts and filters “without being disrupted by others sorting and filtering in the document.”
   • When properly supported (SharePoint/OneDrive storage), each user can select a Sheet View from View > Sheet View, and sorts/filters in that view affect only that user’s view.
3. Why the current setup shows everyone’s sorting
   • Because the workbook is opened via Dropbox, it is not in a supported SharePoint or OneDrive location.
   • In this configuration, the Sheet View UI can appear active, but the underlying coauthoring isolation behavior is not guaranteed, so everyone continues to see the same default view and each other’s sorts.
4. How to get Sheet Views working as intended
   • Move or save the workbook to:
     • A SharePoint document library, or
     • OneDrive (personal or OneDrive for Business).
   • Then open the workbook in Excel for the web from that SharePoint/OneDrive location and create Sheet Views via View > Sheet View > New.
   • Once stored there, Sheet Views will be available and respected across Excel for Desktop and Mac, Excel for the web, and Excel on mobile.

If Sheet View is critical to the workflow, the practical resolution is to host the workbook in SharePoint or OneDrive instead of Dropbox.

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References:

• Create and manage Sheet Views in Excel
• Excel for the web