Mobile phones are getting smarter by the day, but they still tend to struggle with some of the most popular file types. It’s a strange thought. For all its memory and processing power, your smart phone spits back a simple spreadsheet, as if it were the strangest thing to ever come across its plate. Playing memory-intensive video games on the other hand goes smoothly.

So how can I edit Excel files on Android phone or tablet? Don’t worry we have got the right app to solve your problem.

Documents To Go

Documents To Go is my go-to app on the Android phone. It’s a fully fledged office suite, with support for spreadsheets, but also for PDF’s, Microsoft Word documents and Powerpoint presentations.

To allow easy access to all your spreadsheets, Documents To Go supports Google Drive downloads and USB synchronisation with Microsoft Windows computers.

The free version allows you to view Microsoft Excel files. This includes both the .xls and .xlsx filetypes. The premium version, retailing around $15, adds additional functionality to the application, most importantly the ability to edit all the aforementioned files right on your android phone.

Google Drive

The Google Drive app is available on both Android and iOS devices. However, the Android version is notably more matured. Both applications allow you to view any of the various files hosted on your Google Drive account. This means Google Spreadsheets, but also the supported Microsoft Excel files.

On Android, you can also edit these spreadsheets through the older Google Docs interface.

CloudOn

If you’ve got an Android tablet at hand, you’re in luck. CloudOn is a peculiar app. Rather than mimicking Microsoft Excel, or offering a half-baked spreadsheet juggling, CloudOn actually lets you use Microsoft Office through your tablet, free of charge!

Of course, with Microsoft Excel being designed for desktop operating systems, it’s a busy use of screen real estate and you might want to consider getting a stylus to improve the experience.