Convert .numbers to .xlsx while maintaining your workflow

Many have claimed that Numbers is much more user-friendly than Microsoft’s Excel, with its pre-installed formats and templates, the ease with which one may convert numbers to xlsx, but there are also those who claim that Excel is much more powerful than Numbers. Regardless of which is superior, the fact is that both platforms are widely used by all, whether by professionals or for personal use. 

Sometimes it is inevitable that you will need to do some cross-platform work, and that’s where knowing how to convert a Numbers file into an Excel file may come in handy. There are two ways to create an .xlsx file from your Mac, and the first method requires the original file to be opened in the iCloud version of Numbers. 

Exporting .xlsx on iCloud

First the file must be opened in the iCloud version of Numbers, this method will not work with the offline version. 

Once the spreadsheet is open, head to the wrench tool and click ‘View Numbers Tools’. From there, you will be able to ‘Download a Copy’ in Excel format. 

Converting Numbers to Excel manually

If you do not have the file on iCloud or require to convert a particular version that you only have on your computer, this is the way to do it: 

In the Numbers program, head over to ‘File’, click ‘Export To’, and select ‘Excel’. You will need to make the necessary selections and click ‘Next’ and select the folder you want to save it to before clicking ‘Export’. If you want to export the file for Microsoft Excel 2007 or older, make the change from .xlsx to .xls. 

Known issues when converting from Numbers to Excel

When importing data from a different platform, there are times when you might run into an error message. In fact, it is something that you may encounter even from within the platform itself. One of the common problems is the amount of data that exists in the file itself. For large files, it is best to break them up into smaller files before exporting them so as to prevent any errors in the exporting process. 

Having complicated formulas or formatting can also pose a problem when exporting as it also constitutes a form of data. While the merging of cells may convert well, the data within them may not and many times, you may discover that your pretty layouts are no longer as pretty once converted. 

Fortunately, as long as you have a computer – or a tablet, or an iPhone – you should be able to access Numbers through iCloud, a function that Microsoft Excel doesn’t yet have, which possible makes Numbers all the more superior.