1. About the app

Spreadsheet Editor Lite lets you open, view, and edit Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx and .xls) on your Android phone or tablet. Reading files is free. Editing and saving require an active subscription or free trial through Google Play ($1.99/month after trial).

2. Getting started

1. Install Spreadsheet Editor Lite from Google Play.
2. Open the app from your home screen or app drawer.
3. The Welcome screen appears when no file is open. From here you can open a file, open Help, or manage your subscription.

3. Opening spreadsheets

You can open a workbook in several ways:

From inside the app

1. On the Welcome screen, tap Open File, or tap the Open (folder) icon in the toolbar when a file is already open.
2. Choose an Excel file from your device’s file picker.
3. Wait while the file loads. A spinner appears for large files.

From another app (“Open with”)

1. In Files, Gmail, Drive, or another app, open or download an .xlsx or .xls file.
2. Tap Open with or Share and choose Spreadsheet Editor Lite.
3. The spreadsheet opens in the editor.

4. Welcome screen

When no workbook is open, you see:

• Open File — pick a spreadsheet from storage.
• Help — opens this guide in your browser.
• Manage Subscription — opens Google Play subscription settings for this app.

If opening a file failed, an error message appears on the Welcome screen.

5. Viewing your workbook

1. After a file opens, the toolbar shows the file name. An asterisk (*) means unsaved changes. (View only) means you are not in edit mode.
2. The formula bar below the toolbar shows the selected cell reference and its value or formula.
3. Sheet tabs let you switch between worksheets. Tap a tab name to change the active sheet.
4. Charts embedded in the sheet appear above the grid when supported (bar, line, and simple pie previews).
5. Scroll vertically through rows and horizontally through columns. For very large sheets, a notice may say “Large sheet mode” — keep scrolling to load more rows.

The grid shows row numbers on the left and column letters (A, B, C…) across the top. Tap a cell to select it and see its contents in the formula bar.

6. Viewing vs editing (subscription)

• Free: Open and read .xlsx and .xls files, switch sheets, scroll, and view cell values.
• Premium: Edit cells, apply formatting, change layout, undo/redo, and save. Requires a Google Play subscription with a 14-day free trial, then $1.99/month.

Start editing

1. Tap a cell or the formula bar, or use any edit toolbar action.
2. If you are not subscribed, the Editing is a Premium Feature dialog appears.
3. Choose Start Free Trial or Subscribe Now to complete purchase in Google Play.
4. Use Restore Purchases if you already subscribed on this Google account.
5. Tap Continue Viewing to keep reading without editing.

View-only mode (subscribers)

1. If you have a subscription but want to read without accidental edits, tap View Only in the toolbar.
2. To edit again, tap Start Editing in the formula bar or try any edit action.

Manage Subscription is available on the Welcome screen and in the toolbar (Manage). It opens Google Play account subscriptions.

7. Editing cells and formulas

1. Ensure you have edit access (active trial or subscription).
2. Tap a cell to select it. Its value appears in the formula bar.
3. Tap the formula bar, type a new value or formula (formulas start with =), then press Done on the keyboard to commit.
4. Changes mark the file as modified (* in the title bar). Use Undo and Redo to step back or forward.

8. Selecting cells, rows, and columns

Single cell

Tap any cell. The formula bar shows its reference (e.g. B3) and content.

Range (area)

1. Tap the first cell of the range.
2. The formula bar shows Tap another cell for area.
3. Tap a second cell. The rectangular range between them is selected (e.g. A1:C5).

Entire row or column

• Tap a row number in the left header to select that row.
• Tap a column letter in the top header to select that column.

Formatting and some toolbar actions apply to the current selection.

9. Toolbar reference

Scroll the toolbar horizontally if needed. Icons and labels from left to right:

Status messages (e.g. “Saved”, “Editing enabled”) appear briefly at the bottom of the screen.

10. Row and column sizes

Drag to resize

• Columns: Drag the handle on the right edge of a column header.
• Rows: Drag the handle on the bottom edge of a row header.

Size dialog

1. Long-press a column letter or row number header, or tap Col / Row in the toolbar with a selection.
2. Adjust size with the slider, type a value, or pick a preset (Narrow / Default / Wide or Short / Default / Tall).
3. Tap OK to apply.

11. Saving your work

1. Make sure you have edit access.
2. Tap Save to write changes back to the opened file (when the system allows).
3. Tap Save As to choose a new name and location; the default suggestion is workbook.xlsx.
4. When save succeeds, the asterisk clears and you may see “Saved”.

If save fails, an error message appears in a snackbar at the bottom of the screen.

12. Password-protected files

1. When you open an encrypted workbook, a Password required dialog appears.
2. Enter the file password and tap Open.
3. If the password is wrong, an error is shown; try again or tap Cancel to close the dialog.

13. Tips and limitations

• Large files: Sheets with many rows load in chunks. Scroll down to load more data; a loading indicator may appear at the bottom.
• Charts: Simple previews are shown; some chart types or data may not render fully on Android.
• Images: Sheet images appear when the sheet is fully loaded.
• Formulas: Complex Excel features may not match desktop Excel exactly.
• Help in the app: Welcome screen → Help, or the URL configured in the app.