Set Excel as your default spreadsheet program

To make Excel open automatically when you double-click a spreadsheet file on your Mac, you need to change the default app in your file settings. This takes about two minutes and works for .xlsx files, .xls files, and other spreadsheet formats that Excel recognizes.

The process is different from Windows — Mac stores this setting in the file's properties rather than in a system-wide default. You can set Excel as the default for one file at a time, or for all spreadsheet files of a certain type at once.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any Excel file and select "Get Info" to change what app opens it.
  • Click "Change All" in the Get Info window to set Excel as the default for all files of that type.
  • If you have both Excel and Numbers installed, Excel will not automatically become the default — you must set it manually.
  • The setting applies to the file format you chose, so .xlsx and .xls may need separate changes if you work with both.

Change the default app for a single file

Start by finding any Excel spreadsheet on your Mac. Right-click the file and select "Get Info" from the menu that appears. A window will open showing details about that file.

Look for the section labeled "Open with:" — you will see the app that currently opens this file. Click the dropdown menu next to it and scroll to find Microsoft Excel. If Excel does not appear in the list, click "Other" at the bottom of the dropdown, navigate to your Applications folder, and select Microsoft Excel from there.

Once you have selected Excel, the file will now open with Excel when you double-click it. However, this change applies only to that one file. If you want all spreadsheets to open with Excel, follow the next section instead.

Set Excel as the default for all spreadsheet files

Right-click any Excel file and open Get Info again. In the "Open with:" section, select Microsoft Excel from the dropdown. This time, instead of closing the window, look for a button labeled "Change All" — it appears to the right of the dropdown menu.

Click "Change All" and a confirmation dialog will appear asking if you want to change all files of this type to open with Excel. Click "Continue" to confirm. From now on, all files with the same format (.xlsx, .xls, or whatever format that file was) will open with Excel by default.

If you work with multiple spreadsheet formats, you may need to repeat this step for each one. For example, if you have both .xlsx and .xls files, set the default separately for each format to be sure.

What to do if Excel does not appear in the dropdown

If you click the "Open with:" dropdown and Microsoft Excel is not listed, your Mac may not recognize Excel as an app that can open spreadsheets, or Excel may not be installed. Click "Other" at the bottom of the dropdown menu.

A file browser window will open. Navigate to Applications (you can press Command+Shift+A as a shortcut), then look for Microsoft Excel in the list. Click it once to select it, then click "Open." Excel will now appear in the dropdown for future use.

If you do not see Microsoft Excel in your Applications folder at all, Excel is not installed on your Mac. You can download it from Microsoft's website or through the Mac App Store if you have a subscription.

Why Numbers might be opening your files instead

If your spreadsheets keep opening in Numbers (Apple's spreadsheet app) instead of Excel, it is because Numbers is currently set as the default. This happens on some Macs because Numbers comes built in with macOS.

Follow the same steps above — right-click a spreadsheet, select Get Info, change the "Open with:" dropdown to Microsoft Excel, and click "Change All." This will override Numbers and make Excel the default going forward.

If you ever want to switch back to Numbers, you can repeat the same process and select Numbers from the dropdown instead.

Changing the default for files you receive from others

When someone sends you a spreadsheet file, it may have been created in Numbers, Google Sheets, or another program. The file itself does not carry information about which app should open it on your Mac — that setting lives on your computer only.

If a file someone sent you opens in the wrong app, use Get Info to change it to Excel. If you want all future files of that format to open with Excel, click "Change All" as described above. This will not affect the original file on the sender's computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the default affect files on other computers?

No. The default app setting is stored on your Mac only. If you send an Excel file to someone else, their Mac will use whatever default they have set, not yours.

Can I set different defaults for .xlsx and .xls files?

Yes. Each file format can have its own default app. Right-click a .xlsx file, set Excel as the default, click "Change All", then repeat the process separately for a .xls file if you need to.

What if I want to open a file in a different app just one time?

Right-click the file and select "Open With" instead of "Get Info." A submenu will show all apps that can open that file. Click the app you want to use this time — it will not change the default.

Does this work for files in iCloud Drive or OneDrive?

Yes. The default app setting applies to files wherever they are stored on your Mac, including cloud storage folders. The process is the same.

Why does my Mac keep asking which app to use?

This usually means no default has been set for that file format. Use Get Info, select Excel, click "Change All", and confirm. After that, the file will open with Excel automatically without asking.