Need to open a Numbers file but you’re on a Windows PC? No problem, you can use iCloud to access, edit, and open Numbers files, even if you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac with an official Numbers app handy.
Today, we live in an era where people own multiple devices that are powered by different operating systems, and work environments are often mixed with Mac, Windows, PC, iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS, Linux, Android, and everything else. So, let’s say you own a MacBook that you use while you’re on the move but own a Windows desktop at your home or office, you’ll often find issues trying to open iWork documents including the ones from Numbers app on your Windows machine. This is because Microsoft Excel is not capable of opening .numbers file and iWork suite isn’t available for Windows.
However, there’s another way to open, edit and manage the spreadsheets that you made on your macOS and iOS devices. Well, if you were scrounging the internet for a proper solution, then look no further. In this article, we’ll be discussing exactly how you can open Numbers files on Windows PC using iCloud.
This is probably the most simple and straightforward way to open iWork documents on your Windows PC, as it doesn’t require the installation of any software. You don’t even have to install the iCloud desktop app for Windows, as we’ll be making use of your web browser instead. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the necessary steps.
- Open any web browser that’s installed on your PC and head over to iCloud.com. Type in your Apple ID details and click on the arrow to log into your iCloud account.
- You’ll be taken to the iCloud homepage. Click on the “Numbers” app that’s located right below Calendar.
- Now, click on the “Upload” icon located at the top of the page, as shown in the screenshot below.
- This action will open a window for you to browse through folders. Select the .numbers file that you want to access and click “Open”.
- Wait for the file to upload, as it will take a few seconds, depending on your internet connection. “”Double-click” the uploaded file to open it on iCloud.
- It’ll take a few seconds to load, but once it’s done, you’ll be able to view and make edits to the Numbers file and store it right on the cloud or download it back to your Windows computer in a supported format like PDF or Excel, if that’s what you prefer.
That’s all you need to do for opening Numbers files on your Windows laptops and desktops.
The Numbers app on iCloud works in a similar fashion to Google Sheets
From now on, you don’t have to worry about iWork compatibility issues when you’re switching between multiple devices, as iCloud.com is not only capable of opening the files, but is also capable of converting documents to widely supported formats. iCloud can also be used to view and edit Microsoft Excel documents, if you find Numbers’ layout more appealing.
Another option is to take action before you transfer iWork files to your Windows machine, by making sure you have a copy of the document in a Windows supported file format to avoid a similar situation. For example, you can export your Numbers spreadsheet as an Excel file right on your MacBook or convert Numbers to Excel on iPhone or iPad, before you even save the document.
It’s not clear why Microsoft hasn’t yet added support for Numbers files to Microsoft Excel, especially considering how Excel spreadsheets can be opened on Numbers just like any other file. But perhaps that feature will arrive down the road.
Numbers is Apple’s answer to Microsoft Excel that’s used to create and manage spreadsheets by a lot of people today, particularly if you’re heavily in the Apple ecosystem. It’s a part of the iWork productivity suite that was introduced by Apple way back in 2007 for Mac OS powered machines like MacBooks, iMacs, etc. and later made its way to iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad in 2010, and of course has evolved and improved ever since to this day. It’s a great application for spreadsheets and it should not be discounted.
Did you open your Numbers spreadsheets on your Windows computer using iCloud? What do you think of this cloud-based solution to access iWork documents? Do you see yourself taking advantage of this functionality in the long run as you switch between multiple devices? Do let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section down below.
