How to Set Excel as The Default Program For Spreadsheets on A Mac (With Photos)

When you first get a new Mac computer, Apple has all of its apps set as the default program. In most cases, these apps are well suited for what they are made for. However, for spreadsheets, Apple’s default app is called Numbers. And if you have used Numbers, it leaves little to be desired, especially compared to Microsoft Excel.

Luckily it is easy to switch the default Numbers over to Excel. In this article, learn how to set Excel as the default program for spreadsheets on a Mac. Before we get started with the tutorial, let’s compare the pros and cons of both Numbers and Excel.

Should I use Excel or Numbers?

When choosing a spreadsheet program, there are only three main options Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, and Google Sheets. The first two are full-blown programs, and Google Sheets is a web-based program, so we will not include it in this article.

Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel are both excellent spreadsheet programs, but each has a more focused niche that makes them stand out from the others. Excel is perfect for complex statistical analysis and data manipulation. It also has more powerful features for managing large amounts of data. On the other hand, Numbers is better suited for designing beautiful spreadsheets meant for presentations, more than data analysis.

So you may be asking yourself, which program is right for me? If you are looking to use spreadsheets for data analysis and formatting large amounts of information, Excel is the way to go. But if you are looking for a program that has less of a learning curve and creates well-designed spreadsheets, Numbers is the spreadsheet program for you.

How To Set Excel as Default

Before getting started, make sure you have Excel or Microsoft Office installed on your computer. Otherwise, you will not be able to complete this tutorial. You can download a trial or purchase Excel by clicking this link.

1. Open Finder

On your computer, click on the Finder icon on the dock. It is the one app you cannot remove from the dock, so it should be there to the far right or top, depending on how your dock is orientated.

2. Find A Spreadsheet File

Now that you have Finder open locate a spreadsheet file you have saved on your computer. Right-click on this file, then select Get Info from the drop-down menu.

3. Open With

In the Get Info window, you will see the metadata of the file. Next to where it says Open With, click on the arrow to drop down a menu with more information.

4. Choose Microsoft Excel

From here, you will see a list of options that can open spreadsheet files on your computer. If you have already installed Excel, you should see this option in the list. Click on it.

5. Change All

Right now, just that file you have chosen will open in Excel, but to set Exel as the default app, click Change All.

Congratulations, you have set Microsoft Excel as your default spreadsheet program. Now, whenever you open any spreadsheet file on your Mac, it will open in Excel instead of Numbers.

Check out the video below to learn more about changing default programmes.

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The image featured at the top of this post is ©WML Image/Shutterstock.com.