Office Primer: 5 tips to use Excel like a pro on Lumia

Number crunching doesn’t need to be reserved for a PC or laptop. It can also be done on your Lumia while on the go.

Every Windows Phone device comes preloaded with Office, found in the apps list on your smartphone. The documents of which are synced automatically across all your other Windows devices, such as a PC, tablet, and other smartphones.

These useful Excel tips will free you from your desk.

Create or edit Excel spreadsheets

If an Excel spreadsheet is attached to an email sitting in your inbox, simply selecting the attachment will download the file and launch Office Mobile. Once the spreadsheet is open, you’re free to make any edits, save, and re-share.

But if the file is saved elsewhere, open the Office app first and find it in your Office 365, OneDrive account, or SharePoint site.

To create a new Excel spreadsheet, swipe to the Recent page of the Office app and select one of the templates or create a new blank document from the New (+ icon).

Adding up numbers

Excel is exceptionally good at doing the math for you, and when you have line after line of different sums with decimal points that’s a really useful tool to have.

Make use of the Autosum feature by tapping on the first cell containing numbers and dragging the corner points to include all the cells you require.

Then, tap the Autosum (∑) icon where you’ll not only see the summation of those cells, but also the average, maximum, minimum, and count figures.

Sorting numbers

Rather than have a jumble of figures on your spreadsheet, you may want them in descending or ascending order.

Highlight the first cell and drag the box to envelop all the numbers. You’ll see the ascending and descending options within the Sort (⇅) feature.

Adding comments

Adding comments to your Excel documents can be a useful way to remind yourself of something, or to relay information to another person if you’re working collaboratively.

To add a comment, select the cell, tap the ellipsis (…) icon, and then select Comment. Use the text entry box to type in your comment, where your name is also shown so you know who added it.

Turning numbers into charts

While numbers alone are extremely useful, having a graph to look at can be a much easier way for people to see trends and results.

Highlight the numbers you wish to include in your graph and select the Chart icon to create a column, line, pie, bar, area, or (xy) scatter graph.

Graphs are then separated into separate “chart sheets” which can be found by pressing the Sheets icon. It’s here you can switch between any of your sheets.

Once you’ve edited or created your Excel spreadsheet, tapping the back arrow will prompt you to save the file for when you need it later–or you can share it with your colleagues.

Have you used Excel on your Lumia? What are you using it for?