Make Sheets default app for xlsx files

[Royce Fickling]

I have Google Sheets installed on my Samsung Note 9. I want to be able to click on a xlsx file and have it open in Sheets. Currently, I am confronted with the Play Store to install Microsoft Excel which I do not want.

How can I make Sheets my default app for xslsx files?

 

[mikedt]

It should be able to do that, I think. Have a look in Settings under Default Apps.

This is on a Huawei, which gives a choice of apps that can open Excel spreadsheet files, including Sheets.

 

[Royce Fickling]

Yes, I looked at that setting, but I am not allowed to set a file type to be opened.

 

[mikedt]

This is on a Galaxy S7 that I've got here, but Note9 should be similar.
In Default Apps, set it to "Ask before....", and then in the My Files it should give you a choice or to always open a particular file type with your desired app.

Like this..and if Sheets was installed on this phone it would appear here
JUST ONCE or ALWAYS

 

[Hadron]

I just checked by installing Sheets on my Pixel and clicking on a spreadsheet, and it offered that same "which app" dialogue. So Sheets is capable of handling that intent.

Why this isn't working correctly on that Note 9 I don't know, unfortunately.

Android doesn't have a place where you can see and alter default apps for different file types. The mechanism above (where you open a file and it asks you which app to use) is the way you set defaults. So it's very strange that your phone seems to think the default is an app that's not installed (uninstalling a default app does clear the default, just for the record). It feels like you have something set as the default handler for xlsx files and that thing is telling you you need to install Excel. Do you have any other "office" type apps installed? If you do install Excel temporarily can you then change the default to Sheets?

 

[Royce Fickling]

Well, I have an answer and it's one that I don't like. After reading your suggestions, it dawned on me that in order to present that choice dialog, there had to be at least two options. So I installed Excel from the Play Store. When I clicked on the file, I got the make a choice dialog. I chose Sheets, Always to open the file. However, thinking that now that the default app for the file was set, I uninstalled Excel. Now I am back at square one where the OS doesn't have a choice to present, so I am sent back to the Play Store to install Excel. This is stupid!

Does it make sense to you guys that I have to keep an app on my phone that I never intend to use?

 

[Royce Fickling]

Final solution: If I make the file local vs. on Google Drive, I don't need to have Excel installed.

 

[mikedt]

Well, I have an answer and it's one that I don't like. After reading your suggestions, it dawned on me that in order to present that choice dialog, there had to be at least two options. So I installed Excel from the Play Store. When I clicked on the file, I got the make a choice dialog. I chose Sheets, Always to open the file. However, thinking that now that the default app for the file was set, I uninstalled Excel. Now I am back at square one where the OS doesn't have a choice to present, so I am sent back to the Play Store to install Excel. This is stupid!

Does it make sense to you guys that I have to keep an app on my phone that I never intend to use?

It doesn't behave like that with my S7, nor my Huawei. Certainly not taken to the Play Store for Excel when opening XLS files.

Has Microsoft partnered with Samsung on the Note9, to try and get users to use their Office apps? Do similar things happen viewing DOC and PPT files, like taken to the Play Store for the Word and PowerPoint apps.