I am receiving the error message: Decryption failed(null) when attempting to open a password protected Excel document on iPhone and iPad after update to ios 14.2
iPhone 11, iOS 14
Interim Success
Ok, I've found an interim solution though I still believe Apple has an issue since I have read that 14.1 does not have this problem but at least this works for now.. .. and don't believe that the issue lies with Dropbox, Synology DS File, Microsoft, etc, the issue is with Apple and they need to fix what they broke.
I took the Excel password protected file that I could not open directly from with the Apple Mail app on my iPhone 12 running iOS 14.2 (the same exact file worked fine in 13.6) and instead of opening it, I long pressed it in Mail until I got a pop up menu with choices. I like choices :-) I chose to Save that file in the Apple "Files" app on my phone. The File app comes standard with iOS. I then opened the Files app and tapped the password protected Excel file I just put there, it prompted for a password, I entered it and it opened just fine.
However, in order to get success, you first have to go to the Apple App store and download the free "Microsoft Office app for iOS", (see pic). Once downloaded to your phone you do not need to sign in to it or even have it open, just the fact that its on the same device as the file you want to open does the trick. The Excel file opened it in Excel.
I will assume this same procedure will work for Word and Powerpoint but haven't tried it yet.
So until Apple fixes the issue, there is another way to open a password protected Microsoft Office file on an iOS device running iOS 14.2
iPhone > Setting > iPhone Storage
Delete the Excel App from there.
It works for me. Just installed 14.4 and gave it a go and walla magic happened.
Sure took Apple awhile to figure out.
This is not solved. I believe those who say it is are referring to a work around where you have to download the Microsoft Office app to your device(s). Only Apple is going to be able to solve this with a subsequent iOS update. Read my posts to find out how the work around works, its free and works well but its still a band-aid.
ChuckM47 - you are a life saver! I have a file that I do not want to save to my device - so I did not like the other work around suggestions. I saved my Excel file as a PDF, added a password and uploaded it to my secure server. I was able to log on to that and open the protected PDF from my iPhone running 14.2. THANK YOU!
I used my Mac to open my encrypted files, saved them as older versions of Word, eg doc (2004) instead of docx & then I was able to open all my encrypted files not only on my Mac but also on my iPhone X (iOS 14.3) again.
Upgrading worked. Thank you.
Before I lost the capability to open a password protected Excel document, I was running 14.1. AFTER I updated to 14.2, I lost that capability. Then on a whim, on the advice of someone in this community ( maybe you?- I can’t remember) I installed the Excel app from the App Store. Initially I still could not open pw protected Excel docs. Then a day or 2 passed and all of a sudden I can now open those same pw protected documents. I have no idea why, I’m just glad it’s working again.
skhatri25, I think you are going to have to describe, step by step, exactly how you are doing it when it fails because plenty of others have successfully opened password protected MS files via the steps posted in this thread. For it not to work for you, I interpret as you are doing something differently. Also pls tell us which iPhone or iPad you have and what its iOS is. Pls do not leave out any steps.
Here is what has worked for me.. .. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252022256?login=true&page=2
Try it
Have been in IT as well. The errormessage suggests that the file argument is not (correctly) passed to the decryption method. If that’s so it is just unbelievable that this error could slip through all the levels of testing. My advice to Apple, correct this error asap and check out how this could get into the new release. I feel vicariously ashamed for my fellow developers!
I don't think you understand how Apple updates work. The reason you are now able to open a password protected Microsoft file is because you installed Microsoft Office apps on your phone. So when you click on the password protected file now, Microsoft Office which now lives on your phone, is doing the decryption, not anything related to Apple. The 14.2 Apple issue still exists and will continue to exist until Apple releases a solution in a subsequent iOS and you install it.
You didn't say what iOS you had on your phone before you downloaded Microsoft Office and you didn't say what iOS you have on it now but my guess is they're one and the same...14.2 The only way we are going to know if Apple fixes the issue is to wait for another iOS update (14.2.1 or .2 or .3 or 14.3 or?), then delete the Microsoft Office app and try to open an encrypted Microsoft file. If it still doesn't work, then we will have to reinstall the Microsoft Office app. Once the files open without having Microsoft Office on your phone, then we will know Apple fixed the issue.
Sound reasonable?
FYI.. .. I just installed 14.2.1 on my phone and that did not fix it. The version notes did not mention this issue so I didn't have my hopes up too high. We'll have to keep waiting for a native Apple fix.
The reason this is working is because Apple did a fix. I was the first one to update here and report it mysteriously got fixed with no notification of an update. I tried resending to my email my password protected spreadsheet and while I was doing that it suddenly started working on the newly sent one and on the previous one. I didn’t install anything and don’t have excel on my iPhone.
Error message: Decryption failed(null) when attempting to open an Excel document on iPad
