Error message: Decryption failed(null) when attempting to open an Excel document on iPad

I too have just updated to IOS 14.2 today, 20th Nov 2020 and have exactly the same problem.

This is really quite appalling.

Surely only minimum of testing/checking on a new build would have shown this issue. It is pretty basic to say the least.

Do Apple actually do any build testing at all, or just leave it to Joe Public to discover and report them all?

I am very disgruntled by this!

My file/s also now open directly from email.

it does seem that this has been fixed.

very nice of Apple not to let us all know! 😬😬

seems to me they are trying to keep it as low key and quiet as possible and hoping that many people will maybe not have tried to open any password protected files and will therefore never know this happened.

it’s Just garbage customer relations.

What file type (extension) are you referring to?

What iOS were you running when you could not open a password protected file?

Since you are now saying you can open a password protected file, what iOS does your device say you are running now?

Do you have automatic updates turned on?

This is so frustrating, but reassuring to know it wasn't a corrupt file on my end. I loved being able to open an encrypted Excel spreadsheet without having to open Excel on my phone. Now it's just an extra annoying step. Hope it's resolved soon

Some commenters have reported this is now fixed, but it just failed on my iPad Air 4 after the recent iOS 14.2 update. Hope it is fixed soon. Perplexed it could be working for some but not all. Works on my iPhone, but have not updated that to 14.2 yet.

1. Yes I have read the entire thread. I usually do if I am looking for a solution.
2. Not interested in a workaround. If you read my post you should know that I am able to access the file via other devices already so a workaround that requires installing apps I don't really need or want is not necessary.

Thanks for your input..

Thanks; I don't need Excel or PowerPoint access, so the Word App worked for me to open encrypted files. But I'll repeat to APPLE: this is inexcusable. You've built a cloud-based system where someone who has an important, password protected document needs to have access to the document on their "smart" phone. Spend a little less time on bells, whistles, and gender-neutral emoticons and a bit more time on things that actually have serious consequences in real life.

in fact, another iPhone 6s 2016, although updated to the latest version of iOS, has never lost the opening functionality of the encrypted EXCEL files. In fact, I used it to work for the last 6/7 days. I repeat, I found the problems in my new Iphone SE

I have no MS Office software on my Apple phone but I’ver never had reading issues on encrypted files in the past ready from iCloud. BTW, I used MS Sync-sort to copy my encrypted files from my IBM PC to the iCloud and then read on my iPhone. I’ve also sent same encrypted file to phone as email attachment with identical issue,

I’m still getting the message decryption failed (null) when I attempt to open an attachment, Word document, that requires a password. I have been able to open this document for years on both my iPhone and my iPad but now i can’t. I spoke with Apple today and they seem to think it’s somehow not their issue. Very frustrating!

After upgrading to iOS 14.2 I was getting the error “Decryption Failed” and the word “Null” below it when I tried to open my password protected excel file attached to an email.

The next day I tried again. Same result initially. But then about an hour later, I tried it again and it opened and I’ve opened it several times since.

I received no notification from Apple of any fix or upgrade.

Very strange.

I use the standard email for IPad. I password protected on my windows PC on a standalone license for office. I send the excel spreadsheet to my icloud email on the IPad. I download it and it asks for a password. I have been doing this for years and up until 14.2 it worked. So really the questions begs did Apple have a check off sheet list that lists all the things that need to be tested before sending out an upgrade

I think not which is really the issue

Well bummer. I had deleted the gmail with the pass word protected excel file that I was able to open with iOS 14.2 so I resent it to myself just now.

and once again I cannot open it like everyone else!

boo hoo Apple!

Ugh... :-) what happens if you go into your deleted folder, find that email and try to open the Excel file?

Thanks for all your answers, I am wondering if your phone stored the password and allowed that file to open without going through the same process as it would if you had to type the password in and that is why it worked for you. I can shoot holes in that theory but just trying to figure it out. May be a moot point now though if that email is deleted and you cannot get it back. Now you are in our sinking boat! :-0 By rights, it should not have worked so am still thinking about it.