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

After reading the replies on here, I decided to download yet another app, (Microsoft Office). Am I just dense today? Because the Excel document I want from my desktop that is password protected isn't in the app. Yes, I've logged in. I'm going to assume it's because the document hasn't been flung up to the cloud, but if I've logged in, it seems like it would be.

Can anyone give me a dumbed-down instruction on what to do? Thanks.

eliciafromnashville, need some clarification on what you mean when you say "Because the Excel document I want from my desktop that is password protected isn't in the app" and you logged into what? I you read my blurb I posted just before yours, which one of my steps did you take? I have not signed into any cloud to do what I did. So come back with more info and I'll try to help you. What phone do you have? What iOS do you have? What computer do you have? Which method did you try?

Thanks, but I don't have a Mac. What I mean is - currently, on my Windows desktop I have an Excel file w/ a password. I have in the past been able to email it to myself and open it from my iPhone 11. Suddenly, I can't....as others have indicated.....

So I downloaded Microsoft Office app (suggested here) but then what? I've logged in to the Office app. But the Excel and Word docs on my desktop aren't syncing, if you will, with the app.

I assumed that was the benefit of downloading the Office app. Otherwise, what was the point in doing that? I'm still unable to open the Excel doc that is pw protected.

Ok, step by step. First, I have the Microsoft Office App downloaded. I open it. It's already logged in and I see my name (initials) in the left corner on the Home screen, where it defaults.

Secondly, I click on the + sign in the middle. This gives me 3 options: Notes, Lens and Word, Excel, Powerpoint (the latter being one option).

I click on Word/Excel/PP. In the middle is Excel. There are 3 choices, but they are all if you want to set up from the beginning (because of the +, of course.)

I go back to the Home screen and choose the option called "Actions"

There are these choices: Share files, Convert text in images, do more with PDFs, More actions.

None of these will allow me to open the Excel document that I have on my desktop.

I don't know how to get the one from my desktop to this app.

All I want to do is email a password-protected Excel document to my email and downloading this app was what others have done and they say it works for them.

Clearly, I'm missing some big step in between.

Thanks.

Felicia

I assume you save it to files on your desktop. (I'm not about to recreate that whole gigantic file in the app.)

Then you said you go to files and click on it and it opens in Office. How do you get it from the file you saved on your desktop to the app on your iPhone/iPad?

When I long press, I get these choices: Quick look, save to files, share, copy.

When I choose save to fiiles, I have many options, but the main categories are "on my iPhone" "Icloud drive". Under "On my iphone" I have several choices, but the only ones that are even close to logical are Excel, Office, Pages.

If I choose "Excel", for example, then I open the Excel app, it's nowhere in there.

If I choose "Office", open Office "recent docs will appear here" shows up, but no docs. No matter where I go in these apps, that blasted file isn't there.

Thanking you in advance..........

feliciafromnashville, maybe this will help, you are in the right area and doing the right things but you know how minimalist Apple leaves a bit to figure out on your own :-) Here are four screenshots on my iPhone, do them in number sequence, should work.

Well, sometimes I just get lucky! :-) I guess its still true what they say....a pic is worth 1,000 words. Glad it worked out for you and thanks for the compliment...I'm happy to help and hope my pic helps others who are struggling with this. Don't hate Apple :-0

I am having this same error when trying to open a password protected .xlsx file. I see this goes back to November 2020. What is going on? Is there or isn't there a fix or update that corrects this issue. This is crazy!

Excel wont help in my case as the Drive App from Synology open the Excel File within the App and there is no option to export or transfer to Excel on iOS. I can only say it has worked in the past but with latest and previous iOS it is no longer possible to open password protected Excel Files. Apple please fix this.

I have the same issue. I use dropbox to sync a spreadsheet between my windows laptop and my iphone. When I try to open the file on my iphone, I get Decryption Failed. (null). When is this going to be fixed?

I am a new iPhone user (iPhone 12 Pro), coming from the Android world. I never experienced this problem on my Android phone. Please let me know as soon as the "Decryption failed(null) error is resolved. The only thing that I can do when this happens is to power off and restart the phone.

I did and it works! Thank you for getting this solved and for your patience with our questions and comments. Your initial workaround was a life saver and gave me the option to access the full excel file if needed. So something gained thru the frustration.

With the update it now works! But a weird thing happened on another front. When I went to my car as I was driving, place a phone call (my iPhone is paired with my 2020 Nissan Murano). It showed as ringing on the screen but reverted back to my iPhone. Stopped and restarted the car ensuring the iPhone was paired and ready, same problem. When I got home I deleted the car on the iPhone and the iPhone on the car, turned the car off and on and restarted the pairing. It worked. Just in case somebody found a similar problem.

V/r

Rick

I received many mails of excel files. But I could not open and it says 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