If I download an Excel file in the xlsx format, Numbers opens it just fine. If the file is in the xls format it opens in Numbers like this:
<HTML xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel">
<head>
<style>
<!--
table
{
mso-displayed-decimal-separator:"\.";
mso-displayed-thousand-separator:"\,";
Is there something I need to do to be able to use .xls files?
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15
Downloaded from the web? Excel has quite a few different formats and too often companies/websites tack the "xls" extension onto excel files that are not actually in xls format. This one looks to be html. Numbers won't open Excel html files.
I do not have any of the free Office clones (LibreOffice, OpenOffice) or use Google Sheets nor do I know if they will import an Excel htm file. If one does, you could use get one of them and mess with your file there or export it from there to a true xlsx file to then import into Numbers.
For a really simple file that is data only (no formulas) and you are not all that concerned about text and cell formatting being correct, you might be able to open the file in Safari (drag and drop the file into a Safari window), select the table (Command A to select all), Copy, then Paste into a sheet in Numbers. It should create a table in Numbers.
Downloaded from the web? Excel has quite a few different formats and too often companies/websites tack the "xls" extension onto excel files that are not actually in xls format. This one looks to be html. Numbers won't open Excel html files.
I do not have any of the free Office clones (LibreOffice, OpenOffice) or use Google Sheets nor do I know if they will import an Excel htm file. If one does, you could use get one of them and mess with your file there or export it from there to a true xlsx file to then import into Numbers.
For a really simple file that is data only (no formulas) and you are not all that concerned about text and cell formatting being correct, you might be able to open the file in Safari (drag and drop the file into a Safari window), select the table (Command A to select all), Copy, then Paste into a sheet in Numbers. It should create a table in Numbers.
Numbers
