Want to download spreadsheets directly to Excel NOT numbers [2026 Reprise]

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Level 1

20 points

Want to download spreadsheets directly to Excel NOT numbers [2026 Reprise]

this seems to come up every couple years and it's SO frustrating...I download a spreadsheet file from my bank [it offers several Quicken formats and then an "excel/CSV" which I use) and then when I open the .csv file Numbers app automatically opens on my MacBook Air (now running Tahoe 26.5 and numbers 15.2, which even more annoyingly is now part of an "Apple Creator Suite"). Numbers then formats the information in a way I don't find useful. I just want a download to excel (vn 16.108 resident on my laptop) is that so wrong?

I've looked back at previous question/answers and they say to open the csv and look for "open with" and then set that to "open all" (with excel, presumably). But this Numbers has no "open all with" option that I can find.

Unfortunately I can't screenshot the "File" dropdown menu so I'll just copy down the options I get (from Numbers): New, Open, Open Recent, Close, Save, Duplicate, Rename, Move to, Revert to, Share, Export to - the last one will export the csv file to Excel, but there's no "export all to"...ie I end up with a saved "csv" and then an oddly formatted ".xslx" file which is one more file than I want on my hard drive. Confusing.

HELP?!?!

Thank you Community!

Posted on May 28, 2026 1:15 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Phil0124

Community+ 2026

Level 10

228,010 points

May 28, 2026 1:26 PM in response to Patty60302

The Open With option should be directly on the file in Finder, not in Numbers.

Right click, control+click or 2 finger click on the CSV file in Finder, and choose Open With from the menu that appears. Scroll down to Other and find Excel in the list of Apps. Make sure you check the "Always Open With" checkbox under the list of files to change the association of CSV files form Numbers to Excel, so all future CSV files open with Excel.

Once that is done, you should be able to just double click on a CSV file and have it automatically open in Excel.

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Answer 2

May 29, 2026 4:14 AM in response to Patty60302

If you want ALL csv files to open in Excel by default, then it's easy!

Select ONE csv file in File, and press Command-I (or control-click and choose Get Info).

The Info window opens, and it has a section Open With:

From the popup menu (where it shows Numbers, as in the image above), select Excel

And THEN click the "Change All..." button.

DONE. Forever more, you can just double-click any .csv file, new or old, and it will open in Excel.

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Answer 3

Niel

Community+ 2026

Level 10

747,661 points

May 28, 2026 1:17 PM in response to Patty60302

That option is in the Finder, not Numbers. Control-click or select it there.

(263972)

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