Can't email a Numbers file

Question

Can't email a Numbers file

I'm trying to ween myself off Microsoft Office and use iWork more...but besides the usual formatting issues that iWork apps don't support, I've just encountered another problem I can't seem to work around. If I try to email a Numbers spreadsheet (in the clear or zipped) both Gmail and iCloud mail reject it as being an executable.

Come on, Apple...it's four columns and 30 rows of pure text and numbers...nothing at all executable. And the same spreadsheet in Excel will attach and send just fine in both email services. Does Numbers somehow mark all spreadsheets as executables? If so...I can't use it. Thanks for any help.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Dec 11, 2013 11:40 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Dec 11, 2013 4:55 PM in response to Jerrold Green1

Tried that earlier...doesn't work. In the latest version of Numbers there is no option for "Send a Copy". But if you click on SHARE you do get that same dialog option, but Email is not an option...only Air Drop and Messages. Thus far I've tried five different email methods and none work.

I finally just put the file into Dropbox and sent the person a link to it. Pretty sad that Microsoft Office Excel files don't act like this. I'm going to hate to add that bloated beast back onto my Mac, but I may have to :-(

Reply

Answer 2

Dec 11, 2013 2:48 PM in response to Larry McJunkin

Apple Mail can be used to email a Numbers document. You can see the option here...

If you choose Email, you get this dialog...

It all works fine with Apple Mail. Gmail doesn't like the file package format and there's nothing we can do about that. Mailing a link to a document stored in iCloud also works, but there have been reports of corruption when opening in iCloud Numbers, so I would avoid that. Just download the file and open in Numbers for Mac.

Jerry

Reply

Answer 3

Dec 11, 2013 7:54 PM in response to Larry McJunkin

This is silly. The other night I tried to email a Numbers file (very small) to myself and was told it was a security risk and wouldn't be sent. It did send from my icloud address to my icloud address. This version of Pages and Numbers is useless. This is the first time in all my years using Apple products that I have been completely disappointed.

Reply

Answer 4

Petan

Level 1

15 points

Dec 12, 2013 1:37 AM in response to Larry McJunkin

only the way is to convert the document to numbers 09...it works...

Reply

Answer 5

Dec 12, 2013 5:10 AM in response to Petan

Even if it works by converting it to a Numbers 09 file...I'm still going to have to revert to Micrososft Office for Mac and use Excel so I can send the files via Gmail. I can't believe Apple makes an innocuous spreadsheet appear as an executable file. If it had macros in it I would understand...but it does not. Apple is doing little to win their various wars between they and Microsoft :-(

Reply

Answer 6

Petan

Level 1

15 points

Dec 12, 2013 5:36 AM in response to Larry McJunkin

should be possible to send it ( numbers 09 file ) via gmail...I can confirm it works...

Reply

Answer 7

Dec 12, 2013 6:33 AM in response to Petan

Thanks, Petan. I hate having to convert anything I'm working on to a Numbers 09 file, but I suppose there is little difference. It's still better than having to go back to MS Office. Apple really does need to fix these things.

Reply

Answer 8

Dec 12, 2013 7:07 AM in response to Larry McJunkin

Chech to see what's not converted properly when you go back to version 09. For instance a Table of Contents becomes just a page when converted. It's no longer changeable like it was. Some formulas also don't revert properly also. Use care depending on this.

Reply

Answer 9

Dec 12, 2013 7:45 AM in response to George Chapman

George,

You must have used Gmail, no?

Jerry

Reply

Answer 10

Dec 12, 2013 8:24 AM in response to Jerrold Green1

Yes All three of my accounts are Gmail which will not play with Numbers 3. iCloud will work. I'm being Very careful not to use the new version for anything I will need on my older laptop plus both Pages and Numbers V3. are not full word processors or SS. They are very bad even for a user with simple needs like me.

Reply

Answer 11

Dec 12, 2013 7:47 PM in response to George Chapman

George, this wasn't even a true spreadsheet...only used as a table of cells to contain four columns and 30 rows of text and numbers. No math, no computations...only information presented so it could be printed out as a PDF file when needed.

Reply

Answer 12

SGIII

Level 8

35,258 points

Dec 13, 2013 7:40 AM in response to Larry McJunkin

This thread is puzzling. Exporting a Numbers 3 document to "Numbers '09" and attaching to a Gmail of course works. But that doesn't seem to be a good solution when a Numbers 3 document can easily be sent as an attachment to iCloud email without converting, and when a link to it can be sent by any email, incuding Gmail.

Also if a link is sent, I don't think it is even possible to follow advice here to avoid "opening" the document in Numbers for iCloud beta. Opening it is what happens when the recipient clicks the link. After opening the document by clicking the link, the recipient can then download the document via the Tools menu. The document can also be edited in a browser, though major restructuring is best done a Mac or in iOS. I'm not sure there is much reason to remain extremely cautious about using iCloud with Numbers 3, as was the case with Numbers 2. iCloud is deeply integrated into Numbers 3, and, in my experience, now works well.

SG

Reply

Answer 13

Dec 13, 2013 7:48 AM in response to SGIII

SGIII...not true. I tried sending the Numbers 3 document to my Gmail address using my iCloud.com email and it DID NOT work. My Gmail account apparently rejected it and it ended up returned to my iCloud.com account inbox. So while it may work sending from one iCloud account to another, it won't work when sending to any of the 750 million Gmail users, so it's useless.

Also, I tried sending the Numbers 3 file to another standard IMAP email account I have and it, too, was returned to the iClould.com inbox. So, maybe it's not working in iCloud mail, either.

Reply

Answer 14

Dec 13, 2013 7:53 AM in response to SGIII

I think you're missing part of the point. For example I have a file with a table of contents, if I open it with V 3, and want to use it on my MacBook which must run Lion, I can't. If I convert it to Pages 9, the table of contents is no longer relational. Yes I can send by icloud but I'm not sure everyone can get email from icloud. This whole thing is the first time in thhe 20+ years I've used Apple and Mac products that such a mess has been released. The sad thing from what I read is that the software people don't know how to fix it. I waited almost 6 months to use ML but jumped on this OS. I'm sorry I did. This problem and the email problem which I still don't have right make me regret downloading this OS. I will not do it again.

Reply

Answer 15

Dec 13, 2013 7:55 AM in response to Larry McJunkin

Didn't read this before sending my last commment, but this happened to me also. Had to send from icloud to icloud and not everyone has icloud.

Reply