Trying to delete an excel sheet, but it says file can't be deleted. What do I do?

Anonymous
2025-06-05T16:28:05+00:00

This is a close shred excel file and I need to delete it, but excel says it cannot be deleted.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | iOS

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-06-05T16:45:25+00:00

    Hello.

    Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft Community.

    If you're using Excel on iPhone or iPad and you're seeing a message like "File can't be deleted", here are a few steps that you might want to try:

    • Make sure the file isn't open elsewhere. Even if it seems closed, the file might still be open in the background on another device, or synced through OneDrive, so, you can try: Closing Excel completely on all devices. Restarting your iPhone/iPad. Checking if someone else has it open if it's shared file.
    • Check your OneDrive sync status. If the file is stored in OneDrive, it might not be syncing correctly. Go to your OneDrive app, find the file, and try deleting it from there.
    • Confirm permissions. If this is a shared Excel file stored in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business, your permission level might not allow deletion. Try contacting the file owner (if not yours) or checking your access level.
    • Try deleting from another device. Sometimes deleting directly from the desktop version of OneDrive or the Excel web app can help bypass this error.

    Let me know how it goes.

    Best Regards,

    Daniel C.

    Microsoft Community Support

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-06-09T18:36:28+00:00

    Hello again.

    I'm here just to do a quick follow up and ask you if the information I shared was helpful.

    I'll be here if you need further guidance.

    Best Regards,

    Daniel C.

    Microsoft Community Support

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