{"id":15218,"date":"2019-06-03T15:02:40","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T15:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rsoftsolution.com\/blog\/use-your-phone-to-turn-a-photo-of-data-into-a-microsoft-excel-spreadsheet-in-a-snap.html"},"modified":"2019-06-03T15:02:40","modified_gmt":"2019-06-03T15:02:40","slug":"use-your-phone-to-turn-a-photo-of-data-into-a-microsoft-excel-spreadsheet-in-a-snap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/use-your-phone-to-turn-a-photo-of-data-into-a-microsoft-excel-spreadsheet-in-a-snap.html","title":{"rendered":"Use your phone to turn a photo of data into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in a snap"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Excel’s Insert Data from Picture in action.<\/p>\n

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Put down the paper and pick up your phone. A Microsoft tool for Android phones and\u00a0iPhones ($1,000 at Amazon<\/a>)<\/span> can convert words and numbers on a sheet of paper into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in a couple of seconds. With Excel’s Insert Data from Picture tool, you can snap a photo of data in rows and columns on a piece of paper, and the iOS<\/a> and Android <\/a>Excel app will automatically convert the image into editable table data. <\/p>\n

The spreadsheet conversion tool sends the image to Excel’s online image-recognition engine to process and convert the words and numbers into a table. During the import, Excel gives you a chance to fix anything before it’s converted. <\/p>\n

Excel for Android and iPhone is part of Microsoft’s collection of Office apps <\/a>for mobile devices that includes Word and PowerPoint. The free versions of the mobile productivity apps gives you basic editing tools. With a Microsoft Office subscription, you can unlock more features, such as the ability to collaborate with colleagues.<\/p>\n

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An Excel spreadsheet, converted from a printed page.<\/p>\n

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To turn phone photos into Excel table data:<\/h2>\n

1.<\/strong> In the Excel app, tap the New button at the top of the app to create a new file. You can choose to create a blank workbook or use one of the templates that come with the app.<\/p>\n

2. <\/strong>At the bottom of the app, tap the Data from Picture button (it’s the 3×3 grid with a camera). If this is your first time using the tool, tap Allow to give Microsoft permission to convert the image to data using Microsoft’s online service.<\/p>\n

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Correcting a printed fantasy football cheatsheet before turning into an Excel spreadsheet.<\/p>\n

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3. <\/strong>Position the red rectangle around the data you want to capture, and then tap the round Capture button. The app is a little finicky about what it does and doesn’t identify as data, so it may take you a few tries to capture what you want.<\/p>\n

4. <\/strong>If you are happy with the captured image, tap the red check button to convert the data. If you’re not, tap the X and start again.<\/p>\n

5. <\/strong>In a preview of the captured data, tap a red-highlighted cell and then tap Edit to enter missing information. Tap Done after each change. You can also tap unhighlighted cells to make corrections or changes.<\/p>\n

6. <\/strong>Once you are happy with the data, tap Insert at the top to place the data in your workbook.<\/p>\n

The data you capture and convert can be numbers and words and can include lists and recipe ingredients. And while the app was remarkably accurate converting data from a piece of paper, we also got it to collect data from a laptop screen. It did struggle with our hand-written data, however.<\/p>\n

The Insert Data from Picture tool for Android and iOS<\/span> can work with 21 languages, including French, German and Spanish, with more languages to come, Microsoft said.<\/p>\n

Sending spreadsheet data to Microsoft for processing can bring up privacy concerns. <\/a>“The privacy and security of Microsoft’s customers’ data are of the utmost importance to the company,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “Intelligence features within Office apps strictly respect the access rights given to a user, and will not expose information to anyone who has not been given access.”<\/p>\n

Originally published May 23. Update, June 3 at 7:34 a.m. PT<\/strong>: Added more detail.<\/p>\n

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Convert a photo of data into a spreadsheet: Microsoft’s new tool for Android phones does this in a snap.<\/p>\n

If your iPhone is lost or stolen, immediately do these things: Commit these tips to memory if the worst befalls your phone.<\/p>\n