Collaborate with others on a spreadsheet in Numbers

If your spreadsheet is saved to iCloud Drive, you can collaborate on it with others by sending them a link that opens the spreadsheet in a supported web browser on a Mac or Windows computer (on supported mobile devices it can be viewed but not edited). As you and your collaborators edit the spreadsheet on the web, everyone sees the changes in real time. Changes to the spreadsheet are saved in iCloud, so everyone with access to the spreadsheet sees the latest version whenever they open it.

As the owner of the spreadsheet, you can change who has permission to view and edit it, send the spreadsheet link to additional people, or add or remove a password at any time.

Invite others to collaborate

To share a spreadsheet with collaborators, you first need to upgrade your iCloud account to use iCloud Drive and set up Numbers to use iCloud Drive.

Important: The spreadsheet name is visible in the spreadsheet link. If the title or content of the spreadsheet is confidential, be sure to ask recipients not to forward the link to anyone else. If you don’t protect the spreadsheet with a password, anyone who knows the link can open it.

Do one of the following:
- If the spreadsheet is open: Tap , then tap Share Link via iCloud.
- If the spreadsheet is closed: In the spreadsheet manager, tap , tap Share Link via iCloud, then tap the spreadsheet you want to share.
Tap a Permissions option to set what recipients can do:
- Allow Editing: Recipients can make changes to the spreadsheet on the web, and print and download the spreadsheet.
- View Only: Recipients can view the spreadsheet on the web, and print and download the spreadsheet, but they can’t make changes to it.
To require a password to open the spreadsheet, tap Add Password, type the requested information, then tap Done.
If the spreadsheet already has a password, you don’t need to add a new one now. Just give the existing password to your recipients. To change the password, tap Change Password.
For greater security, don’t send the password with the shared link. For example, send a separate email that includes only the password.
Tap Share.
Important: The spreadsheet is now shared, and anyone who knows its URL (link)—regardless of whether you’re the one who sent it—can access the spreadsheet. When others open it, your iCloud account name is visible in the collaborator list.
Tap the method you want to use to send the link, then enter the requested information and send or post the link.
To send the link using a service like Twitter, you must first set up that account in Settings on your device. If you want to use a service that’s not listed, you can copy and paste the link into that service.
The full link appears in the body of the email, tweet, or post—be sure not to delete or modify the link.
Tap Done to return to the spreadsheet.

When recipients click the link, the spreadsheet opens in Numbers for iCloud in a web browser. They don’t need an iCloud account to view or edit the spreadsheet. However, if the recipient taps the link on an iOS or Android device, they can view the spreadsheet in a browser, but they can’t edit it.

When the spreadsheet is shared, the Share button in the toolbar is green .

In the spreadsheet manager, a green shared symbol appears in the corner of the shared spreadsheet; you can tap the corner to view or change the spreadsheet’s share settings.

A spreadsheet thumbnail in the spreadsheet manager with a colored marker in the top-right corner that indicates it's being shared

View or edit settings for a spreadsheet you shared with others

You can change the permissions for a spreadsheet you shared, send the spreadsheet link again, copy and paste the link, invite more collaborators, and add or remove a password at any time.

In the open spreadsheet, tap , then tap View Share Settings.
If the spreadsheet is closed, in the spreadsheet manager, tap the green shared symbol in the corner of the spreadsheet thumbnail.
Do any of the following:
- Change permissions: Tap Permissions, then tap View Only or Allow Editing. If others have the spreadsheet open on the web when you change this setting, they see an alert. When they dismiss the alert, the new setting takes effect.
- Add or change the password: Tap Add Password or Change Password, then type a password or change the existing password. If you add or change a password, collaborators lose access to the spreadsheet until you notify them of the new password.
  Important: If you add a password after sharing a spreadsheet, versions of the spreadsheet before the password was added can be viewed or restored by collaborators. To prevent this, stop sharing the spreadsheet, set a password, then share the spreadsheet again. See View, copy, and restore an earlier version of a spreadsheet for more information.
- Remove the password: Tap Change Password, type the password in the Old Password field, then turn off Require Password.
- Send the link again: Tap Share Link, then choose how you want to send it. (For additional options, tap More, then turn on a service to make it an available option.) Enter the requested information, then tap Send.
- Copy and paste the spreadsheet link: Tap the link, tap Copy Link, then tap Done. Tap where you want to paste the link—like a social networking site or in a chat—then tap Paste.
- Stop sharing: Tap Stop Sharing. If others have the spreadsheet open on the web when you turn off sharing, they see an alert. When they dismiss the alert, the spreadsheet closes. The spreadsheet retains its link, so if you turn sharing back on, the link becomes active again.
  If you’re the owner of the shared spreadsheet and you move the spreadsheet to another location, the link is broken and collaborators lose access to the spreadsheet.