You can send a copy of a spreadsheet that recipients can open and modify however they want on their own computers and devices. Their changes don’t affect the original spreadsheet or any other copies of the spreadsheet.
If recipients of the spreadsheet use different software from you, you can choose another format for the copy you’re sending. For example, you can send a copy as a PDF, as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (with a .xlsx and .xls filename extension), or in CSV format.
You can restrict access to a copy by adding a password to it. To prevent anyone else from modifying the spreadsheet, you can lock the spreadsheet.
With the spreadsheet open, choose Share > Send a copy (from the menu at the top of the screen), then choose an option.
Click a format, then specify settings:
Numbers: To restrict access to the copy, select the “Require password to open” checkbox, then enter the requested information.
PDF: Choose an option for page layout. Click the Image Quality pop-menu, then choose an image quality (the higher the image quality, the larger the file size of the exported copy).
Excel: Choose whether to include a summary worksheet with links to all the tables. To restrict access to the copy, select the “Require password to open” checkbox, then enter the requested information. If the file needs to be compatible with an older version of Excel (1997-2004), click Advanced Options, then choose .xls from the pop-up menu.
CSV: Creates a separate file for each worksheet, containing your cell contents as values separated by commas. To choose a text encoding format, click Advanced Options, then choose a format from the pop-up menu.
Note: If you set a password, it protects only the copy, not the original file. If the original file already has a password, it applies to the exported file as well.
Click Next, then provide the requested information (an email address if you’re sending an email, for example).
If you aren’t signed in to your account for the method you chose, you’re asked to sign in before continuing. For AirDrop, the spreadsheet is sent when the recipient accepts it.