What is a .numbers file?
Apple Numbers Spreadsheet · Document · Apple · 2007
A .numbers file is a spreadsheet from Apple's Numbers app, part of the free iWork suite. It is a package format that opens on Mac, iPad, iPhone and iCloud, but not natively on Windows.
What is a .numbers file used for?
Numbers takes a free-form canvas approach to spreadsheets, with multiple tables and charts on one sheet. The .numbers file bundles all of that as a package.
As with Pages, Windows users open it through iCloud in a browser or ask for an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV export.
What opens a .numbers file?
The .numbers format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- iCloud Numbers (web)
- convert to XLSX first
macOS
- Apple Numbers
- Preview (quick look)
Linux
- iCloud Numbers (web)
Web
- iCloud.com Numbers
Open a .numbers file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .numbers. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with iCloud Numbers (web) or convert to XLSX first.
- On Mac, use Apple Numbers or Preview (quick look).
- On Linux, try iCloud Numbers (web).
- Still stuck? Convert the .numbers to xlsx, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .numbers file?
Almost always because no installed app understands Numbers. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .numbers at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .numbers file
You can convert a .numbers file to xlsx, csv, pdf using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
What is the .numbers file signature (magic bytes)?
A .numbers file starts with the hex bytes 50 4B 03 04, which read as PK.. in ASCII. Programs identify Numbers by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for Numbers. For a full breakdown, see the ZIP file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 4B 03 04 | 0 | PK.. | ZIP package (PK..) |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .numbers file?
A .numbers file is a spreadsheet from Apple's Numbers app, part of the free iWork suite. It is a package format that opens on Mac, iPad, iPhone and iCloud, but not natively on Windows.
How do I open a .numbers file on Windows?
Use iCloud.com Numbers in a browser, or ask the sender to export it as Excel (.xlsx) or CSV, which Windows spreadsheet apps open.
Can Excel open a .numbers file?
Not directly. Export it from Numbers to .xlsx first, then Excel opens it.
What app makes .numbers files?
Apple Numbers, the free spreadsheet app on Mac, iPad and iPhone and on iCloud.com.
Related formats
Sources
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