Apple Numbers Is the Best Mac App You're Not Using

If you're reluctant to commit to Apple Numbers for spreadsheet purposes, you're probably not alone. But be assured that this is one of the best Mac apps for the job, and it can really boost your productivity. Here is all you need to know.

What Is Apple Numbers?

Designed and maintained by Apple, Numbers, is a free spreadsheet app that lets you create, edit, and collaborate on spreadsheets across your Apple devices. With Numbers, you can do more than what you see at face value: from creating well-organized datasets to using pivot tables to better understand the numbers you are working with.

It's perhaps best compared with market leader Microsoft Excel, Google's Sheets browser app, and LibreOffice Calc.

Numbers Is a Simple App

With a neatly organized interface, Numbers is an app that is easy to use, especially if you are a beginner at spreadsheets. It can help reduce the intimidation of confusing datasets with features like auto-suggestions, free-floating tables that are not fixed to the canvas of your spreadsheet, and a healthy selection of templates.

The UI is far from cluttered, with well-organized tabs that give a familiar feel to apps like Pages and Keynote. This makes Numbers easy on the eyes, and it is very different to use compared to Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

One of the reasons I like using Numbers is how easy it is to play around with numbers. You can use sorting and filtering options to organize numbers the way you want, and this smart categorization comes in clutch for analysis. Once you create a spreadsheet with numbers, you can view various sorting options on the panel to your right, where you can sort numbers by column and row, create categories, and filter numbers to choose what is shown in your table.

More Than Just the Basics

While it is not comparable by sheer functionality to programs like Microsoft Excel, Numbers can still get the job done. Whether you are looking to organize your personal finances for the month or create visually-appealing graphs for work, you can do more than just the basic calculations.

Numbers has many of the same functions that you'll find in Excel and Google Sheets, with new functions like SWITCH, BITAND, CONCAT, and TEXTJOIN now available on the app. Numbers is also compatible with Excel documents, especially with functions like XLOOKUP, which helps you find values in a spreadsheet, or look for exact, approximate, and partial matches.

To use any function in a new spreadsheet, follow the same rules as Excel or Sheets, starting formulas with the "=" (equal to) sign. You can also insert functions by going to Insert > Formula. The suggestion system makes it convenient to complete formulas.

Numbers' graph collection is pretty impressive, and you can choose from a library of more than 700 customizable shapes. You can create simple bar and column graphs, donut charts, and interactive graphs. You also have radar charts to make easy comparisons.

I find it easy to change different elements in graphs with Numbers, including colors, labels, and fonts since the interface for chart customization is simple to use.

Numbers saves you time and effort when creating spreadsheets, with a catalog of nearly 30 (a feature it shares with Pages). There are templates spread over categories like personal finance, business, and education. You can make anything ranging from simple blank spreadsheets to table and chart-specific spreadsheets. These templates come to the rescue if you are not someone who likes to design from scratch.

You can do more than just create spreadsheets (although the blank black template is a favorite of mine) including checklists, calendars, schedules, travel and meal planners, retirement savings sheets, and even recipe cards. Most templates also have a "blank canvas" touch, with highly customizable elements and themes.

You can also save spreadsheets as custom templates if you like something that you have worked on. To do this, after you are finished designing your custom template, go to File > Save as Template. You can access this template from any device that you have signed in with your Apple account.

These saved templates show up under the "My Templates" category when you open a new spreadsheet. By right-clicking the template in the theme chooser, you can rename, delete, and share it with collaborators.

Numbers can do more than just crunch the numbers. Beyond sorting data, performing calculations, and working with charts and pivot tables, there is a lot that you can do in this app.

You can insert shapes, text boxes, images, lines, and even videos into Numbers. With options to freely change how shapes look, the app carries over the feeling of using Apple's Freeform app, with the addition of spreadsheets and tables. You can align, format, and adjust shapes and other elements, which can make for a comprehensive and neatly organized sheet.

You can customize shapes by going to the menu > Format > Shapes and Lines and choosing from options like "Make Editable" and "Break Apart."

Select your spreadsheet and click Insert at the top of the page to see what elements you can work with. Two standout options are "Web video" and "Record audio", which can be very useful if you are looking to create a collaborative and well-rounded sheet that has media elements in it.

You can also import media like photos, scanned documents, and sketches directly from your iPhone, which helps you integrate with other Apple apps like Photos and Freeform.

Collaborate Like a Pro

One of the best features of Apple Numbers is the ability to collaborate with others in real-time. You can share your Numbers spreadsheet with anyone using a link, and any edits that your team members make will be saved to iCloud. With this collaboration feature, you can:

Numbers' spreadsheets can be shared with anyone. If you want to share the spreadsheet to collaborate with Apple users, you and your collaborators need to have these minimum requirements:

But you can also share spreadsheets with non-Apple users. They do not have to own an Apple device or have an Apple account to access the spreadsheet. This involves editing in a web browser using the "Anyone with the link" option.

To share your Numbers spreadsheet, use File > Share. Choose how you would like to collaborate by changing access and permissions settings.

You can also share and collaborate Numbers spreadsheets easily if you and your collaborators use FaceTime and Messages.

Seamless Integration Across Devices

Since all Numbers work is synced via iCloud, it is easy for you to open and work on spreadsheets on iPhone, iPad, and the web.

Working with an Apple Pencil on your iPad is one way to unlock the best of Numbers, because visualizing data and adding elements is made easier. Chart customization can also feel like less of a chore if you are working on an iPad. You can even use squeeze interactions with an Apple Pencil Pro to switch tools, line weights, and colors.

You can also import Excel spreadsheets into Numbers to edit and save Numbers spreadsheets as Excel files, which helps you team up with collaborators who do not use Numbers.

Apple Numbers is an excellent productivity app to add to your arsenal. It has a lot to offer, and as a Mac user, it can be your one-stop destination to create and organize all your spreadsheets, schedules, and checklists.