How to build an Excel-based mobile app using no-code

A lot of businesses run on Excel spreadsheets. Even for work that happens in warehouses, job sites, remote locations, and while in transit.

But spreadsheets and mobile phones aren’t a great match.

Data in a spreadsheet is hard to see and edit on a phone, it’s too easy to accidentally break a formula or overwrite important data, and collaboration in a spreadsheet makes it even harder to maintain. 

When teams can’t access or update data on-site, your business loses visibility. Technicians employ workarounds, like making notes on paper and entering data hours later. This means more manual work,  loss of real-time updates, and delays that can impact other teams that rely on the data in that Excel spreadsheet.

A no-code platform like Glide lets you turn your Excel spreadsheet into a beautiful, functional, and effective mobile app, without writing a single line of code. With a custom mobile app, employees in the field can work easily on the road, at an open house, at the construction site, in a warehouse, or anywhere else their work needs to get done. 

In this guide, we’ll explore how to build a custom Excel-based mobile app with Glide.

How to turn an Excel spreadsheet into a mobile app with Glide

This guide gives you an overview of how to turn your Excel spreadsheet data into a functioning mobile app using Glide’s no-code builder. Following these instructions, you can get a functional app up and launched to your team in just a few hours. If you want to expand your app, you can add more advanced functionality in days or develop your app over time to suit the needs of your team. You don’t need to 

Why no-code? Custom coding an app is expensive and time-consuming, and most suited to use cases that need a high level of complex specialization. Vibe coding using AI is a great approach for design, but its security risks mean it isn’t well-suited for working with sensitive business data. No-code gives you speed and adaptability with the security assurances of a professional platform like Glide.

For step-by-step instructions, Glide University has comprehensive tutorials that walk you through building an app from start to publish.

1. Prep your data

Before you connect your Excel sheet to Glide, take some time to structure your data so Glide can read and write to it. Remove duplicate records, extra columns, and unnecessary formulas, all of which can create problems later. Use clear column names and consistent data types within each column to help Glide understand what it’s working with.

This lets Glide carry your existing data and logic into a secure, scalable app environment. You can find online guidance on how to design an Excel database and information on how to organize your spreadsheet.

2. Connect your Excel sheet

Once your data is structured, you can connect your Excel sheet to Glide directly through its native Microsoft OneDrive or SharePoint integrations, or by uploading a CSV file of the spreadsheet. This connection takes a few clicks and doesn’t require installing plugins or configuring API connections.

When you connect your Excel file, Glide reads your data structure and automatically generates a starter layout. This gives you something to work with so you’re not starting from a blank screen.

3. Design your mobile app interface

The next step is to customize the starter layout and design your app using the drag-and-drop builder.

You can design the mobile app’s interface using the mobile preview screen. As you design it, the  WYSIWYG editor shows you exactly how field teams will view and interact with it on their phones. Since Glide uses adaptive design, your app will automatically work on any device. You build a mobile-first interface, and the desktop version adjusts automatically, so your app can be used as easily on an office computer as a smartphone on site.

Choose your data display layout

To design your interface, you’ll choose how to display your data (for example, you might show appointments as a list, inventory as a gallery collection with images, or summaries as a dashboard with charts). Create detail screens for individual items where users can see more detailed information, edit items, or add new ones. Add tabs to your app for different tasks or team members.

Add components

The step is to add components. Components can display information to make it easier to use, give employees ways to enter data more quickly, or let them take action, for example, by emailing a report or contacting a client. Depending on your industry and how your team will use the app, there are many components to choose from to make field work easier. Here are a few popular components to add:

• Button components let users take action, for example, editing an appointment, ordering an inventory item, or calling a client.
• Forms make it easy to submit structured data.
• Maps show a destination’s location, like a construction site, maintenance location, or warehouse.
• Location component allows users to log their location, which can be useful if they need to check in when they arrive at their destination.
• Barcode scanners automate data entry and speed up inventory checks.
• Camera and image uploads let technicians capture and document issues on the spot.
• Audio recorders let team members add voice notes when typing isn’t practical.

4. Add automations, interactive workflows, and AI abilities

Next, add more advanced features that give your mobile app users more useful abilities.

Workflows allow you to automate actions triggered by specific events. You can set workflows to run at scheduled times, when the app receives data from connected tools, or when users complete certain actions. 

For example, a property maintenance app could automatically send work orders to crew members’ mobile apps at 8 a.m. every weekday. When a job is complete, they mark it done. The status gets automatically updated in the app, and a notification goes to the supervisor.

With Glide AI, you can add AI-powered features to generate text, transcribe voice notes, extract information from images, or create structured documents from field inputs. Here’s how businesses are using AI features in their mobile apps:

• Innovative Logistics Group built an AI logistics agent that processes freight documentation automatically. When dispatchers upload rate confirmation documents, AI extracts the information, populates dispatch forms, assigns trucks, and notifies everyone in the transportation chain. Drivers upload photos when the freight is delivered, and the system sends proof of delivery to everyone concerned.
• RDG Planning & Design uses AI to turn field inspection data into draft reports. Teams capture photos and notes on their mobile app during park inspections, and then generate structured reports on demand. Instead of manually assembling inspection findings into documents, project managers start with a draft they can refine.

5. Create relationships between your data and perform calculations

You can use calculations to work with data in your Glide app in a similar way you might use formulas and functions in Excel.

For example, a Computed Column can subtract the quantity used from stock quantity each time materials are checked out on a construction site. Your app displays a live inventory count without anyone manually updating values in a spreadsheet.

Relations columns pull information from one Excel sheet or tab into another without duplicating data. When a technician opens a work order, they see the equipment history, parts inventory, and past service notes in one place, even if this data is stored in different sheets in your Excel workbook. 

Computed Columns perform calculations directly inside Glide instead of your Excel spreadsheet. Calculations in Computed Columns are instant, so your team sees updates in real time as data changes.

Computed Columns automatically update your Excel sheet and also solve a common Excel problem of broken formulas. Someone accidentally edits a cell reference or deletes a row, and suddenly, calculations stop working across your spreadsheet. Computed Column logic doesn’t live in individual cells, so adding or deleting data won’t break the logic behind the calculation. Your team gets accurate information, and you’re not troubleshooting formula errors.

6. Integrate with your tech stack

Finally, connect your mobile app to the other software your business already uses.

Glide offers native integrations with tools like Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and Zapier. Field teams can send emails, post updates to Teams channels, or trigger workflows in other apps without leaving the mobile app.

For specialized software, like ERP systems or GPS mapping tools, that may not have native integrations, you can use Glide’s APIs to build the connection.

Both integration methods create a two-way data sync between your app and these tools. Updates made in the field flow back to your core systems and any other connected apps.

7. Set privacy and access control

Now that your data, tools, and workflows are in place, set controls for who can use your app and what each person can edit or see. Set your app to private to keep business data secure. You can set permissions for users with an email from your company domain to sign in, or you can limit access to specific users you designate in a users table or data table. 

You can even set visibility for different roles, so each user only sees the data that is critical for their job. An admin might have a screen with financial data and full project details while field employees work on the tab with only the work orders and inventory information assigned to them. This allows field teams to have the data needed to do their jobs without giving them access to the full spreadsheet.

This gives you more control over access than Excel’s all-or-nothing permissions, where you either lock everyone out or give them access to the entire spreadsheet.

8. Publish and share app

Your app is now ready to publish and get onto your team’s phones. You can share it using a QR code, URL, or email invite. Field teams can download the app directly to their Android or iOS devices and add it to their home screen. It opens and works like a native mobile app without needing to submit it to app stores or waiting for approvals from Apple or Google.

When you make changes to the app, your team doesn’t need to manually update it on their devices. The app automatically updates so everyone always has the latest version installed.

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty built a robust, secure, and responsive private real estate platform using Glide

Read their story

Benefits of building a mobile app for an Excel spreadsheet

Converting your Excel spreadsheet into a mobile app changes how field teams work on-site. They get tools designed specifically for mobile use rather than trying to adapt a desktop spreadsheet to a phone screen. Here are the benefits of using a custom Excel mobile app:

• Structured data entry: Turning your spreadsheet into a mobile app allows you to give field teams structured methods to add or edit data. They can use forms with required fields and validation rules, capture or upload images, and record voice notes that AI summarizes or transcribes into structured text. This makes on-site data collection faster and more reliable than typing into small cells or writing notes on paper to enter later.
• Visual data display: Unlike an Excel sheet, your app supports uploading and displaying images, videos, PDF, and audio files. This makes tasks like property repairs or inventory inspections easy to complete right on a mobile device. Components like charts and graphs let field teams quickly view and understand your data. All your information displays clearly on mobile devices without horizontal scrolling, zooming to read individual cells, or navigating between multiple tabs.
• Built for field work: Your team needs a tool that performs quickly when they’re on-site. Glide apps are optimized to load and respond quickly on mobile, so field teams aren’t waiting for data to appear or actions to process. The app works without the lag that comes from opening a large Excel file on a phone.
• Real-time data access: Data syncs in real time, so field teams always access the most accurate information. When someone updates a record, everyone sees the change immediately, both in the same app and other apps that use the same data. There are no version control issues or uncertainty about whether someone is looking at current data.
• Role-based permissions and access control: You can set permissions so field teams see only the data relevant to their work. This lets you share information securely without exposing sensitive data or maintaining multiple versions of a spreadsheet.

What kinds of mobile apps can you build from Excel spreadsheets?

Any spreadsheet that is used in regular business operations, edited or viewed by multiple users, and often needed while outside of a strict office environment is a great candidate for turning into a mobile application. When teams have spreadsheets they rely on to do their work on their phones, those spreadsheets should be apps.

• Field data collection apps: Replace paper forms or manual spreadsheet updates with a mobile form that workers can fill out on site. Teams can capture photos, signatures, notes, and timestamps that automatically update the underlying spreadsheet.
• Inventory management apps: Turn inventory spreadsheets into mobile tools that allow employees to check stock levels, update counts, and scan barcodes. This lets warehouses or field teams track inventory in real time instead of updating spreadsheets later.
• CRM and sales tracking apps: Convert lead and customer spreadsheets into a simple mobile CRM where sales teams can log interactions, update deal stages, and track pipelines. This keeps customer data accurate even when sales reps are working in the field.
• Expense and receipt tracking apps: Replace manual expense spreadsheets with an app that lets employees upload receipt photos and log expenses from their phone. AI can extract receipt details and categorize expenses automatically.
• Project and task tracking apps: Transform project tracking spreadsheets into mobile apps where teams can update tasks, log progress, and attach photos or notes. This makes project updates easier for teams working across job sites or locations.
• Quoting and estimate generation apps: Turn pricing spreadsheets into apps that allow sales reps or contractors to generate quotes on the spot. The app can automatically calculate totals and generate a PDF quote to send to customers.
• Approval workflow apps: Replace spreadsheet-based request tracking with an app where employees submit requests and managers approve them from their phone. This helps streamline processes like purchase approvals, expense approvals, or internal requests.
• Dashboards and reporting apps: Convert spreadsheet reports into mobile dashboards that display key metrics and performance indicators. Managers and executives can monitor operations in real time without digging through spreadsheets.
• Customer or partner portals: Turn spreadsheet data into a secure portal where customers, vendors, or partners can log in to view relevant information. This can include order status, project updates, or account details.
• Knowledge base and resource apps: Convert operational spreadsheets into searchable mobile guides that employees can reference in the field. This helps technicians and support teams quickly access procedures, checklists, or documentation when they need it.

Build mobile apps that let your team do its best work on-site

To build your first mobile app, start by identifying which on-site processes are struggling. Field processes that are most paper-dependent or have the highest error rates or delays are good candidates for your first app.

From there, you can expand and build more Glide apps for other parts of your field operations. You can build apps that connect to your Excel spreadsheet and other data sources your business uses, like SQL databases. All of this is possible without a development team or technical expertise.

Explore Glide University’s courses to help you learn more about how to build apps in Glide. You can also hire Glide Experts, experienced no-code developers and agencies, to consult or build the app for you.

With no-code development, you don’t need to wait months for IT or keep struggling with Excel spreadsheets that don’t work on mobile. You can get a working mobile app to your field team in days or even hours.