Version History Issues

How to Recover Lost Excel Data After Merging Cells on Android

Steve K Oct 12, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to recover spreadsheet data that was lost and overwritten when cells were merged while AutoSave was active on an Android phone.

How to Recover Lost Excel Data After Merging Cells on Android

Product: Excel
Device & OS: Android
Scenario: Merging cells in a workbook with AutoSave enabled, resulting in the immediate saving of the modified spreadsheet.
Observed behavior: Data in the merged cells disappeared, and because AutoSave automatically synced the file, the original unmerged data became inaccessible.

Before you start

Stop making further edits to the spreadsheet immediately, as continuing to edit and save the file can overwrite existing cloud version histories and make it harder to recover your lost data.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore from Excel Version History

If your file was saved on OneDrive or another connected cloud service, use the Version History feature to revert to a state before the cells were merged.

Cloud storage services automatically save snapshots of your files as you edit them. By accessing the version history, you can find the exact moment before the data was overwritten.

Locate the file

Open the Excel app on your Android device and navigate to the Recent tab or the specific folder where your file is stored.

Open Version history

Tap the three-dot icon (context menu) next to the file name and select 'Version history' from the dropdown list.

Review and restore

Browse the list of saved timestamps. Select a version dated just before you merged the cells, preview it, and tap 'Restore' to recover your lost data.

Requirement: Version History is only available if the workbook was saved and synced to a supported cloud service like OneDrive or SharePoint.

Solution 2

Check Cloud Recycle Bin and Offline Devices

If version history isn't available or fails, check if an older unedited copy exists in your cloud recycle bin or is cached on another device.

WPS Office Data Protection

Easily Recover Spreadsheet Versions with WPS Office

WPS Office for Android provides robust Auto-Backup and File Roaming features, ensuring that every change in your spreadsheets is safely tracked. If you accidentally merge cells and lose data, you can quickly restore previous versions directly from your mobile device.

1. Open your spreadsheet: Launch the WPS Office app on your Android device and open the spreadsheet where you lost the data.
2. Access History Version: Tap the 'Tools' menu at the bottom, navigate to the 'File' tab, and select 'History Version'.
3. Restore previous data: Select the specific timestamp from before the cells were merged and tap 'Restore' to get your original data back instantly.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls, .csv) formats.Built-in document version history and auto-backup to prevent accidental data loss.Lightweight Android app with powerful cell formatting and merging tools.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does merging cells delete my data in Excel?

When you merge multiple cells in Excel, the application only keeps the data from the upper-leftmost cell and discards the content from the other selected cells. If AutoSave is enabled, this deletion is saved to the cloud immediately.

Can I undo a cell merge on Android if AutoSave is on?

If you realize the mistake immediately, you can simply tap the 'Undo' arrow button in the top toolbar. However, if the file was closed, refreshed, or you performed too many actions afterward, you must use the Version History to recover the lost data.

What if I didn't save my Excel file to the cloud?

If the file was only saved locally on your Android phone's internal storage and you don't have a backup, previous versions are not tracked by Excel. Recovering overwritten data in a local file is generally not possible without advanced third-party data recovery tools.