Data Import & Export

How to Fix Garbled UTF-8 Chinese Text in Excel for Mac

Ayan Masood Sep 27, 2026 873 views

Question details

Users need to resolve an issue where UTF-8 encoded Chinese characters appear corrupted when text files are opened in Microsoft Excel on macOS.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Opening a text or CSV file containing UTF-8 encoded Chinese characters.
Observed behavior: The Chinese text does not render correctly and displays as garbled or corrupted characters instead of the intended language.

Before you start

Verify that your original text file is indeed saved in UTF-8 format by opening it in a plain text editor like TextEdit on your Mac; if it displays correctly there, the issue is specific to Excel's import process.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Data Import Wizard to Specify Encoding

Manually importing the data allows you to force Excel to read the file using UTF-8 encoding rather than relying on its default behavior.

By default, double-clicking a CSV or TXT file in macOS may cause Excel to use the system's regional legacy encoding instead of UTF-8. Using the Data tab ensures you can explicitly set the correct character set.

Open a Blank Workbook

Launch Excel for Mac and create a new, blank workbook.

Navigate to the Data Tab

Click on the 'Data' tab in the Excel ribbon, then select 'Get Data' or 'From Text/CSV' depending on your Excel version.

Select the File and Set Encoding

Locate and select your text file. When the Text Import Wizard appears, change the 'File Origin' or 'Encoding' dropdown to '65001: Unicode (UTF-8)'.

Load the Data

Verify the Chinese characters look correct in the preview window, then click 'Load' or 'Finish' to import the data into your spreadsheet.

Use the Data Import Wizard to Specify Encoding

Prevent Future Issues: Always save your edited workbooks as 'CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)' to maintain character integrity.

Solution 2

Update Software and Report the Issue

Since encoding compatibility can be tied to software bugs, keeping macOS and Excel updated is crucial. Reporting persistent issues helps Microsoft develop fixes.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Open UTF-8 Text Files Seamlessly with WPS Office

If Microsoft Excel for Mac continues to display garbled characters, try WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, robust alternative with excellent handling of various text encodings, ensuring your Chinese characters render correctly out of the box.

1. Install WPS Office for Mac: Download and install the free WPS Office suite on your Mac.
2. Open Your Text File: Launch WPS Spreadsheet, go to Menu > Open, and select your UTF-8 encoded text or CSV file.
3. Confirm Encoding: The built-in text import wizard will automatically detect the UTF-8 encoding. Simply click OK to view your Chinese characters perfectly rendered.

Flawless handling of UTF-8 and other text encodings for international characters.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats including .xlsx, .csv, and .txt.Familiar user interface for a zero-learning-curve transition.Free and lightweight, saving system resources on your Mac.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel for Mac show garbled Chinese text when opening a CSV?

This happens when Excel fails to automatically recognize the UTF-8 encoding of the file, defaulting instead to a regional legacy encoding like Mac OS Roman or ANSI, which cannot translate the Chinese characters.

Can I permanently set Excel for Mac to always use UTF-8?

Excel for Mac does not currently have a setting to permanently force UTF-8 as the default for opening files on double-click. You must use the 'Get Data' wizard to specify the encoding manually each time.

How do I know if my text file is actually UTF-8 encoded?

You can open the file in a standard text editor like TextEdit on your Mac. If the Chinese characters display correctly there, the file is properly encoded in UTF-8, confirming the issue lies with how the spreadsheet software is reading it.

Will saving the file as an Excel Workbook (.xlsx) fix the problem?

Yes, once you have successfully imported the data using UTF-8 encoding, saving the file as a standard Excel Workbook (.xlsx) will preserve the characters perfectly for future use.

Excel & Data Problems