The news: spreadsheet questions come to iPhone and iPad
On October 19, 2026, Google announced Gemini in Google Sheets on iOS, with support for asking questions about spreadsheet data, finding leads for analysis and generating charts. The gradual rollout began on October 15 and can take up to 15 days for the feature to become visible. Official announcement
Eligible accounts include Workspace Business and Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus, Google AI Pro for Education, and personal Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscriptions. Organization accounts also depend on the administrator enabling Gemini.
What readers gain: find the data worth looking at again
Suppose you are traveling before a community-event review, and the current tab lists signups by week. You could ask which week had the most signups, then ask Gemini to chart weeks against signup counts. Use the answer to find the rows to check in the original sheet. This is a suggested use, not a measured analysis result.
On mobile, analysis covers only the current tab, not all tabs in the file together. Charts are static images and do not refresh when the source data changes. Gemini also cannot currently edit cells, apply formatting or create pivot tables on iPhone and iPad. Mobile scope
How to use it: choose the tab, then check the answer and chart
Install Google Sheets on your iPhone or iPad, sign in with an eligible account, and open a native Google spreadsheet containing data. Timeline-view tabs do not support the feature. For an Excel file, first use Menu → Share & export → Save as Google Sheets file to convert it to the native format. iOS instructions
- Switch to the tab you want to analyze and check its column names and data range. Tap the Gemini icon at the top right and enter a question, or use a summary or analysis suggestion.
- For example: “Which week in the current tab had the most signups? State the week and count you used.” Check the answer against the sheet before asking a follow-up.
- For a chart, specify the axes, such as “Generate a chart with weeks on the horizontal axis and signup counts on the vertical axis.” Check the axes, values and units before using it.
- To save the chart, choose Add to Drive, edit the file name and location, then tap Upload. Consider putting the data date in the file name so an older static chart is not mistaken for an updated result.
If the entry point is missing, check account eligibility, organization settings and rollout progress first. If you want Gemini to modify data or formatting, use a computer where the relevant actions are supported. A text answer from Gemini on mobile does not mean the sheet has been changed.