Recover unsaved Excel file on Mac: 4 easy & proven methods

“I created a lengthy detailed excel doc today over the last 4 hours and never ended up saving it (hit Don't Save in a rush to get out the door). Is there any method for recovering it?”

You may encounter similar trouble like this and need to recover unsaved Excel files on your Mac. So, is Mac unsaved Excel file recovery possible or not? The answer is YES, you can recover unsaved Excel files on Mac with various solutions. In this article, we’ll mention both Excel's built-in recovery utilities and third-party unsaved Excel recovery software. Keep reading to find out.

How to recover unsaved Excel files on Mac quickly

Reopen Excel if you accidentally closed it on your Mac without saving. Excel automatically restores your unsaved file when it first opens. This occurs because, even if you never click "Save," Excel frequently generates AutoRecover files in the background while you work. Excel examines these temporary recovery files and shows them in the “Document Recovery” window when the program is forced to quit.

If the recovered file appears, carefully examine its contents and save it immediately to a secure location. If nothing appears, keep reading and try other methods to get back unsaved Excel files.

Method 1. Recover unsaved Excel files on Mac with Excel recovery software

Before trying other methods, applying professional Excel file recovery software is a good choice. Unsaved and temporary Excel files that are no longer accessible in regular folders can be found using programs like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Professional recovery software searches your drive for hidden recovery data generated during editing sessions or system pauses. This software can recover both unsaved and deleted Excel files for you, and it supports popular Excel formats like XLS and XLSX, and lets you preview files before restoring them.

Check the detailed steps here and recover your missing Excel files:

• Download and install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac from the official website or other reliable sources.
• Launch it on your Mac and select the disk to scan.
• You don’t have to wait for the process to finish because you can filter and preview files during scanning. You can use the file type filter to find Excel files quickly.
• Preview the recoverable Excel file, then select and restore it to a new location.

This professional Mac Excel recovery tool is easy to use; you can check the following video to learn more information about this software and other unsaved Excel recovery methods:

3 Methods: Recover Unsaved or Lost Excel Files on Mac

Method 2. Restore unsaved Excel files from autorecovery on Mac

Applying Microsoft Office’s AutoRecovery feature is frequently the quickest way to recover your unsaved spreadsheet if Excel crashes or your Mac abruptly shuts down. Even if you haven't clicked the Save button, Microsoft Excel for Mac automatically saves temporary copies of your work periodically.

Step 1. As previously mentioned, unsaved Excel files can occasionally be swiftly restored by reopening Microsoft Excel. Let's say the recovery panel does not show up. Launch the Finder. To open the folder, select Go > Go to Folder from the top menu, navigate to ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/, and hit Enter.

Step 2. The unsaved Excel files are usually named like “AutoRecovery save of…”. These files usually have timestamps, which help you identify the most recent version.

Step 3. You need to double-click the file to open it in Excel. Then, click “Save as” and choose a new location for this file.

Method 3. Check TMP folder to recover unsaved Excel files on Mac

macOS may keep temporary data in the system's TMP folder when an Excel file is closed without saving. Before pursuing more sophisticated recovery solutions, it is still worthwhile to try this approach, even though it doesn't always succeed.

Follow the steps below to access the Temporary folder on a Mac:

Method 1. Click Finder, then choose “Go” from the option at the top. Select "Go to Folder." Type /temp into the pop-up box, then press Enter. Look for files that contain the term "Excel" or have names that begin with ~Excel or.tmp.

Method 2. If you are familiar with the command line, you can open Terminal and type open $TMPDIR to run the command. macOS can open the temp folder automatically.

Copy any temporary Excel files you find to your desktop or another secure location. This stops it from being automatically deleted by the system.

Then, you should change the file extension to .xlsx using the right-click menu and open the files in MS Excel.

Method 4. Browse unsaved Excel files on Mac in version history

Excel and macOS save version history thanks to iCloud, OneDrive, or SharePoint, so you may verify if AutoRecover failed to save your worksheet. Launch Excel and do the following:

Click “File” > “Browse Version History” in Excel. A list of stored versions with authors and timestamps shows up. Select the most current version that was released before the sudden closure or crash.

That version is opened in read-only mode by Excel. Click “Restore” or “Save a Copy” to save this version independently if it's the correct file. To prevent overwriting the original, choose a new name or location.

The bottom line

In conclusion, with Excel's built-in tools and third-party Excel recovery software, you can still restore an unsaved Excel file on a Mac.

Enable AutoSave, use cloud storage with versioning, and save your work frequently to avoid such problems in the future. These small actions can significantly reduce the risk of losing critical Excel data on a Mac again.