How to Fix Phone Numbers Excel Turned Into 1.41555E+10
Excel turns phone numbers into 1.41555E+10 because it reads the column as numbers, and long numbers are shown in scientific notation. The fix depends on what the file now holds. The fix phone numbers in scientific notation tool rewrites every such cell as plain digits from a CSV or .xlsx file. Where digits were already lost, it adds zeros and marks the row, because nothing can recover them. It runs in your browser.
The real cause
A phone number looks like a number to a spreadsheet, so a long one is shown as one. 14155550132 can appear as 1.41555E+10. Display is only half of it. If the file is saved from that display, the text in the file is 1.41555E+10, and the last digits are gone for good. Excel also keeps only about 15 significant digits, so very long numbers can lose digits even before saving.
Can the lost digits come back
It depends on how many digits the notation still holds.
| Cell holds | Digits carried | Result |
|---|---|---|
4.42079460958E+11 |
12 | Comes back exactly as 442079460958 |
1.41555E+10 |
6 | Written as 14155500000, but the last five digits cannot be known |
In the second case the zeros are a guess, not the real digits. Those cells are counted as rebuilt with added zeros, and each row is marked in a number_fix_note column. Go back to the original source for them.
Step 1: load the file
Upload a CSV or .xlsx file, or paste the cells with the header row first. Only the first sheet of a workbook is read.
Step 2: check the ticked columns
Columns with cells such as 1.41555E+10 are ticked for you. Only ticked columns change. Everything else stays as it was.
Step 3: read the counts
You see how many numbers were rebuilt in full and how many were rebuilt with added zeros.
Step 4: download and check
Download the file and check the marked rows against your source.
The by-hand way in Excel
If the cell is still a true number and the digits were not cut, =TEXT(A2,"0") writes it out in full, or set the column's Number format to 0 with no decimals. Neither brings back digits Excel has already dropped, and neither fixes a file that was saved from the shortened display. After the change, copy and paste as values so the text stays.
How to stop it happening again
Set the phone column to Text before pasting or importing. In Excel, use Data, From Text/CSV and set the column type to Text. In Google Sheets, format the column as Plain text. The same goes for ZIP codes and IDs. Dropped leading zeros are a related problem: see how to keep leading zeros when opening a CSV in Excel and how to add leading zeros back to ZIP codes. Once the digits are back, put them in one format with how to format phone numbers in Excel.
What this tool cannot do
- Digits lost before the file was saved cannot be recovered. Added zeros are a guess and are marked.
- Spreadsheets keep about 15 significant digits, so very long numbers may already be cut.
- It rewrites digits only. It does not format numbers or check them against a country.
- Only the first sheet of a workbook is read.
Does a rebuilt number mean it is active
No. Nothing here contacts a phone network, so a number that passes is only well formed. If the same list has email addresses, check them on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Fix your file now
Upload it to the fix phone numbers in scientific notation tool.
Common questions
Why does Excel turn phone numbers into 1.41555E+10?
Excel reads a column of digits as a number, and long numbers are shown in scientific notation. A phone number is a label, not a quantity, so the display changes without anyone meaning it to.
Can I get the digits back?
Only if they are still in the cell. A cell that holds 4.42079460958E+11 carries all twelve digits and comes back exactly. One that holds 1.41555E+10 carries six, and the rest are gone.
Why does the real number differ from what the cell shows?
Excel keeps about 15 significant digits. In a cell that is still a true number, the full value is in the formula bar even when the display is shortened. Once the file is saved from the shortened display, the text is what was shown.
How do I stop it happening again?
Set the phone column to Text before pasting or importing. In Excel use Data, From Text/CSV and set the column type to Text. In Google Sheets format the column as Plain text.
Does fixing the digits show the number works?
No. It only rewrites digits. A number can be well formed and still not in service.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.