Keyboard shortcuts in Excel 2016 for Mac

This topic itemizes all keyboard shortcuts for Excel 2016 for Mac. Keyboard shortcuts allow you to quickly complete commands and functions without using a mouse. Many of the shortcuts that use the Ctrl key on a Windows keyboard also work with the Control key in Excel 2016 for Mac. However, not all do. The shortcuts in this article refer to the US keyboard layout. Keys for other layouts might not correspond exactly to the keys on a US keyboard.

Notes:

If a shortcut requires pressing two or more keys at the same time, this topic separates the keys with a plus sign (+). If you have to press one key immediately after another, the keys are separated by a comma (,).
The settings in some versions of the Mac operating system (OS) and some utility applications might conflict with keyboard shortcuts and function key operations in Office 2016 for Mac. For information about changing the key assignment of a keyboard shortcut, see Mac Help for your version of the Mac OS or see your utility application. Also see Shortcut conflicts later in this topic.
This topic assumes that JAWS users have turned off the Virtual Ribbon Menu feature.

Frequently used shortcuts

This table itemizes the most frequently used shortcuts in Excel 2016 for Mac.

To do this	Press
Paste	+ V or CONTROL + V
Copy	+ C or CONTROL + C
Clear	DELETE
Save	+ S or CONTROL + S
Undo	+ Z or CONTROL + Z
Redo	+ Y or CONTROL + Y or + SHIFT+ Z
Cut	+ X or CONTROL + X
Bold	+ B or CONTROL + B
Print	+ P or CONTROL + P
Open Visual Basic	OPTION + F11
Fill Down	+ D or CONTROL + D
Fill Right	+ R or CONTROL + R
Insert cells	CONTROL + SHIFT + =
Delete cells	+ HYPHEN or CONTROL + HYPHEN
Calculate all open workbooks	+ = or F9
Close window	+ W or CONTROL + W
Quit Excel	+ Q
Display the Go To dialog box	CONTROL + G or F5
Display the Format Cells dialog box	+ 1 or CONTROL + 1
Display the Replace dialog box	CONTROL + H or + SHIFT + H
Paste Special	+ CONTROL + V or CONTROL + OPTION + V or + OPTION + V
Underline	+ U
Italic	+ I or CONTROL + I
New blank workbook	+ N or CONTROL + N
New workbook from template	+ SHIFT + P
Display the Save As dialog box	+ SHIFT + S or F12
Display the Help window	F1 or + /
Select All	+ A or + SHIFT + SPACEBAR
Add or remove a filter	+ SHIFT + F or CONTROL + SHIFT + L
Minimize or maximize the ribbon tabs	+ OPTION + R
Display the Open dialog box	+ O or CONTROL + O
Check spelling	F7
Open the thesaurus	SHIFT + F7
Display the Formula Builder	SHIFT + F3
Open the Define Name dialog box	+ F3
Open the Create names dialog box	+ SHIFT + F3
Insert a new sheet *	SHIFT + F11
Print	+ P or Control + P
Print preview	+ P or Control + P

Get started

Many keyboards assign special functions to function keys, by default. To use the function key for other purposes, you have to press Fn+the function key. See the Use function key shortcuts section for information about how to enable and use function keys without having to press Fn.

Shortcut conflicts

Some Windows keyboard shortcuts conflict with the corresponding default Mac OS keyboard shortcuts. This topic flags such shortcuts with an asterisk ( * ). To use these shortcuts, you may have to change your Mac keyboard settings to change the Show Desktop shortcut for the key.

Change system preferences for keyboard shortcuts with the mouse

1. On the Apple menu, press System Preferences.
Press Keyboard.
In the tabs, press Shortcuts.
Click Mission Control.
Clear the check box for the keyboard shortcut that you want to use.

If you need to perform this function with the keyboard only, please see the topic Accessibility in Office 2016 for Mac.

Work in windows and dialogs

To do this	Press
Expand or minimize the ribbon	+ OPTION + R
Switch to full screen view	+ CONTROL + F
Switch to the next application	+ TAB
Switch to the previous application	+ SHIFT + TAB
Close the active workbook window	+ W
Copy the image of the screen and save it to a Screen Shot file on your desktop.	+ SHIFT + 3
Minimize the active window	CONTROL + F9
Maximize or restore the active window	CONTROL + F10 or + F10
Hide Excel.	+ H
Move to the next box, option, control, or command	Tab
Move to the previous box, option, control, or command	Shift + Tab
Exit a dialog or cancel an action	Esc
Perform the action assigned to the default command button (the button with the bold outline, often the OK button)	Return
Cancel the command and close	Esc

Move and scroll in a sheet or workbook

To do this	Press
Move one cell up, down, left, or right	An arrow key
Move to the edge of the current data region	+ arrow key
Move to the beginning of the row	HOME
Move to the beginning of the sheet	CONTROL + HOME
Move to the last cell in use on the sheet	CONTROL + END
Move down one screen	PAGE DOWN On a MacBook, press FN + DOWN ARROW
Move up one screen	PAGE UP On a MacBook, press FN + UP ARROW
Move one screen to the right	OPTION + PAGE DOWN
Move one screen to the left	OPTION + PAGE UP
Move to the next sheet in the workbook	CONTROL + PAGE DOWN or OPTION + RIGHT ARROW
Move to the previous sheet in the workbook	CONTROL + PAGE DOWN or OPTION + LEFT ARROW
Scroll to display the active cell	CONTROL + DELETE
Display the Go To dialog box	CONTROL + G
Display the Find dialog box	CONTROL + F or SHIFT + F5
Access search (when in a cell or when a cell is selected)	+ F
Move between unlocked cells on a protected sheet	TAB

Enter data on a sheet

To do this	Press
Edit the selected cell	F2
Complete a cell entry and move forward in the selection	RETURN
Start a new line in the same cell	CONTROL + OPTION + RETURN
Fill the selected cell range with the text that you type	+ RETURN or CONTROL + RETURN
Complete a cell entry and move up in the selection	SHIFT + RETURN
Complete a cell entry and move to the right in the selection	TAB
Complete a cell entry and move to the left in the selection	SHIFT + TAB
Cancel a cell entry	ESC
Delete the character to the left of the insertion point, or delete the selection	DELETE
Delete the character to the right of the insertion point, or delete the selection Note: Some smaller keyboards do not have this key
Delete text to the end of the line Note: Some smaller keyboards do not have this key	CONTROL +
Move one character up, down, left, or right	An arrow key
Move to the beginning of the line	HOME
Insert a comment	SHIFT + F2
Open and edit a cell comment	SHIFT + F2
Fill down	CONTROL + D or + D
Fill to the right	CONTROL + R or + R
Define a name	CONTROL + L

Work in cells or the Formula bar

To do this	Press
Edit the selected cell	F2
Edit the active cell and then clear it, or delete the preceding character in the active cell as you edit the cell contents	DELETE
Complete a cell entry	RETURN
Enter a formula as an array formula	+ SHIFT + RETURN or CONTROL + SHIFT + RETURN
Cancel an entry in the cell or formula bar	ESC
Display the Formula Builder after you type a valid function name in a formula	CONTROL + A
Insert a hyperlink	+ K or CONTROL + K
Edit the active cell and position the insertion point at the end of the line	CONTROL + U
Open the Formula Builder	SHIFT + F3
Calculate the active sheet	SHIFT + F9
Display a contextual menu	SHIFT + F10
Start a formula	=
Toggle the formula reference style between absolute, relative, and mixed	+ T or F4
Insert the AutoSum formula	+ SHIFT + T
Enter the date	CONTROL + SEMICOLON (;)
Enter the time	+ SEMICOLON (;)
Copy the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar	CONTROL + SHIFT + INCH MARK (")
Alternate between displaying cell values and displaying cell formulas	CONTROL + GRAVE ACCENT (`)
Copy a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar	CONTROL + APOSTROPHE (')
Display the AutoComplete list	CONTROL + OPTION + DOWN ARROW
Define a name	CONTROL + L
Open the Smart Lookup pane	CONTROL + OPTION + + L

Format and edit data

To	Press
Edit the selected cell	F2
Create a table	+ T or CONTROL + T
Insert a line break in a cell	+ OPTION + RETURN or CONTROL + OPTION + RETURN
Insert special characters like symbols, including emoji	CONTROL + + SPACEBAR
Increase font size	+ SHIFT + >
Decrease font size	+ SHIFT + <
Align center	+ E
Align left	+ L
Display the Modify Cell Style dialog box	+ SHIFT + L
Display the Format Cells dialog box	+ 1
Apply the general number format	CONTROL + SHIFT + ~
Apply the currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers appear in red with parentheses)	CONTROL + SHIFT + $
Apply the percentage format with no decimal places	CONTROL + SHIFT + %
Apply the exponential number format with two decimal places	CONTROL + SHIFT + ^
Apply the date format with the day, month, and year	CONTROL + SHIFT + #
Apply the time format with the hour and minute, and indicate AM or PM	CONTROL + SHIFT + @
Apply the number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values	CONTROL + SHIFT + !
Apply the outline border around the selected cells	+ OPTION + ZERO
Add an outline border to the right of the selection	+ OPTION + RIGHT ARROW
Add an outline border to the left of the selection	+ OPTION + LEFT ARROW
Add an outline border to the top of the selection	+ OPTION + UP ARROW
Add an outline border to the bottom of the selection	+ OPTION + DOWN ARROW
Remove outline borders	+ OPTION + HYPHEN
Apply or remove bold formatting	+ B
Apply or remove italic formatting	+ I
Apply or remove underscoring	+ U
Apply or remove strikethrough formatting	+ SHIFT + X
Hide a column	+ ) or CONTROL + )
Unhide a column	+ SHIFT + ) or CONTROL + SHIFT + )
Hide a row	+ ( or CONTROL + (
Unhide a row	+ SHIFT + ( or CONTROL + SHIFT + (
Edit the active cell	CONTROL + U
Cancel an entry in the cell or the formula bar	ESC
Edit the active cell and then clear it, or delete the preceding character in the active cell as you edit the cell contents	DELETE
Paste text into the active cell	+ V
Complete a cell entry	RETURN
Give selected cells the current cell's entry	+ RETURN or CONTROL + RETURN
Enter a formula as an array formula	+ SHIFT + RETURN or CONTROL + SHIFT + RETURN
Display the Formula Builder after you type a valid function name in a formula	CONTROL + A

Select cells, columns, or rows

To do this	Press
Extend the selection by one cell	SHIFT + arrow key
Extend the selection to the last nonblank cell in the same column or row as the active cell	+ SHIFT + arrow key
Extend the selection to the beginning of the row	SHIFT + HOME
Extend the selection to the beginning of the sheet	CONTROL + SHIFT + HOME
Extend the selection to the last cell used on the sheet (lower-right corner)	CONTROL + SHIFT + END
Select the entire column	CONTROL + SPACEBAR
Select the entire row	SHIFT + SPACEBAR
Select the entire sheet	+ A
Select only visible cells	+ SHIFT + * (asterisk)
Select only the active cell when multiple cells are selected	SHIFT + DELETE
Extend the selection down one screen	SHIFT + PAGE DOWN
Extend the selection up one screen	SHIFT + PAGE UP
Alternate between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying placeholders for objects	CONTROL + 6
Turn on the capability to extend a selection by using the arrow keys	F8
Add another range of cells to the selection	SHIFT + F8
Select the current array, which is the array that the active cell belongs to	CONTROL + /
Select cells in a row that don't match the value in the active cell in that row. You must select the row starting with the active cell	CONTROL + \
Select only cells that are directly referred to by formulas in the selection	CONTROL + SHIFT + [
Select all cells that are directly or indirectly referred to by formulas in the selection	CONTROL + SHIFT + {
Select only cells with formulas that refer directly to the active cell	CONTROL + ]
Select all cells with formulas that refer directly or indirectly to the active cell	CONTROL + SHIFT + }

Work with a selection

To do this	Press
Copy	+ C or CONTROL + V
Paste	+ V or CONTROL + V
Cut	+ X or CONTROL + X
Clear	DELETE
Delete the selection	CONTROL + HYPHEN
Undo the last action	+ Z
Hide a column	+ ) or CONTROL + )
Unhide a column	+ SHIFT + ) or CONTROL + SHIFT + )
Hide a row	+ ( or CONTROL + (
Unhide a row	+ SHIFT + ( or CONTROL + SHIFT + (
Move from top to bottom within the selection (down) *	RETURN
Move from bottom to top within the selection (up) *	SHIFT + RETURN
Move from left to right within the selection, or move down one cell if only one column is selected	TAB
Move from right to left within the selection, or move up one cell if only one column is selected	SHIFT + TAB
Move clockwise to the next corner of the selection	CONTROL + PERIOD
Group selected cells	+ SHIFT + K
Ungroup selected cells	+ SHIFT + J

* These shortcuts may move in another direction other than down or up. If you'd like to change the direction of these shortcuts using the mouse, on the Excel menu, click Preferences, click Edit, and then, under. After pressing Return, move selection, select the direction you want to move in.

Use charts

To do this	Press
Insert a new chart sheet. *	F11
Cycle through chart object selection	An arrow key

Sort, filter, and use PivotTable reports

To do this	Press
Open the Sort dialog box	+ SHIFT + R
Add or remove a filter	+ SHIFT + F or CONTROL + SHIFT + L
Display the Filter list or PivotTable page field pop-up menu for the selected cell	OPTION + DOWN ARROW

Outline data

To do this	Press
Display or hide outline symbols	CONTROL + 8
Hide selected rows	CONTROL + 9
Unhide selected rows	CONTROL + SHIFT + Opening parenthesis ( ( )
Hide selected columns	CONTROL + ZERO
Unhide selected columns	CONTROL + SHIFT + Closing parenthesis ( ) )

Use function key shortcuts

Excel 2016 for Mac uses the function keys for common commands, including Copy and Paste. For quick access to these shortcuts, you can change your Apple system preferences so you don't have to press the Fn key every time you use a function key shortcut

Note: Changing system function key preferences affects how the function keys work for your Mac, not just Excel. After changing this setting, you can still perform the special features printed on a function key. Just press the Fn key. For example, to use the F12 key to change your volume, you would press Fn+F12.

If a function key doesn't work as you expect it to, press the FN key in addition to the function key. If you don't want to press the FN key each time, you can change your Apple system preferences:

Change function key preferences with the mouse

On the Apple menu, press System Preferences.
Select Keyboard.
On the Keyboard tab, select the check box for Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.

If you need to perform this procedure with the keyboard only, please see the topic Accessibility in Office 2016 for Mac.

The following table provides the function key shortcuts for Excel 2016 for Mac

To do this	Press
Display the Help window	F1
Edit the selected cell	F2
Insert or edit a cell comment	Shift + F2
Open the Save dialog	Option + F2
Open the Formula Builder	Shift+F3
Open the Define Name dialog	+F3
Close	+F4
Display the Go To dialog	F5
Display the Find dialog	Shift + F5
Move to the Search Sheet dialog	Control + F5
Check spelling	F7
Open the thesaurus	Shift + F7 or Control + Option + + R
Extend the selection	F8
Add to the selection	Shift + F8
Display the Macro dialog	Option+F8
Calculate all open workbooks	F9
Calculate the active sheet	Shift + F9
Minimize the active window	Control + F9
Display a contextual menu, or "right click" menu	Shift + F10
Maximize or restore the active window	Control + F10 or + F10
Insert a new chart sheet*	F11
Insert a new sheet*	Shift + F11
Insert an Excel 4.0 macro sheet	+ F11
Open Visual Basic	Option + F11
Display the Save As dialog	F12
Display the Open dialog	+ F12

Related information

Accessibility in Excel 2016 for Mac