Excel 2016 for Mac brings lots of welcome improvements to the workhorse spreadsheet but also leaves out useful tools. Pros Moving to the cloud: Like the other apps in the latest Mac Office suite, Excel 2016 lets you store, sync, and edit files online, via Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage service.

1. How To Use Windows Excel Windows Excel For Mac Like

You can also save Excel files to your Dropbox account. Collaborate: Excel 2016, through OneDrive, lets you share documents with colleagues and collaborate in real time. You can chat online as well, either through a document chat window or through Skype. Modern design: The redesigned ribbon for the Mac version of Excel borrows the look and feel of its Windows counterpart, presenting tools and formatting options in much the same way as Excel for Windows does. Excel also recommends appropriate charts based on spreadsheet data. Moving across platforms: Excel 2016 supports many of the Windows keyboard shortcuts and most of the Excel 2013 for Windows functions, which should make it easier to use the tool across platforms. The update also includes an Analysis ToolPak add-in, PivotTable slicers for analyzing data, and an improved formula builder.

Cons Macro limits: Prior to Office 2016, you could build macros in Excel for Mac. The 2016 edition offers what Microsoft calls a 'simplified' Visual Basic Editor (VBE), which allows you to debug existing macros. But if you want to build new macros, you need to do that on the Windows side or use an earlier Mac version. For those who built macros in preceding Mac editions, this is a big loss. Bottom Line Excel 2016 is probably worth the upgrade just based on its ability to take advantage of OneDrive. The new analysis tools and formula builder help keep Microsoft's spreadsheet an essential tool. Hobbling its macros tool, however, diminishes a bit of the attraction for serious users.

More Resources. With the new features in Excel, you'll be telling your data's story in no time. Charts, graphs, keyboard shortcuts and data entry enhancements (like formula builder and autocomplete) immediately make you more productive. And support for Excel 2013 (for Windows) functions ensures that you can easily share files across platforms. The new Analysis ToolPak offers a wide range of statistical functions, including moving averages and exponential smoothing, and PivotTable Slicers help you cut through large volumes of data to find patterns that answer questions.

Notes:. New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster,. For keyboard shortcuts, go to.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Windows screen reader, Narrator. To learn more about using Narrator, go to. This topic makes note of the JAWS functionality as well. To learn more about JAWS for Windows, go to.

This topic assumes you are using this app with a PC. Some navigation and gestures might be different for a Windows phone or tablet.

In this topic. Cycle through the main areas To navigate between the main areas in Excel, press F6 (forward) and Shift+F6 (backward). The main areas are:. Worksheet table grid. Sheet tabs. Status bar. Ribbon tabs Navigate the ribbon tabs The ribbon tabs are the main menu bar of Excel.

To reach the ribbon tabs, press F6 until you hear 'Ribbon tabs,' followed by the current tab's name. With JAWS, you hear 'Upper ribbon.' To move between the tabs, use the Left and Right arrow keys. When you reach a tab, a tab-specific ribbon appears below it. To learn how to browse the selected ribbon, go to. Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:. Home Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.

Insert Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet. Page Layout Set the margins, orientation, and size of the worksheet page. Formulas Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.

Data Import data from various sources, sort and filter it, and use data tools such as removing duplicate rows. Review Check the spelling and accessibility of your worksheet, and collaborate with others using comments and notes. View Select a view such as Normal View or Page Layout view, and set the page zoom level. Help Open the Microsoft Excel Help, contact support, and leave feedback. In addition to the ribbon tabs, you need to access the File menu for some important commands.

To open it, press Alt+F. The File menu opens in a new pane. To navigate the main commands, use the Up and Down arrow keys, then use the Tab key and Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the options for that command. In the File menu, you can start a new workbook, open an existing workbook, save, share, or print the file you're currently working with, and access Excel options. To close the File menu and return to your worksheet, press Esc.

Navigate the ribbon After navigating to the right ribbon tab as described in, press the Tab key to move to the ribbon and browse its commands and options. You can press Shift+Tab to move backwards. Press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to leave the ribbon and return to your worksheet. Tip: It is often faster to use keyboard shortcuts to access the commands and options on each ribbon. For more information, go to. Navigate the worksheet When you open an Excel workbook, the focus is on the worksheet table grid. If you have moved the focus out of the worksheet, press F6 until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location.

Here's how you navigate inside the worksheet and between other sheets and workbooks:. To move between cells in the table grid, use the arrow keys.

Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell as well as its contents. To open the context menu for the current cell, press Shift+F10. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the menu, and press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to return to the worksheet.

To move to the next or previous worksheet in your workbook, press F6 until you hear the name of the current sheet tab, use the Left and Right arrow keys to find the right sheet, and press Enter to select it. To switch to the next workbook when more than one workbook is open, press Ctrl+F6. Your screen reader announces the name of the workbook.

Tip: To quickly move the focus to the first floating shape such as a text box or an image, press Ctrl+Alt+5. Then, to cycle through the floating shapes, press the Tab key. To return to the normal navigation, press Esc. Use Tell Me To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To learn more about the Tell Me feature, watch this video:.

To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action. Jump to the Tell Me edit field by pressing Alt+Q. Type the command that you want. For example, type 'bullets'. Use the Down Arrow key to browse through the results, press Enter to select one.

Notes:. New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster,. For keyboard shortcuts, go to. This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Mac OS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to.

In this topic. Navigate the main view To navigate the main view in Excel, press F6 (forward) and Shift+F6 (backward). The focus moves through the following areas in the main view:. Quick access toolbar at the top of the screen.

Current tab on the ribbon. Name box on the toolbar. Worksheet table grid.

Status bar Navigate the ribbon tabs The ribbon tabs are the main menu bar of Excel. To reach the ribbon tabs, press F6 until you hear the currently select tab on the ribbon, for example, 'Home, selected, tab.'

To move between the tabs, use the Left and Right arrow keys. To select a tab, press Spacebar. A tab-specific ribbon appears below it. To learn how to browse the selected ribbon, go to.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:. File The File menu contains, for example, options for creating and saving workbooks, and access to Excel settings. Home Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns. Insert Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet. Layout Set the margins, orientation, and size of the worksheet page. Formulas Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.

Data Import data from various sources, sort and filter it, and use data tools such as removing duplicate rows. View Set the orientation or margin of your worksheet, select a theme, and access the Learning Tools. Navigate the ribbon After navigating to the right ribbon tab as described in, press the Tab key to move to the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Press Shift+Tab to move backwards. Press Spacebar to make a selection or press F6 to leave the ribbon. Tip: It is often faster to use keyboard shortcuts to access the commands and options on each ribbon.

For more information, go to. Navigate between views In addition to the main view, Excel has the following commonly used views:. When you open the Excel app, you land in the Start page.

From the Start page, you can create a new workbook, browse templates, open an existing workbook, and access your account info. To return to the Start menu later, press F6 until you hear 'File button,' and then press Spacebar. You hear: 'Open new and recent files.' To navigate in the menu, press the Tab key or the Right or Left arrow key. To make a selection, press Spacebar. In the File menu, you can start a new workbook, save, share, or print the file you're currently working with, and access Excel options.

To open File menu, press Control+Option+M. The focus moves to the Apple menu bar. Press the Tab key until you hear: 'File,' and then press Spacebar. To navigate the File menu, use the Up and Down arrow keys. To open a submenu, press the Right arrow key. To select, press Spacebar. To close the File menu and return to your worksheet, press Esc.

In the Excel Preferences window, you can access Excel settings such as AutoCorrect and ribbon options. To open the Excel Preferences window, press Command+Comma (,). Press the Tab key to move in the window. To select a setting, press Spacebar. The setting dialog opens. To navigate the setting dialog, press the Tab key or the arrow keys. To make a selection, press Spacebar.

To close the Excel Preferences window and return to your worksheet, press Esc. Explore a workbook When you open a Excel workbook, the focus is on the content area. If you have moved the focus out of the content area, press F6 until you hear 'Edit text,' followed by the insertion point in the worksheet.

There are several ways to navigate inside the content area: Use keyboard shortcuts For the full list of navigation shortcuts, go to. When focus is on the worksheet table grid, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to interact with the content:. To move to the beginning of the worksheet, press Control+Home or Control+Fn+Left arrow key. To move one cell up, down, left, or right, press the arrow keys. To move to the last cell in use on the sheet, press Command+Down or Up arrow key. To move to the next worksheet in a workbook, press Option+Right arrow key or Control+Page Down. To move to the previous worksheet in a workbook, press Option+Left arrow key or Control+Page Up.

Use VoiceOver Rotor, Quick Nav, or Item Chooser You can use the VoiceOver features such as Rotor, Quick Nav, or Item Chooser to navigate directly to an item. For example, you can go directly to a chart, table, or link. To open the Rotor, press Control+Option+U. To open the Item Chooser, press Control+Option+I. To activate the Quick Nav, press the Left and Right arrow keys at the same time. For more information on how to use the VoiceOver features, go to. Notes:.

New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster,. This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit. This topic assumes that you are using an iPhone. Some navigation and gestures might be different for an iPad.

In this topic. Navigate the landing view When you launch Excel for iOS, create or open a workbook from the landing view. Swipe left or right to move between the elements in the landing view, and double-tap to select an item. The landing view contains the following elements:.

Main content area. Tab bar The tab bar is located at the bottom of the screen, and contains the New, Recent, Shared, Open, and Settings tabs. Cycle through the main screen elements To navigate between the main areas in Excel for iOS, swipe right (forward) and left (backward).

The main areas are:. Top menu. Worksheet table grid. Toolbar or ribbon Navigate the top menu The Excel for iOS top menu bar allows you to access various commands:. Close file button Close the file and return to the landing view. Undo button.

How To Use Windows Excel Windows Excel For Mac Like

Show ribbon button. Find button Search for text within the worksheet or workbook. Share menu Share your workbook with others, or send them a copy of the document.

File menu Access important commands, such as Save a Copy, Export, and Print. To exit the File menu, swipe left or right until you hear 'Done,' then double-tap the screen. Navigate the worksheet The worksheet table grid is the main area of the Excel for iOS screen. To move the focus into the worksheet, swipe right until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location. To move between cells in the table grid, swipe left or right.

Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell, as well as its contents. To open the context menu for the current cell, double-tap and hold. Swipe left or right to navigate the menu, and double-tap to make a selection. Navigate the toolbar The toolbar gives you access to some frequently-used features, such as the Sheets button, which allows you to switch between worksheets in the same workbook, and the Apply filter, Fill color, Tell me what you want to do, and Show ribbon buttons.

Navigate the ribbon The ribbon is the main way to access commands and options in Excel for iOS. They are grouped into various tabs.

To access the ribbon tabs, swipe left or right until you hear 'Show ribbon,' then double-tap the screen. The screen reader announces the name of the current tab. To switch tabs, double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right until you hear the tab you want, and double-tap to select it. Swipe right to move into the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Double-tap to make a selection.

To hide the ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear 'Hide ribbon,' and then double-tap the screen. Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:. Home Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns. Insert Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet. Formulas Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet. Data Sort and filter the data in your worksheet.

Review Collaborate with others using comments. View Select whether to show gridlines and headings, and set the page zoom level. Use Tell Me To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action. Swipe right until you hear 'Tell me what you want to do,' and then double-tap the screen.

Type the command that you want. For example, type 'sort.' . To access the search results, swipe up with two fingers, then swipe right until you hear the first result. Swipe right to browse through the results, and double-tap to select one. Notes:. New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet.

To learn how you can get new features faster,. This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to. This topic assumes you are using this app with an Android phone. Some navigation and gestures might be different for an Android tablet.

In this topic. Navigate the landing view When you launch Excel for Android, create or open a workbook from the landing view. Swipe left or right to move between the elements in the landing view, and double-tap to select an item.

The landing view contains the following elements:. Top menu The top menu contains the Search and New buttons. Main content area. Tab bar The tab bar is located at the bottom of the screen, and contains the Recent, Shared, and Open tabs.

Cycle through the main screen elements To navigate between the main areas in Excel for Android, swipe right (forward) and left (backward). The main areas are:. Top menu. Worksheet table grid. Toolbar or ribbon Navigate the top menu The Excel for Android top menu bar allows you to access various commands:. Back button Close the file and return to the landing view. More options button Show the ribbon, the main way to access commands in Excel.

Find button Search for text within the worksheet or workbook. Undo button.

Share switch Share your workbook with others, or send them a copy of the document. Menu menu Access important commands, such as Save, Save As, Print, and Settings.

To exit the menu, tap the screen with two fingers. Navigate the worksheet The worksheet table grid is the main area of the Excel for Android screen. To move the focus into the worksheet, swipe right until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location. To move between cells in the table grid, swipe left or right. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell, as well as its contents. To open the context menu for the current cell, double-tap the screen.

Swipe left or right to navigate the menu, and double-tap to make a selection. To close the context menu without selecting an item, tap the screen with two fingers. Navigate the toolbar The toolbar gives you access to some frequently-used features, such as the Sheets switch, which allows you to switch between worksheets in the same workbook, and the Apply filter, Fill color, Tell me, and More options tools.

Navigate the ribbon The ribbon is the main way to access commands and options in Excel for Android. They are grouped into various tabs.

To access the ribbon tabs, swipe left or right until you hear 'More options,' then double-tap the screen. The screen reader announces the name of the current tab. To switch tabs, double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right until you hear the tab you want, and double-tap to select it. Swipe right to move into the ribbon and browse its commands and options.

Double-tap to make a selection. To hide the ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear 'More options,' and then double-tap the screen. Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:. Home Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns. Insert Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet. Formulas Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.

Data Sort and filter the data in your worksheet. Review Collaborate with others using comments. View Select whether to show gridlines and headings, and set the page zoom level. Use Tell Me To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action.

Swipe right until you hear 'Tell me,' and then double-tap the screen. Type the command that you want. For example, type 'sort.' .

To access the search results, swipe left until you hear the first result. Swipe left to browse through the results, and double-tap to select one. Notes:. New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster,. For touch capabilities in Excel Mobile, go to.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Windows screen reader, Narrator. To learn more about using Narrator, go to. This topic assumes you are using this app with a Windows phone.

Some navigation and gestures might be different for a tablet or PC. In this topic. Navigate the landing view When you launch Excel Mobile, create or open a workbook from the landing view.

You can create a new workbook, browse for an existing workbook, or open a recently-used one. Swipe left or right to move between the elements in the landing view, and double-tap to select an item. Cycle through the main screen elements To navigate between the main areas in Excel Mobile swipe right (forward) and left (backward). The main areas are:. Worksheet table grid. Sheet tabs.

Quick access commands bar. Command palette Navigate the worksheet The worksheet table grid is the main area of the Excel Mobile screen. To move the focus into the worksheet, swipe left or right until your screen reader announces 'Table grid' and a table grid cell location.

To move between cells in the table grid, swipe left or right. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell, as well as its contents.

To select the current cell, double-tap the screen. To switch between worksheets in the same workbook, swipe right until you hear 'Sheet tabs.' Swipe right until you hear the sheet you want, then double-tap the screen. To open the context menu for the selected sheet, double-tap with two fingers. Swipe left or right to navigate the menu, and double-tap to make a selection. Navigate the quick access commands bar The Excel Mobile quick access commands bar allows you to access various functions:.

File button Open the Backstage page to access important commands, such as New, Open, Save, Print, and Settings. To exit the Backstage page, swipe left until you hear 'Go back,' then double-tap the screen. Find button Search for text within the worksheet or workbook.

Share button Share your workbook with other people. Undo button Navigate the command palette The command palette is the main way to access commands and options in Excel Mobile. The commands and options are grouped into various ribbon tabs. To access the command palette, swipe left or right until you hear 'Command palette,' then double-tap the screen. To switch tabs, swipe left until you hear 'Tab selector,' then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the tab you want, and double-tap to select it.

Swipe right to move into the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Double-tap to make a selection. To hide the ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear 'More options,' and then double-tap the screen. Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:. Home Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns. Insert Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet. Formulas Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.

Data Sort and filter the data in your worksheet. Review Collaborate with others using comments. View Select whether to show gridlines and headings, and set the page zoom level. Notes:. New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet.

To learn how you can get new features faster,. For keyboard shortcuts, go to. This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Windows screen reader, Narrator. To learn more about using Narrator, go to. This topic makes note of the JAWS functionality as well. To learn more about JAWS for Windows, go to.

This topic assumes you are using this app with a PC. Some navigation and gestures might be different for a Windows phone or tablet. When you use Excel Online, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Excel Online runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands.

Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Excel Online. In this topic.

Cycle through the main areas To navigate between the main areas in Excel Online, press Ctrl+F6 (forward) and Ctrl+Shift+F6 (backward). The main areas are:. Title bar. Ribbon tabs. Worksheet table grid. Sheet tabs. Status bar Navigate the ribbon tabs The ribbon tabs are the main menu bar of Excel Online.

To reach the ribbon tabs, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear 'Ribbon tabs,' followed by the current tab's name. With JAWS, you hear only the current tab's name. To move between the tabs, use the Left and Right arrow keys. When you reach a tab, a tab-specific ribbon appears below it.

To learn how to browse the selected ribbon, go to. Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:. Home Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns. Insert Insert various functions and formulas, tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet. Data Sort and filter your data, and use tools such as data validation. Review Check the accessibility of your worksheet, and collaborate with others using comments.

View Switch on Reading View, and select whether to show gridlines and headings. In addition to the ribbon tabs, you need to access the File menu for some important commands. To open it, press Ctrl+F6 or Ctrl+Shift+F6 until you hear 'Ribbon tabs' and the current tab's name, and then press F. With JAWS, you hear only the current tab's name. The File menu opens in a new pane. To navigate the main commands, use the Up and Down arrow keys, and press Enter to select one.

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the options for that command. In the File menu, you can start a new workbook, open an existing workbook, save, share, or print the file you're currently working with, and access Excel Online options. To close the File menu and return to your worksheet, press Esc. Navigate the ribbon After navigating to the ribbon tab you want, as described in, press the Tab key to move to the ribbon, and use the Right and Left arrow keys to browse its commands and options. Press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to leave the ribbon and return to your worksheet.

Tip: It is often faster to use keyboard shortcuts to access the commands and options on each ribbon. For more information, go to. Navigate the worksheet When you open an Excel Online workbook, the focus is on the worksheet table grid. If you have moved the focus out of the worksheet, press Ctrl+F6 until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location.

Here's how you navigate inside the worksheet and between other sheets:. To move between cells in the table grid, use the arrow keys. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell as well as its contents. To open the context menu for the current cell, press Shift+F10.

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the menu, and press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to return to the worksheet. To move to the next or previous worksheet in your workbook, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the name of the current sheet tab, use the Left and Right arrow keys to find the sheet you want, and then press Enter to select it. Use Tell Me To find a command quickly, use Tell Me.

To learn more about the Tell Me feature, watch this video:. To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action. Jump to the Tell Me edit field by pressing Alt+Q.

Type the command that you want. For example, type 'bullets'. Use the Down Arrow key to browse through the results, press Enter to select one. See also Technical support for customers with disabilities Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact.