Excel Keyboard Shortcuts: Windows and Mac Keys That Differ

How to read Microsoft's key notation

A plus sign means press the keys together. A comma means press them in order, so Alt+H, A, C is three separate presses. Microsoft lists the shortcuts for the US keyboard layout, and other layouts may differ. On Mac, Cmd is the Command key.

Many Ctrl-based Windows shortcuts also work on Mac with the Control key, but not all of them. Microsoft's Mac table often shows two choices, such as Cmd+C or Ctrl+C for copy.

The shortcuts that are the same except for Ctrl and Cmd

Copy, paste, cut, undo and save are Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+S on Windows, with Cmd or Ctrl on Mac. Format Cells is Ctrl+1 (Mac Cmd+1 or Ctrl+1). Fill down is Ctrl+D, and the Mac accepts Cmd+D or Ctrl+D.

Some are identical on both: Flash Fill is Ctrl+E, hide rows is Ctrl+9, hide columns is Ctrl+0, and the current date is Ctrl+;. Ctrl+` toggles formula display on both systems.

The number formats also match: Ctrl+Shift+$ is currency, Ctrl+Shift+% is percentage, Ctrl+Shift+# is date, Ctrl+Shift+@ is time, Ctrl+Shift+! is number and Ctrl+Shift+~ is general. Hiding is the exception in the selection tables. There Microsoft lists Cmd+) or Ctrl+) for hiding columns, and Cmd+( or Ctrl+( for hiding rows on Mac, against Ctrl+0 and Ctrl+9 on Windows.

7 shortcuts that use different keys on each system

These are the ones to learn separately, taken from Microsoft's Windows and Mac tables:

• Current time: Ctrl+Shift+: on Windows, Cmd+; on Mac.
• Strikethrough: Ctrl+5 on Windows, Shift+Cmd+X on Mac.
• AutoSum: Alt+= on Windows, Shift+Cmd+T on Mac.
• Define a name: Alt+M, M, D on Windows, Ctrl+L on Mac.
• Center align: Alt+H, A, C on Windows, Cmd+E on Mac.
• Outline border: Ctrl+Shift+& on Windows, Cmd+Option+0 on Mac.
• New line inside a cell: Alt+Enter on Windows, Option+Return on Mac.

Paste Special has 3 Mac key choices

The Windows shortcut for the Paste Special dialog is Ctrl+Alt+V. Microsoft's Mac table gives three: Cmd+Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Option+V or Cmd+Option+V. Pick the one that does not collide with a system shortcut on your Mac.

Create table has a similar twist. Windows has Ctrl+L or Ctrl+T, while the Mac lists Cmd+T or Ctrl+T.

Function keys: F2, F4, F5, F9 and F12

F2 edits the active cell and F12 opens Save As on both systems. F4 cycles absolute and relative references. On Mac, Microsoft lists Cmd+T or F4 for it. F5 opens Go To, with Ctrl+G as the Mac alternative. F9 calculates all open workbooks, and Mac adds Cmd+= as a second option. Shift+F9 calculates the active sheet only.

Alt+F8 opens the Macro dialog (Mac Option+F8), and Alt+F11 opens the Visual Basic Editor (Mac Option+F11).

A worked example: format a 100-row sales sheet without the mouse

Take a sheet with headings in A1:D1 and numbers in A2:D100. Press Ctrl+Home to jump to A1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Down arrow to select the headings down to the last filled cell, which Microsoft describes as extending the selection to the last nonblank cell. On Mac that move is Shift+Cmd+Down arrow.

Next, Ctrl+Shift+$ applies currency format. Ctrl+T makes a table (Mac Cmd+T). Ctrl+End then jumps to the last used cell, here D100. In Windows, the sheet is now done in about 5 key combinations.

MacBook keyboards: F-keys, Fn and Scroll Lock

On a MacBook, F-keys act as system keys unless you turn on the setting called Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys. Otherwise hold Fn together with the F-key. Microsoft also says to use Fn with the arrow, Page and Delete keys where the table shows it, for example Fn+Left arrow for Home.

If the arrow keys scroll the sheet instead of moving the cell, Scroll Lock is on. On Mac, turn it off with Shift+F14. Some keyboards need Control, Option or Command instead of Shift.

When a Mac shortcut does nothing

Microsoft warns that some Mac system settings and utility apps conflict with Excel shortcuts. To free one, open System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts and clear its checkbox.

The Mac table also looks inconsistent in one place: it lists the previous-sheet shortcut as Ctrl+Page down, the same as next sheet. Option+Left arrow is the other key shown. If a shortcut seems wrong, test it before you rely on it. If you are stuck on an Excel dialog right now, Crade can read your screen and tell you which key opens it.

Google Sheets has a shortcut list built in

In Google Sheets, press Ctrl+/ on Windows or Cmd+/ on Mac to open the full list. Find and replace is Ctrl+H on Windows but Cmd+Shift+H on Mac. Next sheet is Alt+Down Arrow on Windows and Option+Down Arrow on Mac. Menu shortcuts in Chrome are Alt+letter on Windows (Alt+F for File) and Ctrl+Option+letter on Mac.

Who benefits most

Learn the 7 differing shortcuts if you share files or training notes between a Windows desk and a Mac laptop. Learn Ctrl+Arrow and Ctrl+Shift+Arrow first if you work with long lists, because they replace scrolling. If you rarely use Excel, a list of 5 or 6 shortcuts is enough. Selecting an entire column is Ctrl+Spacebar and an entire row is Shift+Spacebar on both systems, which makes those two the safest pair to teach a mixed team.