Windows to Mac Excel Shortcut Cheat Sheet (Free Reference)
Windows to Mac Excel Shortcut Cheat Sheet
Print this or keep it open for your first weeks on a Mac. Each row shows the Windows shortcut, the Mac equivalent, and a status: Native (works now), Swap (same key, ⌘ instead of Ctrl), Fn (needs standard function keys), or No equivalent (Windows Ribbon sequence — needs a tool).
Quick answer: Roughly 70–90% of Windows Excel shortcuts convert by pressing ⌘ where you pressed Ctrl — no tool needed. Function-key shortcuts work once you enable Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys in System Settings. Windows Alt Ribbon sequences have no Mac equivalent — install Mac Excel Shortcuts, which handles them with no setup. Only if you want the physical Ctrl key itself remapped, Karabiner-Elements (free) can do that too.
Figure: Printable Windows-to-Mac Excel shortcut cheat sheet
Editing & clipboard
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl+C | ⌘C | Swap |
| Cut | Ctrl+X | ⌘X | Swap |
| Paste | Ctrl+V | ⌘V | Swap |
| Paste Special | Ctrl+Alt+V | ⌃⌘V | Swap |
| Paste Values | Alt, H, V, V | (no shortcut) Edit → Paste Special → Values | No equivalent |
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | ⌘Z / ⌘Y | Swap |
| Repeat last action | F4 | ⌘Y or Fn+F4 | Fn |
| Fill down / right | Ctrl+D / Ctrl+R | ⌃D / ⌃R | Native |
| Edit active cell | F2 | ⌃U or Fn+F2 | Fn |
| Insert current date | Ctrl+; | ⌘; | Swap |
| Insert current time | Ctrl+Shift+; | ⌘⇧; | Swap |
Files
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save | Ctrl+S | ⌘S | Swap |
| Save As | F12 | ⌘⇧S | Fn |
| Open | Ctrl+O | ⌘O | Swap |
| New workbook | Ctrl+N | ⌘N | Swap |
| Ctrl+P | ⌘P | Swap | |
| Close workbook | Ctrl+W | ⌘W | Swap |
Selection & navigation
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select all / current region | Ctrl+A | ⌘A | Swap |
| Select entire column | Ctrl+Space | ⌃Space | Native |
| Select entire row | Shift+Space | ⇧Space | Native |
| Extend selection to edge | Ctrl+Shift+Arrow | ⌘⇧Arrow | Swap |
| Jump to edge of data | Ctrl+Arrow | ⌘Arrow | Swap |
| Go to A1 | Ctrl+Home | ⌃Fn+Left or ⌘Fn+Left | Fn |
| Next / previous sheet | Ctrl+PgDn / PgUp | ⌥→ / ⌥← | Native |
| Go To dialog | Ctrl+G / F5 | ⌃G | Native |
Formatting
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold / Italic / Underline | Ctrl+B / I / U | ⌘B / ⌘I / ⌘U | Swap |
| Format Cells dialog | Ctrl+1 | ⌘1 | Swap |
| Apply number format | Ctrl+Shift+1 | ⌃⇧1 | Native |
| Apply percentage format | Ctrl+Shift+5 | ⌃⇧5 | Native |
| Apply currency format | Ctrl+Shift+4 | ⌃⇧4 | Native |
| AutoFit column width | Alt, H, O, I | (no shortcut) Format → Column → AutoFit | No equivalent |
Formulas
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggle absolute/relative ref | F4 (while editing) | Fn+F4 or ⌘T (while editing) | Fn |
| Insert function | Shift+F3 | Fn+⇧F3 | Fn |
| Sum selected | Alt+= | ⌘⇧T or ⌥⌘= | Swap |
| Show formulas | Ctrl+` | ⌃` | Native |
| Calculate now | F9 | Fn+F9 | Fn |
Data
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggle AutoFilter | Ctrl+Shift+L / Alt, A, T | ⌃⌘L | Swap |
| Sort dialog | Alt, A, S, S | (no shortcut) Data → Sort | No equivalent |
| Create table | Ctrl+T | ⌘T | Swap |
| Group rows/columns | Alt+Shift+Right | ⌘⇧K | Swap |
| Ungroup | Alt+Shift+Left | ⌘⇧J | Swap |
| Freeze panes | Alt, W, F, F | (no shortcut) View → Freeze Panes | No equivalent |
Rows & columns
| Task | Windows | Mac | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert row/column dialog | Ctrl+Shift++ | ⌃+ | Native |
| Delete row/column dialog | Ctrl+- | ⌃- | Native |
| Hide column / row | Ctrl+0 / Ctrl+9 | ⌃0 / ⌃9 | Native |
How to close the three gaps
| Status | What to do |
|---|---|
| Swap | Press ⌘ instead of Ctrl — the equivalent already works. (Optional: remap the physical Ctrl key with Karabiner-Elements.) |
| Fn | Enable System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Function Keys → Use F1, F2, etc. as standard function keys |
| No equivalent | Install Mac Excel Shortcuts — no setup, and the Windows-style sequence works. Or use the menu path shown / record a macro. |
For a fuller command-by-command reference including Ribbon and mouse routes, see the complete Mac Excel shortcut cheat sheet.
FAQs
Is there a free Windows-to-Mac Excel shortcut cheat sheet?
Yes — this page. Copy the tables or print them. For a downloadable PDF version, see the printable Excel shortcuts reference.
What percentage of Windows Excel shortcuts work on Mac?
Around 70–90% convert with a Ctrl → ⌘ swap. Function-key shortcuts need one settings change. Only Windows Alt Ribbon sequences have no Mac equivalent.
Why do some shortcuts keep Ctrl on Mac?
Microsoft kept a handful of shortcuts (like ⌃Space for column select) on Control for backward compatibility with older Mac Office versions.
How do I make the "No equivalent" ones work?
Install Mac Excel Shortcuts — it maps the Windows-style Alt sequences to native Mac commands and needs no configuration. The free fallbacks are the menu path shown in the table or a recorded macro.