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 app, 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
The ten conversions to learn first
If you only learn ten things this week, make it these. They cover most daily Excel work:
Copy, cut, paste, undo: Ctrl+C, X, V, Z become ⌘C, ⌘X, ⌘V, ⌘Z.
Redo: Ctrl+Y becomes ⌘Y or ⇧⌘Z.
Save and Save As: Ctrl+S becomes ⌘S, and F12 becomes ⇧⌘S (or fn+F12).
Format Cells: Ctrl+1 becomes ⌘1.
Edit the active cell: F2 becomes ⌃U (or fn+F2).
Absolute reference toggle: F4 becomes ⌘T (or fn+F4).
New line in a cell: Alt+Enter becomes ⌃⌥Return.
Insert today's date: Ctrl+; stays ⌃;, while the time uses ⌘;.
Select a column or row: Ctrl+Space stays ⌃Space, and Shift+Space is unchanged.
Toggle AutoFilter: Ctrl+Shift+L stays ⌃⇧L.
The rule of thumb: when a Windows shortcut uses Ctrl for a general action such as copy or save, the Mac version uses Command. When it uses Ctrl for a special Excel action, it often stays on Control.
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 use this sheet well
Filter by status first. Learn every Swap row before touching the others. They need no setup at all.
Fix function keys once. Enable the standard function key setting, then every Fn row starts to work. The function keys guide explains the setting.
Pick five rows per week. Choose the five commands you use most, and force yourself to use the Mac version every time. Muscle memory moves faster than a full memorisation session.
Keep the sheet visible. Print it, pin the tab, or keep it on a second display during your first weeks.
Check the keyboard itself. If you use a Windows or external keyboard, read where every key went on a Mac so Alt, Windows and Ctrl land where you expect.
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 app — 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.
What does Swap mean in the table?
It means the shortcut is the same key as on Windows, with Command pressed instead of Ctrl.
Why does the physical Ctrl key feel wrong?
On a Mac the Command key sits next to the space bar, where thumbs expect it. If you use a Windows keyboard, you can swap Option and Command in the Modifier Keys panel. The external keyboard guide shows how.
Where do I find shortcuts that are not in this sheet?
The complete Mac Excel shortcut cheat sheet lists 120 commands, and the list of shortcuts the app covers shows the Windows-style sequences that can be added.