How to add a line break in a cell in Excel for Mac

Question

What key combination do I have to press to create a line break in a cell in Excel for Mac 2011? The Windows combination of Alt+Enter does not work on the Mac.

score 151 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:45

151

The answer is to use Control+Option+Enter, which will create a line break in the cell.

As an alternative, Control+Command+Enter can also be used to achieve the same.

These combinations work both in Excel for Mac 2011 and the new Excel for Mac 2015.

As pointed out by Shameer in this answer, Alt+Enter now seems to work as well in the new Excel for Mac 2015.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:45

Community

1

answered Mar 07 '13 at 15:54

nwinkler

8,816

Alt+Enter works for Windows as well. Tanks. – RredCat Apr 07 '17 at 11:23
2

The Alt + Enter method does work, but I found that Word Wrap needs to be enabled on the cell, or linebreaks were ignored. – rivimey Jan 13 '20 at 17:15
1

It doesn't work for me on Mac. I have to use Shift+Command+Enter – buqing Feb 19 '21 at 21:31
@Robin thanks for posting, only one that works on my 2019 MacBook Pro. – Noumenon Nov 18 '21 at 08:11

score 12 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 13 '13 at 18:09

12

The ⌥ alt key is also the ⌥ option key on a Mac keyboard.
Hence, ⌃ control+option ⌥+↩ return works too.

edited Nov 13 '13 at 18:09

grg

201,078

answered Aug 29 '13 at 22:10

Mark Bergman

121
1
2

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 17 '15 at 09:59

5

Use Alt+Enter. It should solve your problem.

edited Jun 17 '15 at 09:59

Jawa

2,484

answered Jun 17 '15 at 05:04

esham

59

2

This seems to be a new addition in Excel for Mac 2015 (Preview) - it didn't work in Excel for Mac 2011. – nwinkler Jun 17 '15 at 06:13
2

This does NOT work for me on the Mac. I'd downvote, but rep is too low on this SE property. – quickshiftin Jun 17 '15 at 17:21
Easier and works on Excel 2016 – YvesR Oct 20 '17 at 08:26
This is the only answer that works on Excel 16.34 I'm running. – Ed Randall Mar 09 '20 at 17:23

score 3 · Answer 4 · edited Mar 07 '14 at 19:39

3

Control+option+enter

or

Command+option+enter

edited Mar 07 '14 at 19:39

dwightk

7,619
14
47
70

answered Mar 07 '14 at 19:26

user72377

39

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 17 '15 at 16:14

2

None of these seems to work. Have tried all. I am using a keyboard to interface to the Mac. I am using Office 365.

EDIT: Weirdly if I used fn+f2 to get the curser in the cell, fn+alt+cmd+return then worked...

answered Sep 17 '15 at 16:14

Suzy

21

score -1 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 28 '15 at 02:47

-1

All was wrong. Fn + Shift + Enter is the right combination .

answered Apr 28 '15 at 02:47

user123786

1

Doesn't work for me. – nwinkler May 06 '15 at 11:31

score -2 · Answer 7 · edited Jan 14 '15 at 09:27

-2

fn + ⌃ + ⌥ + ↩.

The fn causes the option key to become the alt key.

edited Jan 14 '15 at 09:27

jherran

13,284

answered Apr 02 '14 at 16:54

Martin Erb

9

1

there is already a accepted answer here, so what is it you are trying to do ? – Ruskes Apr 02 '14 at 17:04
1

FN does not cause option to become alt — option and alt is the same thing. – grg Apr 02 '14 at 18:12
You do need the FN key. – Chords Jun 04 '14 at 18:42

score -2 · Answer 8 · edited Jan 14 '15 at 09:26

-2

ctrl ⌃ + command ⌘ + return ↩ at the same time.

edited Jan 14 '15 at 09:26

jherran

13,284

answered Aug 28 '14 at 21:49

Jared

11

I tried this in Excel for Mac 2011, and it works. – nwinkler Aug 29 '14 at 06:19

score -2 · Answer 9 · answered Apr 28 '15 at 13:07

-2

In Microsoft Excel for Mac (Preview)

ctrl ^ + U

or

fn + F2

answered Apr 28 '15 at 13:07

Nika Mamulashvili

101

These don't add a line break in a call, they switch to edit mode in the cell, allowing to type text in the cell. – nwinkler May 06 '15 at 11:33

score -3 · Answer 10 · edited Aug 15 '14 at 08:02

-3

http://giffconstable.com/2013/10/mac-excel-keyboard-shortcuts/ helped me figure it out -> it turns out to be ctrl-i worked on my macbook

edited Aug 15 '14 at 08:02

nohillside

100,768

answered Aug 15 '14 at 02:05

olivier

1

How to add a line break in a cell in Excel for Mac

10 Answers10

Linked