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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.

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10 Answers 10

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152

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.

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  • Alt+Enter works for Windows as well. Tanks. Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 11:23
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    The Alt + Enter method does work, but I found that Word Wrap needs to be enabled on the cell, or linebreaks were ignored. Commented Jan 13, 2020 at 17:15
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    It doesn't work for me on Mac. I have to use Shift+Command+Enter Commented Feb 19, 2021 at 21:31
  • @Robin thanks for posting, only one that works on my 2019 MacBook Pro. Commented Nov 18, 2021 at 8:11
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The ⌥ alt key is also the ⌥ option key on a Mac keyboard.
Hence, ⌃ control+option ⌥+↩ return works too.

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5

Use Alt+Enter. It should solve your problem.

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  • 2
    This seems to be a new addition in Excel for Mac 2015 (Preview) - it didn't work in Excel for Mac 2011. Commented Jun 17, 2015 at 6:13
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    This does NOT work for me on the Mac. I'd downvote, but rep is too low on this SE property. Commented Jun 17, 2015 at 17:21
  • Easier and works on Excel 2016 Commented Oct 20, 2017 at 8:26
  • This is the only answer that works on Excel 16.34 I'm running. Commented Mar 9, 2020 at 17:23
3

Control+option+enter

or

Command+option+enter

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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...

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-1

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

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  • Doesn't work for me. Commented May 6, 2015 at 11:31
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ctrl ⌃ + command ⌘ + return ↩ at the same time.

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  • I tried this in Excel for Mac 2011, and it works. Commented Aug 29, 2014 at 6:19
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fn + ⌃ + ⌥ + ↩.

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

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    FN does not cause option to become alt — option and alt is the same thing. Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 18:12
  • You do need the FN key. Commented Jun 4, 2014 at 18:42
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In Microsoft Excel for Mac (Preview)

ctrl ^ + U

or

fn + F2

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  • 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. Commented May 6, 2015 at 11:33
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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

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