That Damn Delete Key in Excel for Mac

Where is the delete button on Mac - ExcelI have no earthy idea why it took me so long to figure out how to delete the contents of a cell or range in Excel for Mac. Ever since I bought my MacBook Pro I’ve known the Delete key on a Mac isn’t really a Delete key.

I mean, since my background is with Windows, I have ingrained knowledge on how the Delete Key works on a computer. Ingrained, I tell you.

But all of that knowledge was shattered upon getting a Mac.

Where Is the Excel Delete Button on Mac

After some consternation, I learned where is the delete button on a Mac. To press the delete button on Mac computers you have to hold down the fn key and the Delete key at the same time when you want to delete something on a Mac. (Skip to video)

After a while, you get used to the idea that the Delete key on a Mac is really a backspace key and using fn+Delete gives you the real Delete key action. 🙂

Of course if you’re a long time Mac user you probably think I’m cuckoo. But hey, this is my blog, think what you like. I’m not the only one who’s decided to start using a Mac after a lifetime of Windows abuse use.

Excel for Mac

Anyway, when using Excel on a Mac — I’ve got versions 2008 and 2011 — you run into a learning curve with all the unusual shortcut keys, function keys (1, 2), and menu and ribbon things that are different from the Windows version of Excel. So there’s a tendency to forget about how the Delete key works on a Mac.

I mean, this is Excel we’re talking about here. Hitting the Delete key is supposed to delete the contents of the active cell, for cryin’ out loud.

In Excel for Mac it does that, but the cursor also gets stuck inside the cell in edit mode. You have to hit the enter key to finish deleting the contents, but this act also moves the active cell to the next cell down.

And if you’ve selected a range and hit the Delete key, the active cell contents are deleted and the cursor is stuck inside the cell in edit mode. You have to hit the Enter key, which does nothing but take you to the next cell. The range contents are still there, with the exception of the active cell.

Not the kind of behavior that occurs in Excel for Windows.

How to Delete Cell and Range Contents in Excel for Mac

The trick is to remember that fn+Delete is really a keyboard shortcut to the Delete key on a Mac. Then the world rights itself and the planets align. Frustration abates. You’ve finally found the magic. Your mojo is back!

Watch this 54 second video to see what I’ve been babbling about for the past 454 words.


YouTube link

90 thoughts on “That Damn Delete Key in Excel for Mac”

  1. I know this is an old thread, but I just spent the last few weeks assembling a list of Windows and Mac Excel shortcuts. Right now, the list is just over 200* shortcuts: https://exceljet.net/keyboard-shortcuts

    Seems like every time I look at the list, I find a problem to fix, but it’s a start. Hope it’s useful for those who need to use both platforms.

    * I took a pretty granular approach, so some shortcuts are near duplicates (e.g. selecting columns in a table and selecting columns in the worksheet are listed separately, but the behavior is a little different)

  2. You’re my hero!! Thanks for the tips. Have been using a Mac for a year now after years and years of Windows which I was quite proficient in and these little differences drive me crazy!! You have a new fan. 🙂

  3. Finally! Thank you. This has been bothering me for like 4 years. I don’t know why I waited so long to try to figure out how to delete multiple selected cells. Again, thank you!

  4. Note that there is a Windows-style “Delete” key on the full-size Mac keyboards, in it’s usual place to the left of the End key. (It’s labeled with a funny-looking symbol instead of “Delete”, and is referred to in most documentation as “Forward Delete”.) This key functions exactly as Delete on a Windows keyboard and Fn-Delete on the laptop/wireless Mac keyboards. The full-size model also has a 10-key number pad for those who prefer them, though some of the operator keys are misplaced relative to the PC layout which can take some getting used to.

  5. Thanks a lot. It is somehow intuitive but it is not in some way! That is why I searched for it and found your very useful post.

    Thanks.

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