The Alt key equivalent on Mac is the Option key (⌥), but it doesn’t activate Excel ribbon shortcuts natively. To use Alt shortcuts on Mac Excel, install Accelerator Keys — then press Option followed by your shortcut sequence, just like Alt on Windows.
If you’ve switched from Windows to Mac, you’ve probably noticed that the Alt key on Mac doesn’t work the same way in Excel. On Windows, pressing Alt activates the ribbon and lets you navigate menus with keyboard shortcuts like Alt + H O I (autofit column width) or Alt + H V V (paste values). On Mac, pressing the Option key — the Alt key equivalent on Mac — does nothing in Excel’s ribbon.
This guide explains why, and how to fix it.
The Alt key on Mac is the Option key (⌥). It’s located in the same position on the keyboard — between Control and Command. In most macOS apps, Option works as a modifier key for special characters and alternate menu actions.
However, the Option key does not activate Excel’s ribbon shortcuts on Mac. This is a limitation of how Microsoft built Excel for Mac — the ribbon shortcut system (called “KeyTips” or “accelerator keys”) was never fully ported from Windows to macOS.
On Windows Excel, pressing Alt reveals letter overlays on every ribbon tab and button. You can then type a sequence like H, O, I to autofit column width — all without touching the mouse. This system is called accelerator keys or ribbon shortcuts.
Microsoft’s Mac version of Excel has a limited implementation called “KeyTips,” but it only covers a small fraction of the shortcuts available on Windows. Most of the 900+ ribbon shortcuts that power users rely on simply don’t exist natively on Mac Excel.
This is a problem for:
Accelerator Keys bridges the gap between Windows and Mac Excel. Once installed, pressing the Option key activates the ribbon — exactly like pressing Alt on Windows — and you can type the same shortcut sequences you already know.
That’s it. Every Alt shortcut you know from Windows now works on your Mac.
Here are the most commonly used Alt key shortcuts, all available on Mac with Accelerator Keys:
| Shortcut | Action | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + H O I | Autofit column width | View guide |
| Alt + H O A | Autofit row height | View guide |
| Alt + H M C | Merge & center | View guide |
| Alt + H B A | All borders | View guide |
| Alt + H H | Fill color | View guide |
| Alt + H W | Wrap text | View guide |
| Alt + H F I S | Font size | View guide |
| Shortcut | Action | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + H V V | Paste values | View guide |
| Alt + E S V | Paste values (legacy) | View guide |
| Alt + E S T | Paste transpose | View guide |
| Alt + A E | Text to columns | View guide |
| Alt + N C B | Insert checkbox | View guide |
| Alt + N V | Insert PivotTable | View guide |
| Shortcut | Action | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + W F F | Freeze panes | View guide |
| Alt + W V G | Toggle gridlines | View guide |
| Alt + H C P | Copy | View guide |
| Shortcut | Action | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + M P | Trace precedents | View guide |
| Alt + M D | Trace dependents | View guide |
These are just a few examples — Accelerator Keys supports 900+ shortcuts across all ribbon tabs. Browse the full list →
The Option key (⌥) is the Mac equivalent of the Alt key. It’s in the same position on the keyboard. However, the Option key doesn’t activate Excel ribbon shortcuts natively on Mac — you need Accelerator Keys for that.
Mac Excel has a limited “KeyTips” system, but it only covers a fraction of the shortcuts available on Windows. For the full 900+ ribbon shortcuts, you need Accelerator Keys.
Yes — with Accelerator Keys installed, you press Option (instead of Alt) followed by the exact same key sequence. Alt + H O I on Windows becomes Option + H O I on Mac.
Yes. Accelerator Keys supports both Excel and PowerPoint on Mac. The same Option key activation works in both apps.
Accelerator Keys supports macOS Big Sur (11) and later, including Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe. It works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.