Alt + E A F Mac Excel Shortcut: Legacy Clear Formats (2026 Guide)

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Quick Answer

Alt + E + A + F is a legacy pre-ribbon shortcut for Clear Formats. With Accelerator Keys, this shortcut works exactly like the modern Alt + H + E + F sequence.

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If you are looking for the Alt + E A F shortcut on Mac Excel, you may be familiar with this shortcut from older versions of Excel (2003 and earlier). This legacy shortcut still works with Accelerator Keys and maps to the modern ribbon equivalent.

What Does Alt + E A F Do?

Alt + E + A + F is the legacy shortcut for Edit > Clear > Formats. It removes all formatting from the selected cells while preserving the values and formulas.

Legacy vs. Modern Shortcut Comparison

Shortcut Era Menu Path
Alt + E + A + F Legacy (Excel 2003) Edit > Clear > Formats
Alt + H + E + F Modern (Ribbon) Home > Clear > Clear Formats

Both shortcuts work with Accelerator Keys!

Step-by-Step: How to do Alt + E A F on Mac Excel

  1. Install the Fix: Download Accelerator Keys (14-day free trial, no credit card required).
  2. Select cells: Choose the cells with formatting you want to remove.
  3. Activate the Ribbon: Press the Option key.
  4. Execute Sequence: Press E, then A, then F.
  5. Result: Formatting is removed but values remain.

Tip: Clear Formats is useful when you’ve copied data from another source and want to strip away all the original formatting while keeping the data.

What Gets Cleared

Clear Formats removes:

What Stays

Clear Formats preserves:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the modern equivalent of Alt + E A F?

The modern ribbon shortcut is Alt + H + E + F (Home > Clear > Clear Formats). Both work with Accelerator Keys.

Does Alt + E A F work natively on Mac Excel?

No, the native Mac Excel “KeyTips” does not support legacy pre-ribbon shortcuts. You need Accelerator Keys to use Alt + E + A + F on Mac.

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