Alt + E A M Mac Excel Shortcut: Legacy Clear Comments (2026 Guide)

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Quick Answer

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

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If you are looking for the Alt + E A M 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 M Do?

Alt + E + A + M is the legacy shortcut for Edit > Clear > Comments. It removes all comments and notes from the selected cells while preserving values, formulas, and formatting.

Legacy vs. Modern Shortcut Comparison

Shortcut	Era	Menu Path
Alt + E + A + M	Legacy (Excel 2003)	Edit > Clear > Comments
Alt + H + E + M	Modern (Ribbon)	Home > Clear > Clear Comments and Notes

Both shortcuts work with Accelerator Keys!

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

Install the Fix: Download Accelerator Keys (14-day free trial, no credit card required).
Select cells: Choose the cells with comments you want to clear.
Activate the Ribbon: Press the Option key.
Execute Sequence: Press E, then A, then M.
Result: Comments are removed, cell data remains intact.

What Gets Cleared

Clear Comments removes:

Cell comments
Notes
Threaded comments

What Stays

Clear Comments preserves:

Cell values
Formulas
All formatting
Hyperlinks

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The modern ribbon shortcut is Alt + H + E + M (Home > Clear > Clear Comments and Notes). Both work with Accelerator Keys.

Does Alt + E A M 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 + M on Mac.