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

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Quick Answer

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

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

Alt + E + A is the legacy shortcut for Edit > Clear. It opens the Clear menu, allowing you to choose what to clear from selected cells: all content, formats, contents only, or comments.

Legacy vs. Modern Shortcut Comparison

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

Both shortcuts work with Accelerator Keys!

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

Install the Fix: Download Accelerator Keys (14-day free trial, no credit card required).
Select cells: Choose the cells you want to clear.
Activate the Ribbon: Press the Option key.
Execute Sequence: Press E, then A.
Result: The Clear menu opens with options A, F, C, M.

After pressing Alt + E + A, continue with:

Key	Action	What it Clears
A	Clear All	Everything
F	Clear Formats	Only formatting
C	Clear Contents	Only values/formulas
M	Clear Comments	Only comments

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the modern equivalent of Alt + E A?

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

Does Alt + E A 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 on Mac.