Selecting spreadsheet cells

    To enter data into a spreadsheet, you must select one or more cells.

Selecting a single cell

    To select a cell:
    • Click the cell.
    A highlighted border appears around the active cell, and the cell's contents (or formula) appear in the entry bar, just below the document window title.

Moving between cells

      To move to   Do this    
    A cell near the active cell Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move up, down, right, or left one cell at a time.
    Or press Tab to move to the cell to the right, Shift-Tab to move to the left, Return to move down, and Shift-Return to move up.
    A specific cell Choose Go To Cell from the Options menu and type the cell address. For example, C22 indicates column C and row 22.
    The last or first cell in the current row or column Press the Command key and an arrow key.

    If you can't select a cell:
    The cell might be locked. Unlock the cell to select it. Or the cell might be in a locked row or column title. Unlock the titles to select it.

    If the active cell doesn't change when you press an arrow key:
    You might be editing cell data in the entry bar. Confirm or cancel the entry, then use the arrow keys as described above. You can also specify a spreadsheet preference to control how the arrow keys work.

Selecting multiple cells

      To select   Do this    
    A range of adjacent cells Click the first cell in the range and drag to the last cell in the range, or press Shift and an arrow key.
    An entire row or column Click the row heading (labeled with a number) or the column heading (labeled with a letter).
    From the active cell to the last or first cell in the row or column Press Shift--any arrow.
    All cells from A1 to the last containing data Press Option while clicking the box in the upper-left corner where the row and column headings intersect.
    The entire spreadsheet Click the box in the upper-left corner where the row and column headings intersect, or choose Select All from the Edit menu.

    Tip: If you name cells, you can use the name pop-up menu, located to the left of the entry bar, to quickly select those cells.

    Name pop-up menu

    If you mistakenly create a spreadsheet frame by Option-dragging:
    Delete the frame by clicking the arrow in the Tools window (choose Show Tools from the Window menu), clicking the frame, then choosing Clear from the Edit menu.

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