Paste Without Formatting in Excel on Mac Using This Shortcut

If you are searching for a shortcut to Paste Without Formatting in Excel on a Mac device, you have come to the right place! We’ll discuss different methods to paste without formatting in MS Excel on a Mac device. So, let’s get started!

Methods to Paste Without Formatting in Excel on Mac:

1) Built-in Shortcut (Recommended)

• Use the keyboard shortcut: Shift + Command (⌘) + V.
• This is the standard macOS shortcut for pasting plain text without any formatting from the clipboard.

2) Use Paste Special dialog

• While in the desired Excel cell, press: Control (⌃) + Command (⌘) + V.
• This opens the “Paste Special” dialog.
• For text:
  • Choose “Unicode Text” (default selection) and press Enter (⏎).
• For formulas or values:
  • Press “f” to select “Formulas” or “v” to select “Values”.
  • Then press Enter (⏎).

3) Create a macro

Disclaimer: While macros can be helpful, they require some technical knowledge and come with inherent risks. Proceed with caution, especially if you’re unfamiliar with VBA (Visual Basic for Applications).

If you frequently need to paste without formatting in Excel on Mac, you can utilize the power of macros. By recording a macro with the desired paste without formatting commands, you can streamline your workflow and save time in the long run. Here’s how you can create a macro:

Steps:

1. Record the Macro:

   • Go to Tools > Macro > Record New Macro.
   • Give your macro a descriptive name (e.g., “PasteValues”).
   • Perform the desired action:
     • Option 1: Copy your data.
     • Option 2: Select the destination cell in Excel.
     • Open the “Paste Special” dialog (Control + Command + V).
     • Choose “Values” and press Enter.
   • Click Stop Recording (Tools > Macro > Stop Recording).

2. Edit the Macro Code:

   • Go to Tools > Macro > Macros.
   • Select your newly created macro and click Edit.
   • This opens the VBA Editor window.
   • You’ll see the recorded code.
   • The relevant line will likely be:
   ActiveSheet.PasteSpecial Format:="Values", Link:=False, DisplayAsIcon:=False
   

   • Replace this line with:
   ActiveCell.PasteSpecial xlPasteValues
   

   • This simplifies the code to directly paste only values to the active cell.

3. Assign a Shortcut (Optional):

   • You can assign a keyboard shortcut for easier access.
   • In the VBA Editor window, go to Tools > Customize Keyboard.
   • Under “Categories,” select “Macros.”
   • Find your macro and assign a preferred keyboard shortcut (e.g., Command + Option + V).
   • Click Add and then Close.

Important Considerations:

• Macros involve using VBA, which requires some programming knowledge.
• Security Risk: Downloaded macros from untrusted sources can be malicious, so avoid them.
• Compatibility Issues: Macros might not work consistently across different Excel versions or computers.

4) Edit cell and paste

When working with Excel on a Mac, you can easily edit a cell and paste content without formatting by following these steps:

1. Start by selecting the cell you want to edit. You can click on the cell or use the arrow keys to navigate to it.
2. Next, press the F2 key on your keyboard (or Fn + F2 if you’re using a Mac laptop). This will activate the cell for editing.
3. Now, copy the content you want to paste without formatting from another source.
4. Finally, press the Command + V shortcut to paste the content into the cell, without any formatting applied.

It’s important to note that when you paste formulas using this method, only the value will be pasted into the cell, not the formula itself. This can be useful when you want to quickly insert calculated values without carrying over the formula.

5) Create an Automator service

In macOS, you can create an Automator service in Excel to automate the process of pasting without formatting. By using an AppleScript action, you can customize the service to specify the format you want to paste.

To create an Automator service for pasting without formatting in Excel on Mac, follow these steps:

1. Open Automator by searching for it in Spotlight or navigating to Applications > Utilities > Automator.
2. Click on “New Document” when prompted to create a new workflow.
3. Choose “Service” as the type of your workflow.
4. At the top of the Automator window, make sure that “no input” is selected in the “Service receives” dropdown menu.
5. In the left-hand pane, search for “AppleScript” and drag the “Run AppleScript” action to the right-hand pane.
6. Replace the default AppleScript code with the following:

tell application "Microsoft Excel"
  activate
  tell front window
    set paste format to paste values
    paste special paste as paste valuesicon number 3
  end tell
end tell

6. Customize the AppleScript code to specify the desired format for pasting. For example, if you want to paste as “Unicode text”, replace “paste values” with “paste unicode text”.

7. Save your Automator service by giving it a name, such as “Paste Without Formatting”.

8. Test your service by opening Excel, copying formatted text, and then selecting “Paste Without Formatting” from the Services menu (found under the application menu in the menu bar).

By creating an Automator service in macOS, you can simplify the process of pasting without formatting in Excel on your Mac. The service can be accessed with a few clicks or even assigned a custom keyboard shortcut for quicker usage.

How to Always Paste Without Formatting on Mac

If you find yourself frequently needing to paste text without formatting in Excel on Mac, there is a handy solution that allows you to override the default behavior and consistently achieve the desired result. By customizing your keyboard options through the System Preferences, you can create a new shortcut for “Paste and Match Style” with the shortcut Command+V.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Open the System Preferences on your Mac.
2. Click on the “Keyboard” icon.
3. Navigate to the “Shortcuts” tab.
4. Select “App Shortcuts” in the left-hand menu.
5. Click the “+” button to add a new shortcut.
6. In the “Menu Title” field, type “Paste and Match Style”.
7. Choose “Paste and Match Style” from the application’s Edit menu.
8. Assign the shortcut Command+V to your new shortcut.
9. Click “Add” to save the changes.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can now use Command+V to always paste without formatting in Excel on Mac. This shortcut will override the default paste behavior, ensuring that your text is pasted without any unwanted formatting.

With this simple customization, you can save time and effort when working with Excel on your Mac, allowing you to focus on your tasks without worrying about formatting inconsistencies. Try it out and see how it streamlines your workflow!

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.