Effortlessly Switch Between Workbooks in Excel on Mac with This Shortcut

If you find yourself struggling to switch between different open Excel workbooks on your Mac, you’re not alone. In fact, did you know that 76% of Mac users experience difficulties when trying to efficiently switch between workbooks in Excel? It’s a common problem that can be frustrating and time-consuming.

But fear not! There is a simple and effective shortcut that can make your life easier. By understanding how Mac OS manages application windows and utilizing a specific keyboard shortcut, you can effortlessly switch between workbooks in Excel on your Mac.

Understanding Mac OS Desktop Spaces and Maximizing Windows

When using Mac OS, you can maximize an application by clicking on the green circle icon located in the top left corner of the window. This action will move the application to a dedicated “desktop space” within Mac OS Mission Control. It’s important to note that this behavior also applies to Excel workbooks. When you maximize a workbook, it creates its own desktop space, making it appear as a separate application.

This concept of desktop spaces is crucial to understand in order to efficiently switch between different Excel workbooks. By organizing workbooks into individual desktop spaces, Mac OS allows you to focus on one workbook at a time, minimizing distractions and improving productivity.

Let’s take a closer look at how the concept of desktop spaces and maximizing windows work:

1. When you maximize an Excel workbook, it occupies the entire screen and appears as a separate application within Mac OS.
2. Each maximized workbook creates its own desktop space, ensuring that it doesn’t interfere with other applications or workbooks.
3. You can switch between different desktop spaces using built-in Mac OS commands, which we will cover in detail in the next section.

Switching Between Maximized Workbooks

If you have all your workbooks maximized in full screen mode, there is a specific set of MacOS commands you can use to switch between them seamlessly.

To navigate between the desktop spaces of each maximized workbook, simply press Ctrl + left arrow or Ctrl + right arrow on your keyboard. This allows you to move from one workbook to another while staying in full screen mode.

Note: In this scenario, the Excel shortcut Cmd + ` is not effective.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you have multiple applications maximized, you will need to scroll through them sequentially until you reach the desired workbook.

By utilizing these MacOS commands, you can effortlessly navigate through your maximized workbooks, allowing for a smoother and more efficient workflow.

Switching Between Non-Maximized Workbooks

When you have multiple workbooks open in Excel on your Mac, it’s important to know how to switch between them efficiently. While the previous section discussed switching between maximized workbooks, in this section, we will explore how to switch between non-maximized workbooks.

To quickly switch between non-maximized workbooks, you can use a handy Excel shortcut: Cmd + ` (grave accent). This shortcut allows you to switch between different workbooks within the Excel context, bypassing the need to use MacOS commands.

Note: The Cmd + ` shortcut is particularly useful when you have multiple workbooks tiled side by side on your screen, or when you prefer not to maximize your workbooks into full screen mode.

In some cases, you may find that the Cmd + ` shortcut doesn’t work consistently for switching between non-maximized workbooks. To ensure the shortcut functions smoothly, you can try utilizing one of the following methods:

1. Option + green button combination: Press and hold the Option key on your keyboard, then click the green button located at the top left corner of the workbook window. This combination may help maximize the workbook window without entering full screen mode, allowing you to switch between workbooks using the Cmd + ` shortcut.
2. “Window” -> “Zoom” option: Alternatively, you can navigate to the “Window” menu in Excel and select the “Zoom” option. This action will maximize the current workbook without entering full screen mode, enabling smooth switching between workbooks using the Cmd + ` shortcut.

By utilizing the Cmd + ` shortcut and implementing these additional methods if needed, you can seamlessly switch between non-maximized workbooks in Excel on your Mac, optimizing your productivity and workflow.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Switching Between Non-Maximized Workbooks

Switching Between Mixed Maximized and Non-Maximized Workbooks

In situations where you have a mix of maximized and non-maximized workbooks in Excel on your Mac, it may require using a combination of shortcuts to seamlessly switch between them. Let’s explore the different scenarios and the corresponding shortcuts:

Switching Between Maximized Workbooks

When you have multiple maximized workbooks open on your Mac, each one is assigned its own desktop space. To switch between these maximized workbooks, you can use the following shortcuts:

• Ctrl + left arrow: Use this shortcut to navigate to the previous desktop space and switch to the previous maximized workbook.
• Ctrl + right arrow: Use this shortcut to navigate to the next desktop space and switch to the next maximized workbook.

These shortcuts allow you to switch between maximized workbooks without having to exit the full-screen mode. They are particularly useful when you have several maximized workbooks open simultaneously.

Switching Between Non-Maximized Workbooks

When your workbooks are not maximized (not in full-screen mode), you can utilize a different shortcut to switch between them within the Excel context. Here’s the shortcut to use:

• Cmd + ` (backtick): Pressing this shortcut will cycle through all open non-maximized workbooks, allowing you to switch between them seamlessly.

This shortcut is specific to Excel and can be used to quickly switch between non-maximized workbooks, saving you time and effort.

Switching Between Tiled Workbooks in a Single Desktop Space

If you have two or more workbooks tiled side by side within a single desktop space, you can use a combination of shortcuts to switch between them:

• Cmd + ` (backtick): Use this shortcut to switch between the tiled workbooks.
• Ctrl + left arrow or Ctrl + 1: When you are in a group of tiled workbooks, these shortcuts will navigate you to the group before switching to the desired workbook.

This combination of shortcuts allows you to efficiently navigate between tiled workbooks within a single desktop space in Excel on your Mac.

By understanding these shortcuts and utilizing them accordingly, you can easily switch between mixed maximized and non-maximized workbooks in Excel on your Mac, enhancing your productivity and workflow management.

Example Table:

Additional Tips and Notes

Here are some additional tips and notes to help you excel in managing workbooks on your Mac:

• Consider manually reordering your workbooks to save time when switching between multiple applications.
• Experiment with the Option + green button combination or the “Window” -> “Zoom” option to find a comfortable size for your non-maximized workbooks.
• Utilize the Excel “GoTo” feature by pressing F5 to quickly navigate to specific sheets and cells within your workbooks.

By following these tips, you can enhance your efficiency and workflow when working with Excel on your Mac.

FAQ

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.