New Line in an Excel Cell (Alt+Enter / ⌃⌥Return)
To add a line break inside one Excel cell, press Alt+Enter on Windows or Control+Option+Return (⌃⌥Return) on the Mac — plain Enter just moves to the next cell.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New line inside a cell | ⌃⌥Return | Alt+Enter | |
| Move to the cell below | Return | Enter | |
| Edit the active cell | ⌃U or F2 | F2 | |
| Wrap text on / off | (Format menu) | Alt+H+W | |
| Confirm and stay in cell | ⌃Return | Ctrl+Enter |
Why plain Enter doesn't work
In Excel, pressing Enter moves the selection down to the next cell. To type a second line inside the same cell, press Alt+Enter on Windows or ⌃⌥Return (Control+Option+Return) on the Mac. Excel turns on Wrap Text automatically so both lines show.
Editing an existing cell
Double-click the cell (or press F2) to enter edit mode, click where you want the break, then press the new-line shortcut. To remove a break, put the cursor at the start of the second line and press Backspace.
FAQ
How do I start a new line in the same Excel cell?
Press Alt+Enter on Windows, or Control+Option+Return (⌃⌥Return) on the Mac, while editing the cell.
Why does Enter move me to the next cell instead?
Plain Enter confirms the cell and moves down; you need Alt+Enter (Win) or ⌃⌥Return (Mac) for a line break inside the cell.
How do I remove a line break in a cell?
Enter edit mode with F2, place the cursor at the start of the wrapped line, and press Backspace.