Create a custom keyboard shortcut for Office 2016 for Mac

You can create your own keyboard shortcuts in Office for Mac using the steps in this article.

For a list of the most commonly used default keyboard shortcuts included with each product, refer to the following resources:

• Keyboard shortcuts in Excel 2016 for Mac

• Keyboard shortcuts in Word for Mac

• Keyboard shortcuts in PowerPoint 2016 for Mac

2016 2011

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To create custom keyboard shortcuts in Office for Mac, use the built-in capability in Mac OS X.

1. From the Apple menu, click System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts.

2. Click the + sign to add a keyboard shortcut.

   

3. In the Application menu, click the Office for Mac app (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Outlook) you want to create keyboard a shortcut for.

4. Enter a Menu Title and the Keyboard Shortcut and click Add.

   

   Tip: If you aren't sure what the menu name is for a command, click Help in that app and search for what you want, which will then show you the exact menu name.

Which Office program are you using?

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

You can create a keyboard shortcut to help you quickly do a task. However, if the keyboard shortcut conflicts with a default Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, it will not work unless you turn off the Mac OS X keyboard shortcut.

Do any of the following:

Create a keyboard shortcut for a task

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize Keyboard.

2. In the Categories list, click a menu name.

3. In the Commands list, click the task that you want to assign a keyboard shortcut to.

   Any keyboard shortcuts that are currently assigned to the selected task appear in the Current keys box.

   If you prefer to use a different keyboard shortcut, add another shortcut to the list, and then use it instead.

4. In the Press new keyboard shortcut box, type a key combination that includes at least one modifier key ( , CONTROL , OPTION , SHIFT ) and an additional key, such as + OPTION + F11 .

   If you type a keyboard shortcut that is already assigned, the action assigned to that key combination appears next to Currently assigned to.

5. Click Assign.

   Notes: 

   • To cancel the keyboard shortcut assignment, press ESC .

   • Keyboard shortcut descriptions refer to the U.S. keyboard layout. Keys on other keyboard layouts might not correspond to the keys on a U.S. keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts for laptop computers might also differ.

Delete a keyboard shortcut for a task

You can delete keyboard shortcuts that you added, but you cannot delete the default keyboard shortcuts for Excel.

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize Keyboard.

2. In the Categories list, click a menu name.

3. In the Commands list, click the task that you want to delete a keyboard shortcut from.

4. In the Current keys box, click the keyboard shortcut that you want to delete, and then click Remove.

Create a keyboard shortcut to insert a symbol

You can create a keyboard shortcut for a symbol, such as the telephone symbol from the Zapf Dingbats font ( ). For example, to create a keyboard shortcut to insert the telephone symbol, you could assign COMMAND + OPTION + SHIFT + T .

1. On the Insert menu, click Symbol.

2. Click the tab with the symbol or special character that you want.

   If it is necessary, select a font on the Font pop-up menu.

3. Click the symbol or character that you want.

4. Click Keyboard Shortcut.

5. In the Press new keyboard shortcut box, type a key combination that includes at least one modifier key ( , CONTROL , OPTION , SHIFT ) and an additional key, such as + OPTION + F11 .

   If you type a keyboard shortcut that is already assigned, the action assigned to that key combination appears next to Currently assigned to.

6. Click Assign.

   Notes: 

   • To cancel the keyboard shortcut assignment, press ESC .

   • Keyboard shortcut descriptions refer to the U.S. keyboard layout. Keys on other keyboard layouts might not correspond to the keys on a U.S. keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts for laptop computers might also differ.

Delete a keyboard shortcut to insert a symbol

1. On the Insert menu, click Symbol.

2. Click the symbol or character that you want to delete a keyboard shortcut from.

3. Click Keyboard Shortcut.

4. In the Current keys box, click the keyboard shortcut that you want to delete, and then click Remove.

Reset all keyboard shortcuts

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize Keyboard.

2. To restore keyboard shortcuts to their original state, click Reset All, and then in the confirmation message, click Yes.

   Keyboard shortcuts for tasks are reset.

Turn off a Mac OS X keyboard shortcut

To use a keyboard shortcut that is the same as a default Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, you must first turn off that Mac OS X keyboard shortcut.

1. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.

2. Under Hardware, click Keyboard, and then click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.

3. For the keyboard shortcut that you want to turn off, clear the check box.

See also

Keyboard shortcuts in Word for Mac

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Office 365

PowerPoint

Do any of the following:

Create a keyboard shortcut for a task

1. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.

2. Under Hardware, click Keyboard  .

3. On the Keyboard Shortcuts tab, click Application Shortcuts, and then click Add .

4. On the Application pop-up menu, click Other, click Microsoft Office 2011, and then click Microsoft PowerPoint.

5. In the Menu Title box, type the name of the command that you want to add.

   For example, to create a keyboard shortcut for the Paragraph command on the Format menu, type Paragraph... into the box.

6. In the Keyboard Shortcut box, type a key combination that includes at least one modifier key ( , CONTROL , OPTION , SHIFT ) and an additional key, such as + OPTION + F11 , and then click Add.

   Notes: 

   • Keyboard shortcut descriptions refer to the U.S. keyboard layout. Keys on other keyboard layouts might not correspond to the keys on a U.S. keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts for laptop computers might also differ.

Delete a keyboard shortcut for a task

You can delete keyboard shortcuts that you added, but you cannot delete the default keyboard shortcuts for Excel.

1. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.

2. Under Hardware, click Keyboard  .

3. On the Keyboard Shortcuts tab, click Application Shortcuts.

4. Click the keyboard shortcut that you want to remove, and then click Delete   .

Turn off a Mac OS X keyboard shortcut

To use a keyboard shortcut that is the same as a default Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, you must first turn off that Mac OS X keyboard shortcut.

1. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.

2. Under Hardware, click Keyboard, and then click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.

3. For the keyboard shortcut that you want to turn off, clear the check box.

See also

PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Office 365

Excel

You can create a keyboard shortcut to help you quickly do a task. However, if the keyboard shortcut conflicts with a default Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, it will not work unless you turn off the Mac OS X keyboard shortcut.

Do any of the following:

Create a keyboard shortcut for a task

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize Keyboard.

2. In the Categories list, click a menu name.

3. In the list next to Categories, click the task that you want to assign a keyboard shortcut to.

   Any keyboard shortcuts that are currently assigned to the selected task appear in the Current keys box.

   If you prefer to use a different keyboard shortcut, add another shortcut to the list, and then use it instead.

4. In the Press new shortcut key box, type a key combination that includes at least one modifier key ( , CONTROL , OPTION , SHIFT ) and an additional key, such as + F11 .

   If you type a keyboard shortcut that is already assigned, the action assigned to that key combination appears next to Currently assigned to.

5. Click Add.

   Notes: 

   • To cancel the keyboard shortcut assignment, press ESC .

   • Keyboard shortcut descriptions refer to the U.S. keyboard layout. Keys on other keyboard layouts might not correspond to the keys on a U.S. keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts for laptop computers might also differ.

Delete a keyboard shortcut for a task

You can delete keyboard shortcuts that you added, but you cannot delete the default keyboard shortcuts for Excel.

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize Keyboard.

2. In the Categories list, click a menu name.

3. In the list next to Categories, click the task that you want to delete a keyboard shortcut from.

4. In the Current keys box, click the keyboard shortcut that you want to delete, and then click Remove.

Reset all keyboard shortcuts

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize Keyboard.

2. To restore keyboard shortcuts to their original state, click Reset All.

Turn off a Mac OS X keyboard shortcut

To use a keyboard shortcut that is the same as a default Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, you must first turn off that Mac OS X keyboard shortcut.

1. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.

2. Under Hardware, click Keyboard, and then click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.

3. For the keyboard shortcut that you want to turn off, clear the check box.

See also

Excel keyboard shortcuts

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Office 365