Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Excel

Read out loud symbol with the label Screen reader content. This topic is about using a screen reader with Office

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Office Support home.

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Use Excel with your keyboard and a screen reader to explore and navigate the app main views and elements, and to move between views and functions. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes:

New Office 365 features are released gradually to Office 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

Cycle through the main areas

To navigate between the main areas in Excel, press F6 (forward) and Shift+F6 (backward). The main areas are:

Worksheet table grid
Sheet tabs
Status bar
Ribbon tabs

Navigate the ribbon tabs

The ribbon tabs are the main menu bar of Excel. To reach the ribbon tabs, press F6 until you hear "Ribbon tabs," followed by the current tab's name. With JAWS, you hear "Upper ribbon." To move between the tabs, use the Left and Right arrow keys. When you reach a tab, a tab-specific ribbon appears below it. To learn how to browse the selected ribbon, go to Navigate the ribbon.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:

Home

Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.
Insert

Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet.
Page Layout

Set the margins, orientation, and size of the worksheet page.
Formulas

Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.
Data

Import data from various sources, sort and filter it, and use data tools such as removing duplicate rows.
Review

Check the spelling and accessibility of your worksheet, and collaborate with others using comments and notes.
View

Select a view such as Normal View or Page Layout view, and set the page zoom level.
Help

Open the Microsoft Excel Help, contact support, and leave feedback.

In addition to the ribbon tabs, you need to access the File menu for some important commands. To open it, press Alt+F. The File menu opens in a new pane. To navigate the main commands, use the Up and Down arrow keys, then use the Tab key and Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the options for that command.

In the File menu, you can start a new workbook, open an existing workbook, save, share, or print the file you're currently working with, and access Excel options. To close the File menu and return to your worksheet, press Esc.

Navigate the ribbon

After navigating to the right ribbon tab as described in Navigate the ribbon tabs, press the Tab key to move to the ribbon and browse its commands and options. You can press Shift+Tab to move backwards. Press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to leave the ribbon and return to your worksheet.

Tip: It is often faster to use keyboard shortcuts to access the commands and options on each ribbon. For more information, go to Keyboard shortcuts in Excel for Windows.

Navigate the worksheet

When you open an Excel workbook, the focus is on the worksheet table grid. If you have moved the focus out of the worksheet, press F6 until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location. Here's how you navigate inside the worksheet and between other sheets and workbooks:

To move between cells in the table grid, use the arrow keys. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell as well as its contents.
To open the context menu for the current cell, press Shift+F10. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the menu, and press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to return to the worksheet.
To move to the next or previous worksheet in your workbook, press F6 until you hear the name of the current sheet tab, use the Left and Right arrow keys to find the right sheet, and press Enter to select it.
To switch to the next workbook when more than one workbook is open, press Ctrl+F6. Your screen reader announces the name of the workbook.

Tip: To quickly move the focus to the first floating shape such as a text box or an image, press Ctrl+Alt+5. Then, to cycle through the floating shapes, press the Tab key. To return to the normal navigation, press Esc.

Use Tell Me

To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To learn more about the Tell Me feature, watch this video: Using Tell Me to get things done quickly with a screen reader and keyboard.

To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:

Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action.
Jump to the Tell Me edit field by pressing Alt+Q.
Type the command that you want. For example, type "bullets".
Use the Down Arrow key to browse through the results, press Enter to select one.

In this topic

Navigate the main view
Navigate the ribbon tabs
Navigate the ribbon
Navigate between views
Explore a workbook

Navigate the main view

To navigate the main view in Excel, press F6 (forward) and Shift+F6 (backward). The focus moves through the following areas in the main view:

Quick access toolbar at the top of the screen
Current tab on the ribbon
Name box on the toolbar
Worksheet table grid
Status bar

Navigate the ribbon tabs

The ribbon tabs are the main menu bar of Excel. To reach the ribbon tabs, press F6 until you hear the currently select tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." To move between the tabs, use the Left and Right arrow keys. To select a tab, press Spacebar. A tab-specific ribbon appears below it. To learn how to browse the selected ribbon, go to Navigate the ribbon.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:

File

The File menu contains, for example, options for creating and saving workbooks, and access to Excel settings.
Home

Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.
Insert

Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet.
Layout

Set the margins, orientation, and size of the worksheet page.
Formulas

Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.
Data

Import data from various sources, sort and filter it, and use data tools such as removing duplicate rows.
View

Set the orientation or margin of your worksheet, select a theme, and access the Learning Tools.

Navigate the ribbon

After navigating to the right ribbon tab as described in Navigate the ribbon tabs, press the Tab key to move to the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Press Shift+Tab to move backwards. Press Spacebar to make a selection or press F6 to leave the ribbon.

Tip: It is often faster to use keyboard shortcuts to access the commands and options on each ribbon. For more information, go to Keyboard shortcuts in Excel for Mac.

Navigate between views

In addition to the main view, Excel has the following commonly used views:

When you open the Excel app, you land in the Start page. From the Start page, you can create a new workbook, browse templates, open an existing workbook, and access your account info.

To return to the Start menu later, press F6 until you hear "File button," and then press Spacebar. You hear: "Open new and recent files." To navigate in the menu, press the Tab key or the Right or Left arrow key. To make a selection, press Spacebar.
In the File menu, you can start a new workbook, save, share, or print the file you're currently working with, and access Excel options.

To open File menu, press Control+Option+M. The focus moves to the Apple menu bar. Press the Tab key until you hear: "File," and then press Spacebar. To navigate the File menu, use the Up and Down arrow keys. To open a submenu, press the Right arrow key. To select, press Spacebar.

To close the File menu and return to your worksheet, press Esc.
In the Excel Preferences window, you can access Excel settings such as AutoCorrect and ribbon options.

To open the Excel Preferences window, press Command+Comma (,). Press the Tab key to move in the window. To select a setting, press Spacebar. The setting dialog opens. To navigate the setting dialog, press the Tab key or the arrow keys. To make a selection, press Spacebar.

To close the Excel Preferences window and return to your worksheet, press Esc.

Explore a workbook

When you open a Excel workbook, the focus is on the content area. If you have moved the focus out of the content area, press F6 until you hear "Edit text," followed by the insertion point in the worksheet. There are several ways to navigate inside the content area:

Use keyboard shortcuts

For the full list of navigation shortcuts, go to Keyboard shortcuts in Excel for Mac.

When focus is on the worksheet table grid, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key to interact with the content:

To move to the beginning of the worksheet, press Control+Home or Control+Fn+Left arrow key.
To move one cell up, down, left, or right, press the arrow keys.
To move to the last cell in use on the sheet, press Command+Down or Up arrow key.
To move to the next worksheet in a workbook, press Option+Right arrow key or Control+Page Down.
To move to the previous worksheet in a workbook, press Option+Left arrow key or Control+Page Up.

Use VoiceOver Rotor, Quick Nav, or Item Chooser

You can use the VoiceOver features such as Rotor, Quick Nav, or Item Chooser to navigate directly to an item. For example, you can go directly to a chart, table, or link.

To open the Rotor, press Control+Option+U.
To open the Item Chooser, press Control+Option+I.
To activate the Quick Nav, press the Left and Right arrow keys at the same time.

For more information on how to use the VoiceOver features, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.

In this topic

Navigate the landing view
Cycle through the main screen elements
Navigate the top menu
Navigate the worksheet
Navigate the toolbar
Navigate the ribbon
Use Tell Me

Navigate the landing view

When you launch Excel for iOS, create or open a workbook from the landing view. Swipe left or right to move between the elements in the landing view, and double-tap to select an item. The landing view contains the following elements:

Main content area
Tab bar

The tab bar is located at the bottom of the screen, and contains the New, Recent, Shared, Open, and Settings tabs.

Cycle through the main screen elements

To navigate between the main areas in Excel for iOS, swipe right (forward) and left (backward). The main areas are:

Top menu
Worksheet table grid
Toolbar or ribbon

Navigate the top menu

The Excel for iOS top menu bar allows you to access various commands:

Close file button

Close the file and return to the landing view.
Undo button
Show ribbon button
Find button

Search for text within the worksheet or workbook.
Share menu

Share your workbook with others, or send them a copy of the document.
File menu

Access important commands, such as Save a Copy, Export, and Print. To exit the File menu, swipe left or right until you hear "Done," then double-tap the screen.

Navigate the worksheet

The worksheet table grid is the main area of the Excel for iOS screen. To move the focus into the worksheet, swipe right until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location.

To move between cells in the table grid, swipe left or right. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell, as well as its contents.
To open the context menu for the current cell, double-tap and hold. Swipe left or right to navigate the menu, and double-tap to make a selection.

Navigate the toolbar

The toolbar gives you access to some frequently-used features, such as the Sheets button, which allows you to switch between worksheets in the same workbook, and the Apply filter, Fill color, Tell me what you want to do, and Show ribbon buttons.

Navigate the ribbon

The ribbon is the main way to access commands and options in Excel for iOS. They are grouped into various tabs.

To access the ribbon tabs, swipe left or right until you hear "Show ribbon," then double-tap the screen.

The screen reader announces the name of the current tab.
To switch tabs, double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right until you hear the tab you want, and double-tap to select it.
Swipe right to move into the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Double-tap to make a selection.
To hide the ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear "Hide ribbon," and then double-tap the screen.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:

Home

Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.
Insert

Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet.
Formulas

Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.
Data

Sort and filter the data in your worksheet.
Review

Collaborate with others using comments.
View

Select whether to show gridlines and headings, and set the page zoom level.

Use Tell Me

To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:

Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action.
Swipe right until you hear "Tell me what you want to do," and then double-tap the screen.
Type the command that you want. For example, type "sort."
To access the search results, swipe up with two fingers, then swipe right until you hear the first result. Swipe right to browse through the results, and double-tap to select one.

In this topic

Navigate the landing view
Cycle through the main screen elements
Navigate the top menu
Navigate the worksheet
Navigate the toolbar
Navigate the ribbon
Use Tell Me

Navigate the landing view

When you launch Excel for Android, create or open a workbook from the landing view. Swipe left or right to move between the elements in the landing view, and double-tap to select an item. The landing view contains the following elements:

Top menu

The top menu contains the Search and New buttons.
Main content area
Tab bar

The tab bar is located at the bottom of the screen, and contains the Recent, Shared, and Open tabs.

Cycle through the main screen elements

To navigate between the main areas in Excel for Android, swipe right (forward) and left (backward). The main areas are:

Top menu
Worksheet table grid
Toolbar or ribbon

Navigate the top menu

The Excel for Android top menu bar allows you to access various commands:

Back button

Close the file and return to the landing view.
More options button

Show the ribbon, the main way to access commands in Excel.
Find button

Search for text within the worksheet or workbook.
Undo button
Share switch

Share your workbook with others, or send them a copy of the document.
Menu menu

Access important commands, such as Save, Save As, Print, and Settings. To exit the menu, tap the screen with two fingers.

Navigate the worksheet

The worksheet table grid is the main area of the Excel for Android screen. To move the focus into the worksheet, swipe right until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location.

To move between cells in the table grid, swipe left or right. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell, as well as its contents.
To open the context menu for the current cell, double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right to navigate the menu, and double-tap to make a selection. To close the context menu without selecting an item, tap the screen with two fingers.

Navigate the toolbar

The toolbar gives you access to some frequently-used features, such as the Sheets switch, which allows you to switch between worksheets in the same workbook, and the Apply filter, Fill color, Tell me, and More options tools.

Navigate the ribbon

The ribbon is the main way to access commands and options in Excel for Android. They are grouped into various tabs.

To access the ribbon tabs, swipe left or right until you hear "More options," then double-tap the screen.

The screen reader announces the name of the current tab.
To switch tabs, double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right until you hear the tab you want, and double-tap to select it.
Swipe right to move into the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Double-tap to make a selection.
To hide the ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear "More options," and then double-tap the screen.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:

Home

Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.
Insert

Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet.
Formulas

Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.
Data

Sort and filter the data in your worksheet.
Review

Collaborate with others using comments.
View

Select whether to show gridlines and headings, and set the page zoom level.

Use Tell Me

To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:

Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action.
Swipe right until you hear "Tell me," and then double-tap the screen.
Type the command that you want. For example, type "sort."
To access the search results, swipe left until you hear the first result. Swipe left to browse through the results, and double-tap to select one.

In this topic

Navigate the landing view
Cycle through the main screen elements
Navigate the worksheet
Navigate the quick access commands bar
Navigate the command palette

Navigate the landing view

When you launch Excel Mobile, create or open a workbook from the landing view. You can create a new workbook, browse for an existing workbook, or open a recently-used one. Swipe left or right to move between the elements in the landing view, and double-tap to select an item.

Cycle through the main screen elements

To navigate between the main areas in Excel Mobile swipe right (forward) and left (backward). The main areas are:

Worksheet table grid
Sheet tabs
Quick access commands bar
Command palette

Navigate the worksheet

The worksheet table grid is the main area of the Excel Mobile screen. To move the focus into the worksheet, swipe left or right until your screen reader announces "Table grid" and a table grid cell location.

To move between cells in the table grid, swipe left or right. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell, as well as its contents.
To select the current cell, double-tap the screen.
To switch between worksheets in the same workbook, swipe right until you hear "Sheet tabs." Swipe right until you hear the sheet you want, then double-tap the screen. To open the context menu for the selected sheet, double-tap with two fingers. Swipe left or right to navigate the menu, and double-tap to make a selection.

Navigate the quick access commands bar

The Excel Mobile quick access commands bar allows you to access various functions:

File button

Open the Backstage page to access important commands, such as New, Open, Save, Print, and Settings. To exit the Backstage page, swipe left until you hear "Go back," then double-tap the screen.
Find button

Search for text within the worksheet or workbook.
Share button

Share your workbook with other people.
Undo button

Navigate the command palette

The command palette is the main way to access commands and options in Excel Mobile. The commands and options are grouped into various ribbon tabs.

To access the command palette, swipe left or right until you hear "Command palette," then double-tap the screen.
To switch tabs, swipe left until you hear "Tab selector," then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the tab you want, and double-tap to select it.
Swipe right to move into the ribbon and browse its commands and options. Double-tap to make a selection.
To hide the ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear "More options," and then double-tap the screen.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:

Home

Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.
Insert

Insert tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet.
Formulas

Add various functions and formulas to your worksheet.
Data

Sort and filter the data in your worksheet.
Review

Collaborate with others using comments.
View

Select whether to show gridlines and headings, and set the page zoom level.

In this topic

Cycle through the main areas
Navigate the ribbon tabs
Navigate the ribbon
Navigate the worksheet
Use Tell Me

Cycle through the main areas

To navigate between the main areas in Excel Online, press Ctrl+F6 (forward) and Ctrl+Shift+F6 (backward). The main areas are:

Title bar
Ribbon tabs
Worksheet table grid
Sheet tabs
Status bar

Navigate the ribbon tabs

The ribbon tabs are the main menu bar of Excel Online. To reach the ribbon tabs, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Ribbon tabs," followed by the current tab's name. With JAWS, you hear only the current tab's name. To move between the tabs, use the Left and Right arrow keys. When you reach a tab, a tab-specific ribbon appears below it. To learn how to browse the selected ribbon, go to Navigate the ribbon.

Here's a list of the most common tabs and some examples of what you can do on each tab:

Home

Format and align text and numbers, and add new rows and columns.
Insert

Insert various functions and formulas, tables, pictures, shapes, and charts into your worksheet.
Data

Sort and filter your data, and use tools such as data validation.
Review

Check the accessibility of your worksheet, and collaborate with others using comments.
View

Switch on Reading View, and select whether to show gridlines and headings.

In addition to the ribbon tabs, you need to access the File menu for some important commands. To open it, press Ctrl+F6 or Ctrl+Shift+F6 until you hear "Ribbon tabs" and the current tab's name, and then press F. With JAWS, you hear only the current tab's name. The File menu opens in a new pane. To navigate the main commands, use the Up and Down arrow keys, and press Enter to select one. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the options for that command.

In the File menu, you can start a new workbook, open an existing workbook, save, share, or print the file you're currently working with, and access Excel Online options. To close the File menu and return to your worksheet, press Esc.

Navigate the ribbon

After navigating to the ribbon tab you want, as described in Navigate the ribbon tabs, press the Tab key to move to the ribbon, and use the Right and Left arrow keys to browse its commands and options. Press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to leave the ribbon and return to your worksheet.

Tip: It is often faster to use keyboard shortcuts to access the commands and options on each ribbon. For more information, go to Keyboard shortcuts in Excel Online.

Navigate the worksheet

When you open an Excel Online workbook, the focus is on the worksheet table grid. If you have moved the focus out of the worksheet, press Ctrl+F6 until your screen reader announces a table grid cell location. Here's how you navigate inside the worksheet and between other sheets:

To move between cells in the table grid, use the arrow keys. Your screen reader announces the column and row of each cell as well as its contents.
To open the context menu for the current cell, press Shift+F10. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the menu, and press Enter to make a selection or press Esc to return to the worksheet.
To move to the next or previous worksheet in your workbook, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the name of the current sheet tab, use the Left and Right arrow keys to find the sheet you want, and then press Enter to select it.

Use Tell Me

To find a command quickly, use Tell Me. To learn more about the Tell Me feature, watch this video: Using Tell Me to get things done quickly with a screen reader and keyboard.

To use Tell Me to find a command, follow these steps:

Select the cell or range of cells where you want to perform an action.
Jump to the Tell Me edit field by pressing Alt+Q.
Type the command that you want. For example, type "bullets".
Use the Down Arrow key to browse through the results, press Enter to select one.

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

Monday, January 14, 2019