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Navigation shortcut
Cycle between the sheet, ribbon, and task panes
F6 on Windows, F6 on Mac.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1100 · Proficient
When to use it
Cycles keyboard focus between the worksheet, the ribbon, the status bar, and any open task panes.
The shape of it
- Windows
F6
- Mac
F6
Worked examples
Reach the ribbon
Press F6 → Focus moves to the ribbon tabs
Arrow keys then move between tabs.
Status bar
F6 again → Focus moves to the status bar
Zoom and view controls are reachable.
Task panes
With the PivotTable Fields pane open, F6 until it is focused → Fields can be checked with Space
Keyboard-only pivot building.
Worth knowing
- Shift + F6 cycles backwards.
- Alt is faster for reaching a specific ribbon command.
- Useful when a pane traps the mouse focus.
Where it goes wrong
- With no panes open it feels like nothing happens.
- In a split window, F6 also cycles between the panes.
Related
Learn the moves here — or let Wauvel run them on your numbers.
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