This Simple NEW Excel Feature Will Save You So Much Time (5 Levels)
Last updated on December 02, 2024 By Victor Chan
Ever feel lost in a sea of Excel data? Instead of losing your place in big workbooks, imagine instantly highlighting the cell you’re working on.
Microsoft just dropped a much-requested feature that could transform how you work with spreadsheets.
I’ll break it down into five levels, from beginner to power user, so you can highlight cells like a pro and impress everyone in your next presentation!
You can watch my full video tutorial on YouTube here.
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Level 1: Getting Started with Focus Cell
The Focus Cell feature has been brewing in the Excel Insider channel for months. And now, it’s finally arrived in the consumer version of Excel 365. First, make sure that your Excel is up to date to access this game-changing feature.
It seems that it’s rolling out globally, and if you don’t yet have access to it, just wait a few days for it to appear.
Here’s how you activate it:
- Click on the View tab, then look for the Show group.
- Inside this group, click Focus Cell to toggle it on or off..
- Use the dropdown under Focus Cell Color to choose from the standard colors.
There are 10 standard colors available and the color applied is slightly lighter in tint that what is shown.
For example, if you pick green, it changes the focus color to light green. If you pick blue, it changes it to light blue.
The 10 standard colors are useful for simple use cases, but you’re not limited to them. There’s a secret hack to expand your color choice. Let me show you how.
Level 2: Customizing Your Focus Cell Colors
Do you want to make the Focus Cell truly yours? If so, let’s customize those colors.
Here’s why custom colors matter:
- 1. You can personalize your workspace.
- 2. You can choose colors that contrast with your data.
- 3. You can match your brand aesthetic.
Here’s how to customize your colors:
- 1. Click on the Home tab.
- 2. In the Font group, click the dropdown for Fill.
- 3. Scroll down to More Colors and click to access additional options.
- 4. Choose either Standard or Custom colors.
For a custom color, pick one and use the slider to adjust brightness. Then click OK to confirm.
Afterward:
- 1. Fill your active cell with the selected color.
- 2. Go back to the View tab.
- 3. In the Show group, click on Focus Cell and choose the custom color from the dropdown.
You’ll see the recent color appear in the Focus Cell options. Note that when applied, the shade will appear slightly lighter.
But something odd happens when you select more than one cell.
Notice that the other cells in the range aren’t highlighted the same way.
What’s going on here, and what can we do about it?
Level 3: Managing Focus Cell for Multiple Selections
When the Focus Cell is turned on and you select a range of cells, only the active cell is highlighted. The other cells in the range are greyed out.
Let me show you:
- 1. Click on a starting cell (e.g., J7), then drag to select a range (e.g., H4).
- 2. Turn on the Focus Cell feature.
- 3. The starting cell (J7) remains highlighted, while the rest of the range is greyed out.
This happens because only the active cell is highlighted.
If you want to change the active cell without deselecting the range, use these keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl + Period: Cycles through the four corners of the selected range.
- Tab: Moves to the next cell in the row (and the next row when you reach the end).
- Shift + Tab: Moves backward through the cells.
This is how you can use keyboard shortcuts to move the active cell while keeping the range unchanged.
Speaking of shortcuts, wouldn’t it be great to have one for turning the Focus Cell on and off?
Level 4: Keyboard Shortcuts for Focus Cell
Keyboard warriors, this one’s for you! Many power users prefer shortcuts over the mouse because they boost productivity and make you look like an Excel ninja.
Here’s how to toggle Focus Cell with shortcuts:
- Alt + W + E + F: Turns Focus Cell on or off.
- Alt + W + E + C: Opens the Focus Cell Color menu.
You can navigate the color picker with the arrow keys and press Enter to select.
For mnemonics:
- Alt + W (Wow), E (Excel), F (Focus).
- Alt + W (Wow), E (Excel), C (Color).
Practice these shortcuts until they become muscle memory. But don’t stop there—there’s an even better way to activate the Focus Cell.
Level 5: Using the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) for Faster Access
In Excel, there’s a handy feature called the Quick Access Toolbar, or QAT for short. Most people don’t notice it’s there because it sits in a small space, either above or below the Excel ribbon.
But it’s worth knowing about because you can create your own shortcuts with it, and it works great for the Focus Cell feature.
Here’s how to set it up:
- 1. Go to the View tab and find the Show group.
- 2. Right-click on Focus Cell and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar.
Once added, you’ll see it pop up on the QAT.
Now, you can toggle Focus Cell on and off with a single click, no matter which ribbon menu you’re currently on.
You can also add Focus Cell Color to the QAT:
- 1. Go to the dropdown next to Focus Cell Color in the View tab.
- 2. Right-click and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar.
Now you’ll be able to access both toggling the Focus Cell and changing its color from any part of the ribbon.
It gets even better. Let’s make the Quick Access Toolbar even more powerful by creating custom keyboard shortcuts for the Focus Cell feature.
- 1. Click on the QAT dropdown and select More Commands.
- 2. On the right-hand side, find Focus Cell in the list of commands and click on it.
- 3. Use the up and down arrows to reposition it.
I recommend placing frequently used commands in the first, second, or third positions.
For example:
- Put Focus Cell at position 2.
- Put Focus Cell Color at position 3.
Once you’re happy with the order, click OK to save.
Here’s how to use the keyboard with these QAT commands:
- Press Alt, and you’ll see numbers appear next to each QAT button.
- If Focus Cell is in position 2, press Alt + 2 to activate or deactivate it.
- If Focus Cell Color is in position 3, press Alt + 3 to open the color picker.
After pressing Alt + 3 you can then use the keyboard arrows (left, right, up, down) to navigate the color options and press Enter to select.
By combining the Quick Access Toolbar with these shortcuts, you can make working with Focus Cell even faster and more efficient.
What Next? Limitations of Focus Cell
The Focus Cell is great for highlighting where you are in a spreadsheet, but it currently has a few limitations:
- 1. It doesn’t work with Freeze Panes.
When you click on Freeze Panes, the Focus Cell feature disappears. You can’t toggle it back on until you turn off Freeze Panes.
- 2. It can’t highlight only rows or columns.
Sometimes, you may want to focus on a specific row or column, but the current feature doesn’t support that level of customization.
- 3. It doesn’t apply to specific ranges.
If you want to highlight cells in a very limited area, Focus Cell won’t let you restrict its scope to that range.
If you need a solution for any of these limitations and you use Excel for desktop, check out my next article. I’ll show you how to work around these issues and take your Excel skills to the next level.
Hi, I'm Victor!
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