Once you are editing a cell, you can use the F2 / Ctrl+U again to toggle through available edit modes (edit, enter, point). “Point” and “Enter” work similarly and allow you to point to a cell. “Edit” mode simply moves the cursor in the formula text. Pressing F2 / Ctrl+U repeatedly will cycle through modes…you’ll see the mode displayed in the status bar, in the lower left corner. On the Mac, this doesn’t seem to work in certain areas, notably Define Names, and the New Formatting Rule window when adding a conditional format that uses a formula.
Want to edit directly in the formula bar?
If you want the cursor to move into the formula bar when you use this shortcut, you need to disable the “edit in cell” option (see below): Excel 2010 File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Edit Directly In Cell (untick) Excel 2013 File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Allow Editing Directly In Cell (untick) Excel 2011 Preferences > Edit > Double-click Allows Editing Directly In Cell (untick) Excel 2007 Tools > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Allow Editing Directly In Cell (untick)
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
