Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Activating the Formula Bar with the Keyboard.
The Formula bar, just above the work area in Excel, shows the formula or value in the currently selected cell. You can click on the formula bar to edit information within a cell, if desired. What if you want to activate the Formula bar by using the keyboard, however?
The quickest way to do this is simply to press F2. This tells Excel that you want to edit the contents of a cell. When you press F2, it is highly possible that Excel will simply expand the information in the cell and allow you to edit the information directly in the cell itself. If you don't like this behavior, but instead want F2 to activate the Formula bar, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The advanced options in the Excel Options dialog box.
Now, whenever you press F2, the Formula bar is selected and you can edit the formula there using the normal editing keys. For instance, when you press F2, the insertion point will be at the end of whatever is shown in the Formula bar and you can use the arrow keys to move around. If you press Home, you'll go to the left side of whatever is in the Formula bar.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6174) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Activating the Formula Bar with the Keyboard.
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2019-01-09 02:47:52
Roger,
What's the make & model of your keyboard ?
2019-01-08 18:21:02
Roger Stone
SteveJez thanks for the comment, but in fact I've changed in the opposite direction - the laptop died and my new machine is a HP Pavilion 590 with USB keyboard. I have taken a look in the Control Panel - Keyboard Properties though, and I can't see any settings which make a difference. I also checked the Excel Options, but drew a blank.
2019-01-07 03:05:20
SteveJez
Roger,
It sounds like you're on a laptop. Most laptops use the Fn keys for dual functions, F2, in your case, is for reducing the volume from the PC speakers & when you press the Fn Key it will work as F2.
To over come this, you can go to Keyboard Properties via the Control Panel & make the F1-F12 function keys the default.
Steve
2019-01-06 08:23:18
Roger Stone
I always used to use F2 to activate the formula bar, but having trabsferred to a new computer (on Windows 10, using Office 365) I find that pressing F2 opens a pop-up to adjust the sound volume downwards, and I have to use Alt-F2 to activate the formula bar.
Is there any way I can reverse that behaviour, so F2 is back to normal usefulness?
2017-05-27 09:39:45
marshall
I have excel spread sheets in a power point presentation. When I update the data the excel graph is correct. My problem is I have a small word text along with the graph and it doesn't update the data id like listed. can that be done? i've tried all the methods to include the graph format.
thanks.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: 
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