Arrow Keys Not Working in Excel? How to Fix It

Arrow keys not working in Excel usually means Excel is receiving the keys, but a mode or setting is changing what they do. Instead of moving from cell to cell, the arrows can scroll the sheet, edit inside one cell, extend a range, or move through a menu. Start with Scroll Lock, then clear the Excel modes and keyboard settings that cause the same problem.

1. Turn Off Scroll Lock First

Scroll Lock is the first setting to check when the arrow keys scroll the worksheet instead of moving the active cell.

1.Look at the Excel status bar for Scroll Lock.
2.Press the Scroll Lock key on your keyboard. It can be labeled ScrLk.
3.Press an arrow key again. The active cell should move instead of the worksheet scrolling.

If Scroll Lock is missing from the status bar, right-click the status bar, open Customize Status Bar, and select Scroll Lock. When it appears on the status bar, turn it off with the keyboard key or the on-screen key.

2. Use the On-Screen Keyboard When ScrLk Is Missing

On Windows 11: Open Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, turn on On-Screen keyboard, then select ScrLk.
With a Windows shortcut: Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + O, then select ScrLk on the On-Screen Keyboard.
On Mac: Press Shift + F14. If that does not send Scroll Lock, try Control + F14, Option + F14, or Command + F14. Hold Fn first when your keyboard requires it. On a MacBook, plug in a USB keyboard when the F14 combination is not available.

Compact keyboards and many laptops do not include a dedicated Scroll Lock key. Windows and Mac both give you another way to send it.

3. Exit Edit and Selection Modes

Match the status bar message to the mode, then turn that mode off.

When arrows move only inside the current cell, Excel is in cell editing mode. Press Enter to complete the edit, or press Esc to cancel it, then use the arrow keys again.
If the arrows keep selecting cells instead of moving one cell at a time, check the status bar. Press F8 to turn off Extended Selection. Press Shift + F8 to stop adding cells or ranges to a nonadjacent selection.
If End appears in the status bar and the arrows jump to the next nonblank edge, press End to turn off End mode. You can also press one arrow key once to complete the End-mode move.

4. Return Focus to the Worksheet

1.Press Esc to close the open menu or dialog.
2.Click a worksheet cell, then test the arrow keys again.

Arrow keys follow the active part of Excel. If the ribbon, a menu, a drop-down, or a dialog has focus, the arrows move through commands instead of worksheet cells.

5. Check the Keyboard Outside Excel

Open another app and test the arrow keys. If they fail outside Excel too, fix the keyboard or operating system setting first.

On Windows: Open Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, then turn off Sticky Keys and Filter Keys if they are enabled. For a USB keyboard, unplug it, wait for the driver to unload, plug it back in, try a different USB port, connect directly without a USB hub, and inspect the cable. For Bluetooth, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices, turn Bluetooth off, wait 10 seconds, turn it on, then re-pair the keyboard if needed.
On Mac: Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit, turn on Show Input menu in menu bar, then confirm the correct layout from the Input menu. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and review Sticky Keys and Slow Keys. Open Accessibility > Pointer Control and turn off Mouse Keys if it is enabled.

To test key input on Mac, open the Input menu in the menu bar, choose Show Keyboard Viewer, and press the arrow or function keys while watching the viewer.

6. Test Add-ins in Excel Safe Mode

1.Hold Ctrl and double-click the Excel shortcut.
2.Select Yes when Excel asks to start in Safe Mode.
3.Test the arrow keys in Excel Safe Mode.

You can also press Windows + R, type excel /safe, and select OK.

Use Safe Mode after Scroll Lock, edit mode, selection mode, focus, and keyboard settings are cleared. Safe Mode starts Excel without add-ins and startup customizations.

If the keys work in Safe Mode, open Excel normally and go to File > Options > Add-ins. Next to Manage, choose Excel Add-ins, select Go, clear the add-in checkbox, and select OK. For COM add-ins, choose Manage > COM Add-ins > Go, clear the add-in checkbox, select OK, then restart Excel.

7. Fix Excel for the Web

If arrow keys fail only in Excel for the web, disable browser extensions and reload the workbook.

In Microsoft Edge: Select Extensions > Manage extensions, then turn off the toggle next to the extension.
In Chrome: Open More > Extensions > Manage extensions, then turn off or remove the extension.
In Firefox: Open the menu, choose Add-ons and themes > Extensions, then turn off the extension toggle.

8. Update Repair or Reinstall Office

Use these steps when the problem affects desktop Excel across workbooks after the settings above are fixed.

Update Office on Windows: Open Excel and go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. If Update Now is missing, select Enable Updates first.
Update Office on Mac: First make sure your Mac runs macOS 12 (Monterey) or later, which current Office updates require. Then open Excel and choose Help > Check for Updates. In Microsoft AutoUpdate, select Update or Update All, then restart Excel. Office 2019 for Mac is out of support and cannot be fixed by updating or reinstalling that edition.
Repair Office on Windows: Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the More icon next to Microsoft 365 or Office, choose Advanced options if it appears, then select the repair option shown. You can also open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, right-click Microsoft 365 or Office, then select Repair or Change.
Reinstall Office on Windows: Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, select your Microsoft 365 product, choose Uninstall, then follow the prompts. Reinstall from m365.cloud.microsoft/apps after signing in and selecting Install apps.
Reinstall Office on Mac: Open Finder > Applications, Command-click the Microsoft 365 apps, Ctrl-click the selected apps, then choose Move to Trash. To finish the uninstall, open Library > Containers and move the Microsoft app folders to Trash, then open Group Containers and move the UBF8T346G9 folders to Trash. Back up your Outlook data first, because those Group Containers folders hold it. Remove any Office icons from the Dock, then restart the Mac. Reinstall from m365.cloud.microsoft/apps after signing in and selecting Install apps.

On work or school devices, contact your administrator when add-ins or Microsoft 365 policies are locked. Tell them whether Scroll Lock, Safe Mode, another keyboard, and Excel for the web changed the result.