You press Enter in Excel expecting a second line, but Excel accepts the entry and moves to another cell. To type multiple lines inside one cell, use the in-cell line break command for your version of Excel. Start with the desktop shortcut, then use Wrap Text or row height controls if the break is there but the text is hidden.
Press Alt Enter in Excel for Windows
In Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel 2016 for Windows, Alt+Enter starts a new line inside the same cell. It adds the line break without finishing the cell entry.
Double-click the cell you want to edit. Put the cursor exactly where the next line should begin, then press Alt+Enter.
Keep typing after the break. When the cell looks right, press Enter to accept the entry.
Start a new line in Excel for the web
Use this when the workbook is open in Excel for the web. The browser version uses Alt+Enter for the same in-cell break.
Double-click the cell, or select the cell and press F2 to edit it.
Place the cursor where you want the line to split.
Press Alt+Enter, then keep typing on the next line inside the same cell.
Break a cell line on Mac
Use one of these Mac shortcuts while the cursor is already inside the cell text.
- 1.Double-click the cell you want to edit.
- 2.Place the cursor where the new line should start.
- 3.Press Control+Option+Return.
- 4.Use Cmd+Option+Return if that shortcut fits your keyboard setup better.
- 5.Try Option+Return or Ctrl+Option+Return from Excel's Mac shortcut options when needed.
Add a line break on iPhone or iPad
On Excel for iPhone and Excel for iPad, the line break command lives in the touch contextual menu.
Double-tap inside the cell to start editing. Tap and hold at the exact spot where the line break should go.
Tap New Line in the menu that appears.
If New Line does not appear, tap inside the cell text again and make sure the insertion point is active before opening the menu.
Insert a new line on Android
The most common cause of trouble on Android is that the cell is selected but not actively editing text.
Tap the keyboard toggle button to open the numeric keyboard.
Tap and hold where you want the line break inside the cell.
Tap New Line in the contextual menu.
With an external keyboard connected to Excel for Android, edit the cell, place the cursor, and press Alt+Enter.
Show line breaks that are hidden
This fixes cells where the line break exists but the text still looks cramped or partly hidden.
Select the cell or range that contains the text.
Go to Home, use the Alignment group, and turn on Wrap Text.
If the full text is still not visible, go to Home, then Cells, then Format.
Under Cell Size, choose AutoFit Row Height.
To set the height yourself, choose Row Height and type a row height, or drag the bottom border of the row.
Create line breaks with a formula
Formula-created breaks need wrapping to display cleanly.
Select the result cell and turn on Wrap Text.
Use CHAR(10) where the line break should appear.
For two joined values, enter =A1&CHAR(10)&B1 or =CONCAT(A1,CHAR(10),B1).
To place several values on separate lines, enter =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A1:A3). TEXTJOIN needs Excel 2019 or later, or a Microsoft 365 subscription. In Excel 2016, chain the values with & instead, as in =A1&CHAR(10)&A2&CHAR(10)&A3.
To combine a label, a line break, and formatted text, enter ="Today is "&CHAR(10)&TEXT(TODAY(),"mm/dd/yy").
Excel supports up to 253 line feeds in one cell.
Replace separators with line breaks on Windows
The most common cause is a list that was typed with commas, spaces, or another separator when each item should be on its own line.
In Excel for Windows desktop, press Ctrl+H, or go to Home, then Editing, then Find & Select, then Replace.
Type the separator or text you want to replace in Find what.
Click in Replace with, press Ctrl+J, then choose Replace or Replace All.
The line-feed character may look invisible in Replace with. Turn on Wrap Text afterward if the breaks are not visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Enter move to the next cell instead of making a new line?
In Excel, Enter completes the cell entry. To stay inside the same cell and start a new line, use Alt+Enter on Windows or Excel for the web, and Control+Option+Return on Mac.
How do I make all the text visible after adding a line break?
Turn on Wrap Text from Home > Alignment > Wrap Text. If the row is still too short, use Home > Cells > Format > AutoFit Row Height.
Can I add line breaks with a formula?
Yes. Use CHAR(10) where the break should appear, and turn on Wrap Text for the result cell. For example, =A1&CHAR(10)&B1 puts A1 and B1 on separate lines.
Does Ctrl+J work for replacing commas with new lines?
Ctrl+J is a Windows desktop Excel method for entering an invisible line-feed character in Find and Replace. It is not the normal Alt+Enter shortcut, and Excel for the web uses browser shortcuts differently.
