Fix Excel for Mac Charts Appearing Blank or Changing Colors
Question details
User experiences charts in Excel 2021 for Mac appearing blank, losing data series, or changing colors after closing and reopening the workbook.
- Product
- Excel 2021
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Opening a previously saved workbook containing customized charts.
- Observed behavior
- Charts display as blank, drop data points, or lose custom line colors, and the 'Properties follow chart data point' setting is missing in the Mac version.
Ensure your Mac is connected to the internet to download any pending macOS or Office updates, and create a backup copy of your affected workbook before troubleshooting.
Update Software and Verify Workbook Integrity
Running outdated software can cause visualization glitches. Updating Excel and macOS is the first step in resolving chart rendering issues.
Microsoft frequently releases patches for Excel for Mac to resolve rendering bugs. Updating both your operating system and the Office suite can automatically fix formatting loss and blank chart errors.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select 'System Settings' (or System Preferences), click 'General', and select 'Software Update'. Install any available updates.
Open Microsoft Excel, click on 'Help' in the top menu bar, and select 'Check for Updates'. Follow the Microsoft AutoUpdate prompts to install the latest version.
Create a new blank workbook, input sample data, and insert a chart. Save, close, and reopen the file. If the chart renders correctly, the issue is specific to your old workbook's file integrity.
Check Data Source Ranges and Recreate Affected Charts
If the software is up to date, the chart's data connections might be corrupted. Re-linking or recreating the chart often fixes missing data points or blank displays.
Create and Manage Charts Seamlessly with WPS Office
If you continue experiencing missing chart features or rendering glitches in Excel for Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides robust chart and visualization tools that are highly compatible with Microsoft Excel formats, without the hefty price tag.
- 1. Download and install: Visit the WPS Office website to download the free Mac version and complete the installation.
- 2. Open your workbook: Launch WPS Spreadsheet, click 'Open', and select your existing .xlsx file.
- 3. View and edit charts: Your charts will render smoothly. You can easily modify data ranges, customize colors, and save without losing your formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'Properties follow chart data point' setting missing in Excel for Mac?
Excel for Mac does not currently have full feature parity with the Windows version. The 'Properties follow chart data point' option is a Windows-specific feature and has not been implemented in the Mac application menus.
Why do my Excel chart colors change when I reopen the file on Mac?
This usually happens due to a software rendering glitch in how Excel saves chart themes, or if the workbook file structure has become slightly corrupted. Updating Excel to the latest version or recreating the chart often resolves the formatting loss.
Will saving my file in an older Excel format fix the blank charts?
Sometimes saving your file as an older .xls document instead of .xlsx can force Excel to rebuild the file structure, but it may also strip newer chart features. It is generally safer to copy your data into a completely new .xlsx file and recreate the charts there.
