Office for Mac Issues

Fix Excel Worksheet Turning White After Pasting a Picture on Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing a display issue in Excel for Mac where the entire worksheet visually blanks out after pasting an image, despite the data remaining intact.

Product: Excel for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Copying and pasting a picture into a spreadsheet and selecting 'Use Target Formatting'.
Observed behavior: The worksheet turns completely white, hiding all cells and gridlines. However, selecting a cell reveals that the underlying data and formulas are still fully functional in the formula bar.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, save your current workbook to prevent any accidental data loss, and consider testing the paste action in a brand-new, blank workbook to see if the issue is file-specific.

Solution 1Recommended

Update Excel for Mac and Isolate the Issue

Updating your software often resolves known rendering bugs. Isolating the issue helps determine if the desktop application is at fault.

This specific display glitch is often related to the local rendering engine in the desktop version of Excel for Mac. Checking your version and applying updates can deploy the latest bug fixes from Microsoft.

Check your current Excel version

Open Excel, click on 'Excel' in the top Mac menu bar, and select 'About Microsoft Excel' to view your current build and version.

Update Office for Mac

Open Microsoft AutoUpdate by navigating to the 'Help' menu in Excel and selecting 'Check for Updates'. Install any available updates.

Test in a new workbook

Create a new, blank workbook and try copying and pasting a picture again to see if the white screen issue persists across all files.

Your data is safe: Even though the screen turns white, your cell data has not been deleted. You can verify this by clicking on any cell and looking at the formula bar.

Solution 2

Use Excel for the Web as a Workaround

If the desktop application continues to fail, you can use the web version to bypass local Mac rendering glitches.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit Spreadsheets Seamlessly with WPS Office for Mac

If Excel for Mac continues to suffer from rendering issues or white screens, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative. You can smoothly transition your work, insert images, and manage your data without frustrating display glitches.

1. Download and install: Download WPS Office for Mac from the official website and easily install the application.
2. Open your Excel file: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your existing .xlsx workbook directly.
3. Insert your picture safely: Copy your image and paste it directly into the WPS spreadsheet. The worksheet will render perfectly without turning white.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel formats, including .xlsx, .xls, and .csv.Lightweight and optimized for macOS, preventing heavy rendering crashes.Familiar, intuitive user interface makes migration effortless.Completely free to use for your essential spreadsheet tasks.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Excel worksheet turn white after pasting a picture?

This is typically a display rendering bug specific to the desktop version of Excel for Mac. The application struggles to render the image alongside the target formatting, causing the user interface to visually blank out, though the underlying data remains intact.

Has my data been deleted when the screen turns white?

No, your data is completely safe. You can verify this by clicking anywhere on the seemingly blank grid and looking at the formula bar at the top of the window, which will still display the contents of the currently selected cell.

How do I recover my view after the worksheet turns white?

You can often force Excel to refresh its display by scrolling significantly up and down, switching to another worksheet tab and back, or by simply saving, closing, and reopening the workbook.

Does this rendering issue happen on Excel for Windows?

Based on user reports, this specific rendering failure when using 'Use Target Formatting' while pasting images is largely isolated to the Excel for Mac desktop application and does not typically affect Windows users or Excel for the web.

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