Office for Mac Issues

How to Add a New Note in Excel for Mac Without the Insert Menu

Elise Williams Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to insert a New Note in an Excel for Mac spreadsheet because the option is no longer available in the traditional Insert menu.

How to Add a New Note in Excel for Mac Without the Insert Menu

Product: Excel for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Attempting to add annotations or reminders to specific cells within a workbook.
Observed behavior: The 'New Note' option is entirely missing from the standard Insert menu, causing confusion on how to add traditional cell notes versus modern threaded comments.

Before you start

Ensure you have selected the specific cell where you want the note to appear before accessing the Review tab or right-clicking.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Right-Click Context Menu

The fastest and most direct way to add or manage a note is by utilizing the right-click context menu directly on your selected cell.

In modern versions of Excel for Mac, traditional notes have been separated from the new threaded collaboration comments. Because of this, 'New Note' was removed from the Insert menu but remains easily accessible via the right-click menu.

Select the target cell

Click once on the cell where you want to add the annotation.

Open the context menu

Right-click (or Control-click) on the selected cell to reveal the drop-down action menu.

Select 'New Note'

Scroll down the menu options and click on 'New Note' to create your annotation.

Type your text

A yellow sticky note box will appear. Type your message and click anywhere outside the cell to save it.

Managing Existing Notes: If a note already exists in a cell, the context menu will automatically update to show 'Edit Note', 'Delete Note', and 'Show/Hide Note' instead.

Solution 2

Insert a New Note via the Review Tab

You can also add and manage all document notes using the dedicated tools available in the Excel ribbon's Review tab.

Seamlessly Annotate Data

Easily Add and Manage Cell Notes in WPS Spreadsheet

If you are frustrated by changing menus in Microsoft Excel, consider using WPS Office. WPS Spreadsheet provides a highly intuitive interface where adding, editing, and viewing cell notes takes only a second. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats, ensuring your data annotations remain intact when sharing files.

1. Open your file in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your existing spreadsheet document.
2. Select the target cell: Click on the specific cell where you wish to place your note or comment.
3. Insert the annotation: Right-click the chosen cell and select 'Insert Comment' from the familiar context menu.
4. Save your text: Type your desired text into the pop-up box and click anywhere outside the cell to securely save it.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) file formatsIntuitive interface with easily accessible Comment and Note featuresFree and lightweight office suite available for Mac, Windows, and LinuxNo confusing menu changes—find your tools exactly where you expect them

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Note and a Comment in Excel for Mac?

In modern Excel versions, Notes are traditional yellow boxes used for making static annotations or reminders about the data. Comments are threaded, interactive conversations used for collaborating with other users, allowing replies and user tags.

How can I easily show or hide a specific note in Excel?

Right-click the cell containing the note and select 'Show/Hide Note' from the context menu. This allows you to keep the note permanently visible on the screen or hide it behind the small red triangle indicator in the cell's top-right corner.

Why did Excel remove 'New Note' from the Insert menu?

Microsoft introduced modern threaded Comments as the primary collaboration tool. To avoid confusion, older-style annotations were renamed to 'Notes' and moved out of the primary Insert menu, now residing natively in the Review tab and the right-click menu.

Can I format the text inside a cell note?

Yes, you can easily format note text. Right-click the cell, select 'Edit Note', highlight the text inside the note box, and then use the standard font formatting options (like bold, italics, or font color) found in the Home tab.

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