How to Add a Pop-Up Picture to an Excel Cell on Mac
Question details
The user wants an image to automatically pop up when hovering over or selecting a specific Excel cell on a Mac, similar to formatting a cell note with a picture.
- Product
- Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Designing an interactive spreadsheet where images are dynamically displayed based on the user's focus on certain cells.
- Observed behavior
- The native option to insert a picture into a cell note is disabled or completely unavailable in Excel for Mac.
Since Excel for Mac does not natively support inserting images into cell notes, you will need to enable the Developer tab to use a VBA macro workaround.
Use a VBA Macro to Show and Hide Pictures on Selection
Since native hover functionality is limited on Mac, using VBA allows you to display an image when a specific cell is selected and hide it when navigating away.
Excel for Mac lacks the native ability to insert images into cell notes and does not support hover-triggered actions natively. However, you can utilize the Worksheet_SelectionChange event in VBA to dynamically reveal a hidden image whenever a user clicks on a designated cell.
Go to Excel > Preferences > Ribbon & Toolbar. In the main tabs list, check the 'Developer' box and click Save.
Go to Insert > Pictures to add your image. Resize it, click on it, and type a specific name (like 'PopUpPic') in the Name Box next to the formula bar. Hide the image manually.
Click the Developer tab and select 'Visual Basic'. In the Project Explorer, double-click the sheet name where your target cell is located.
Paste a Worksheet_SelectionChange macro. Write an If statement checking if Target.Address equals your cell (e.g., "$A$1"). If true, set Shapes("PopUpPic").Visible = msoTrue; if false, set it to msoFalse.
Save your document as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm) to ensure your custom VBA scripts continue to run.
Submit Feedback to Microsoft for Native Support
Request Microsoft to implement the 'insert picture in note' feature natively in future updates of Excel for Mac.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the option to format a note with a picture grayed out on Mac?
The functionality to add fill effects to cell notes—which includes inserting local pictures—is currently missing from the native build of Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac. It is only fully supported on the Windows version.
Will my Windows Excel file with picture notes work if I open it on a Mac?
Yes, if a spreadsheet was created in Windows Excel with pictures embedded in the cell notes, those pictures will generally display when viewed on a Mac. However, you will not be able to edit or add new pictures to notes using the Mac interface.
Can I use a hyperlink to show an image instead of a pop-up?
Yes, as a simpler alternative to VBA, you can insert a hyperlink into the cell that points to an image file on your Mac or a hosted URL. Clicking the cell will open the image in your default image viewer or web browser.
