Office for Mac Issues

How to Change Excel Columns from Right-to-Left to Left-to-Right on Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to revert an Excel worksheet's column display from right-to-left back to the standard left-to-right layout on a Mac.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: Mac / macOS
Scenario: Viewing or editing an Excel worksheet where the column layout has been inadvertently reversed.
Observed behavior: The worksheet columns are displayed backwards from right to left, with Column A appearing on the far right of the screen.

Before you start

Ensure you have the affected workbook open and verify that your Mac trackpad is configured for secondary clicking (Control-click or two-finger tap) so you can access contextual menus.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable the DisplayRightToLeft Property via VBA Editor

Access the built-in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor to modify the worksheet's properties and restore the standard column direction.

In Excel for Mac, visual properties like the reading direction of a worksheet are managed in the background. By accessing the developer tools, you can manually override the right-to-left property.

Open the worksheet context menu

Right-click the worksheet tab at the bottom of the Excel window. On a Mac, you can achieve this by holding the 'Control' key and clicking, or by using a two-finger click on your trackpad.

Access the VBA editor

Select 'View Code' from the contextual menu that appears. This action will open the Visual Basic Editor in a new window.

Open Sheet Properties

Press 'F4' on your keyboard to open the Properties window for the selected worksheet.

Change the display direction

Scroll through the properties list to find 'DisplayRightToLeft'. Click on it and change its value from 'True' to 'False' to restore the left-to-right column direction.

Quick Tip: If pressing F4 does not open the Properties window, you can manually open it by clicking 'View' in the top menu bar of the VBA editor and selecting 'Properties Window'.

Switch Worksheet Direction in Seconds

Easily Manage Right-to-Left Layouts with WPS Office

WPS Office provides an intuitive interface that lets you toggle worksheet reading directions with a single click, avoiding the need to use complicated VBA code or hidden developer settings.

1. Open your file in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office on your Mac and open the Excel workbook that needs adjusting.
2. Navigate to Page Layout: Click on the 'Page Layout' tab located in the top ribbon menu.
3. Toggle the direction: Click the 'Right-to-Left' button on the toolbar to instantly switch the column layout back to the standard left-to-right view.

One-click toggle for Right-to-Left or Left-to-Right reading directionFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) formatsLightweight, fast, and does not require advanced developer toolsAvailable on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android for seamless editing

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Excel columns suddenly change to right-to-left?

This usually happens if the worksheet was created or edited by a user with a right-to-left default language (like Arabic or Hebrew), or if the DisplayRightToLeft property was accidentally triggered by a macro.

How do I right-click on a MacBook Air to access the sheet tab menu?

You can perform a right-click by either holding down the 'Control' key while clicking the trackpad, or by resting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking. Make sure secondary click is enabled in your Mac's System Settings.

Does changing the column direction affect my data or formulas?

No, switching between left-to-right and right-to-left only changes the visual display of the spreadsheet grid. All of your cell data, formatting, and formulas will remain completely intact.

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