Office for Mac Issues

How to Switch Between Open Excel Workbooks on Mac

Khadija Khan Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to find efficient ways to navigate and switch between multiple open Excel workbooks on a Mac device.

How to Switch Between Open Excel Workbooks on Mac

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Working with multiple open spreadsheets simultaneously and needing to toggle between them quickly.
Observed behavior: The user is looking for the native Mac keyboard shortcuts, menu options, and system gestures required to cycle through open workbook windows.

Before you start

Ensure that you have multiple Excel workbooks open and that they are not minimized to the Dock or set to full-screen mode, as some keyboard shortcuts only work for active, standard window states.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Command + Tilde Keyboard Shortcut

The fastest way to cycle through your open Excel workbooks natively on a Mac.

Cycle forward

Press Command + Tilde (~) on your Mac keyboard to cycle forward through all open, non-minimized Excel workbooks.

Cycle backward

Hold down the Shift key and press Command + Tilde (~) to cycle through the open workbooks in reverse order.

Use the Command + Tilde Keyboard Shortcut

Shortcut Limitations: This shortcut may not work as expected if your active Excel window is maximized into full-screen mode or if the target workbooks are minimized.

Solution 2

Switch Workbooks Using the Menu Bar or Ribbon

Ideal if you prefer clicking or need to see the exact names of all open workbooks before switching.

Solution 3

Use Mac Dock Controls or Mission Control

Leverage built-in macOS window management features to find and switch between your Excel files.

Manage spreadsheets easier

Easily Manage Multiple Spreadsheets with WPS Office

WPS Office for Mac features a highly intuitive tabbed interface, much like a web browser, making it incredibly easy to switch between open spreadsheets without relying on complex system shortcuts or menus.

1. Download and install: Download and install WPS Office for Mac from the official website or Mac App Store.
2. Open your files: Open multiple spreadsheet files within WPS Office.
3. View tabs: Notice that all files automatically open as tabs at the top of a single application window.
4. Switch via click: Simply click on any file tab at the top of the screen to switch to that workbook instantly.
5. Switch via shortcut: Use the Control + Tab shortcut on your Mac keyboard to quickly cycle through the open document tabs.

Tabbed interface allows seamless switching between multiple open documents in a single window.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv).Lightweight, fast, and highly optimized for macOS performance.Free to use with a clean, familiar interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Command+Tilde work for my Excel workbooks?

The Command+Tilde shortcut only cycles through non-minimized windows. If your workbooks are minimized to the Mac Dock, or if your current Excel window is in full-screen mode, macOS overrides the shortcut, and it will not function as expected.

Can I use the Command+Tab shortcut to switch Excel files?

No, Command+Tab is a macOS system shortcut used to cycle between different applications (such as switching from Safari to Excel). It does not switch between different windows or workbooks within the same application. You must use Command+Tilde for intra-app switching.

Is there a way to view open workbooks side-by-side on Mac?

Yes. You can go to the View tab in Excel and select 'Arrange All', then choose how you want to tile the open windows (e.g., Tiled, Horizontal, or Vertical) to view multiple workbooks simultaneously on your screen.

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