How to Use Focus Cell to View Cells in Excel Effectively

  • Focus Cell in Excel automatically highlights the row and column of a selected cell.
  • Makes reading large spreadsheets easier and reduces eye strain.
  • The function is activated from the 'View' tab on the ribbon.
  • It is currently being tested for users in the Microsoft Insiders program.

Focus Cell Excel

Microsoft is testing to implement a new feature in ExcelThe invention is called Focus Cell has been created to highlight the row and column belonging to a cell when it is selected. In this post we are going to tell you everything we know so far about this function: How to use Focus Cell to view cells in Excel effectively.

This function comes to the aid of those users who are forced to deal with extensive spreadsheets, with long rows and columns and endless amounts of data. Obviously, for simpler tasks with small tables, Focus Cell isn't going to offer anything special.

It may seem like a small thing, but the truth is that the fact that the row and column are highlighted when you select a cell makes the task of following the rows and columns when reading the data much easier. It prevents us from straining our eyes, as well as the appearance of fatigue and lack of concentration. when we have been sitting in front of the screen for some time.

Until now, Excel users have used a more rudimentary method to achieve "focus" on the row and column of a given cell. The trick was simply to use the key combination Shift + Enter to move between selected cells.

excel freeze

Another way to do it is to "freeze" the first rows and columns from the “View” tab on the ribbon. This allows you to pin them so you don't lose sight of them, even if you move in any direction using the cursor or the arrow keys on your keyboard (see image above).

Excel Focus Cell Function

The term focus can be translated as “fix”, “center” or even “concentrate”. In fact, that is precisely the purpose of this new Microsoft Excel function. By clicking on a particular cell, automatically its row and column will be highlighted with the color previously chosen by the user. The result is shown like this:

focus cell

How is this feature activated? All we have to do is go to the ribbon at the top of the screen and tap on the “View” tab. Then you have to select the group «Show» and there click on the option «Focus Cell», which will also allow you to choose the color with which you want to highlight the rows and columns associated with a cell.

A good trick to access the command more easily and quickly is aadd it to the quick access toolbar, where we will always have it available with just one click. Once there, we can activate and deactivate the Focus Cell function simply by selecting the corresponding icon, which is located in the upper left corner of the Excel window. 

It should be mentioned that This feature will be automatically activated when we use the Find (Ctrl+F) and Replace (Ctrl+H) tools.This will make it easier for the user to control and manage the active cell while browsing through different search results.

Instead, the function It will not be possible to activate if we have selecteds the “Freeze Panes” or “Split Panes” tools within the spreadsheet. This is one of the small shortcomings detected by users who have been able to test Focus Cell in the test program and which, apparently, Microsoft is already working on. The ideal would be to be able to use all these functions simultaneously. In this way, even greater control over the reading of data by the user would be achieved.

When will it be available?

For now, Excel's Focus Cell feature can only be tested for members who are part of the Microsoft Insiders programMore specifically, only those using version 2410 (Build 18118.20000) or later on the Beta channel.

Once the testing phase is complete and the final details are ironed out, Microsoft plans to roll out the feature to its Windows PC customers and, later, to those who access Excel via a Mac or from the free online version. There is no way to speak of a specific date, but we could assume it's a matter of months. Maybe weeks.

Other useful Excel functions

Finally, if we talk about managing Excel cells (which are the basic element of spreadsheets), the program offers us numerous useful functions, Beyond Focus Cell. Here are some of the most notable ones that any user should learn to use to get the most out of the app:

And if you still want to learn how to use Excel much better, we encourage you to continue reading the posts about how this program works that we published in Windows News.


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