How to Insert a Line Break in Excel [Windows & Mac]

Learn how to insert a line break in the same cell in Excel on both Windows and Mac. Step-by-step guide with keyboard shortcuts, examples, and formatting tips.

How to Go to the Next Line in the Same Cell in Excel (Windows & Mac)

When using Microsoft Excel, pressing the Enter key usually takes you to the next row, not the next line in the same cell. But what if you want to write multiple lines within a single cell, like entering an address or a list?

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

• Insert a line break in the same cell (for both Windows & Mac users)
• Use keyboard shortcuts effectively
• See how it looks with real-life examples
• Format your cells for better visibility

✅ Why You Might Want to Enter Multiple Lines in One Cell

Here are a few practical reasons to enter multiple lines inside a single Excel cell:

• Writing full addresses
• Creating to-do or shopping lists
• Adding multi-line notes or comments
• Listing items without using multiple rows

Example of a cell with multiple lines:

John Doe
123 Main Street
Nairobi, Kenya

🖥️ How to Insert a Line Break in Excel on Windows

🔹 Keyboard Shortcut for Windows:

Press: Alt + Enter

🔹 Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Click on the cell or press F2 to start editing.
2. Type the first line of text.
3. Press Alt + Enter to move to the next line within the same cell.
4. Type the next line.
5. Press Enter to save.

🖼 Example (Windows):

Before:
123 Main Street Nairobi, Kenya

After using Alt + Enter:

123 Main Street
Nairobi, Kenya

🍏 How to Insert a Line Break in Excel on Mac

🔹 Keyboard Shortcut for Mac:

Press: Control + Option + Return

🔹 Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Double-click the cell or press Control + U to enter edit mode.
2. Type the first line of content.
3. Press Control + Option + Return to start a new line in the same cell.
4. Type the next line.
5. Press Return to finish.

🖼 Example (Mac):

Before:
Milk Eggs Bread Butter


After inserting line breaks:

Milk
Eggs
Bread
Butter

💡 Bonus Tips to Format Multi-Line Cells

🔸 1. Enable “Wrap Text”

Multi-line content may not display properly until Wrap Text is turned on.

How to Enable:

• Select the cell(s)
• Go to the Home tab
• Click Wrap Text

🔸 2. Manually Adjust Row Height

If the lines aren’t fully visible:

• Right-click on the row number
• Click Row Height
• Increase the height for better readability

🔸 3. Use CHAR(10) in Formulas (Advanced)

To combine cell content with a line break using formulas:

A1 & CHAR(10) & A2

Note: Wrap Text must be enabled for this to work.

📌 Summary

To add a new line in the same Excel cell, here are the shortcuts:

Platform	Shortcut
Windows	Alt + Enter
Mac	Control + Option + Return

This simple trick can make your Excel sheets cleaner, easier to read, and more professional.