Use Google Sheets with a screen reader

You can edit spreadsheets on your computer with a screen reader.

First, make sure that you're familiar with the steps and techniques in Use Google editors with a screen reader.

Move around in your spreadsheet

When you open a spreadsheet, your focus is in the first cell. As you move through the spreadsheet, the screen reader announces each cell's address and contents. For example, if cell C4 contains "New York City," the screen reader reads "New York City C4."

Use keyboard shortcuts

Sheets is different from a typical website, so some standard screen reader shortcuts don't apply. For the best experience, use Sheets shortcuts while editing your spreadsheet.

To open a list of shortcuts in your spreadsheet:

For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Slash.
For MacOS: Press Command + Slash.

You can search for actions such as “move” or “columns.” To return to your spreadsheet, press Escape. If you prefer a web page, open Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets.

Take quick actions by searching the menus

For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Slash.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Slash.
Type a command, such as "Rename" or "Insert."
Press the Down arrow key to hear search results. For example, if you type "Insert," the options include adding rows, comments, and other choices.
To choose an action, press Enter.

Use the menus, top-level buttons, and toolbar

Important: If the menu shortcuts don’t work, press Ctrl + Shift + f (Windows, Chrome OS, and Mac) to turn on menu visibility.

To browse the menus:

Open the File menu using the shortcut key for your platform:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Alt + f
- For MacOS: First press the pass-through keys VO + Tab, then Ctrl + Option + f
  - Tip: To shorten this sequence, change the VoiceOver modifier. Learn how to use Google editors with a screen reader.
To explore the menus below, press the Right arrow.
- Edit
- View
- Insert
- Format
- Data
- Tools
- Add-ons
- Help
- Accessibility

Tip: To get help, open the Help menu and select Sheets Help. Press Tab to reach the search box, then type your search, such as Formulas, and press Enter. The help opens in a box where you can read or navigate to other topics. To return to the spreadsheet, press Escape.

From the menus, you can move to two other sets of controls:

Top-level buttons: To navigate to buttons for spreadsheet-level actions below, press Shift + Tab.
- Renaming
- Starring
- Sharing
- Moving the spreadsheet to a different folder
Toolbar: Tab to “Search the menus,” then Tab again to “Additional toolbars.” To navigate the toolbar options for formatting, such as font, alignment, and proofreading, press Right arrow.
- Tip: Most toolbar options are also available in the “Format” menu.

Use the Accessibility menu to read or move around your spreadsheet

Open the Accessibility menu.
- To hear options, such as “Verbalize to screen reader,” “Go to range,” and more, press Down arrow.
- To open a sub-menu, press Right arrow.
- To explore options in the sub-menu, press Down arrow.
To select an option, press Enter.

Tip: To move focus to a specific cell like B6, use “Go to range” or specify a range to select a rectangle of cells like B6:F9.

Editing and formatting basics

Edit data in a cell

Move focus to the cell you want to edit:
- To enter new cell contents, start typing.
- To edit the existing content:
  1. Press Enter.
  2. Move the cursor to the content you want to edit.
Optional: To add another line within a cell:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Enter.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Enter.
Press Enter.

Format one or more cells

Move focus to the cell you want to format.
Optional: To select a block of cells, press and hold Shift while moving focus.
Open the Format menu.
Select a formatting option.

Helpful shortcuts

To Clear formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Backslash.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Backslash.
Set Number formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + 1.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Shift + 1.
Set Time formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + 2.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Shift + 2.
Set Date formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + 3.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Shift + 3.
Set Currency formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + 4.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Shift + 4.
Set Percent formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + 5.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Shift + 5.
Set Scientific formatting:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + 6.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Shift + 6.

Hear cell formatting and contents

As you move through the spreadsheet, you'll hear relevant announcements about the contents of the cells. For example, the screen reader tells you when a cell contains links, notes, data validation, or filtering.

Links: To follow a link:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Enter.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Enter.
Notes: To add or edit a note on the focused cell:
- For Windows or MacOS: Press Shift + F2.
- For ChromeOS: Press Shift + Search + 2.
- In the window that displays, type your note, then press Escape. To delete a note, delete all text within the note.
Data validation: You can hear if a cell has invalid contents as a result of data validation.
Filtering: If you move from an unfiltered range of cells to a filtered range, you can hear when you enter a filtered region.

Use the verbalize to screen reader menu

You can use the verbalize to screen reader menu to get information about your selected cell's formatting, or to hear the contents of the row or column. You can also set your spreadsheet to always verbalize formatting.

Open the Accessibility menu:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + a.
- For MacOS: Press Control + Option + a.
Select Verbalize to screen reader.
To move through the menu, press Down arrow.
To select an option, press Enter.
To keep being oriented, it can be helpful to hear the first few rows or columns relative to the current cell:
- To verbalize the row from the first column to the current column:
  - For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.
  - For MacOS: Press Option + Shift + r.
- Verbalize the column from the first row to the current row:
  - For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + c.
  - For MacOS: Press Option + Shift + c.
- Tip: These shortcuts are also available in the “Verbalize to screen reader” submenu of the "Accessibility" menu.

Select cell ranges

To select multiple adjacent cells, press and hold Shift while moving with the arrow keys.
To select from the current cell to the end, press and hold Shift + Ctrl, then press the arrow key in the direction you want to select. This shortcut selects to the end of filled values, to extend further in that direction, press the arrow key again.
To select the cells in a column, press Ctrl + Space. Press a second time to select the column.
To select the cells in a row, press Shift + Space. Press a second time to select the row.
To select the cells in multiple columns, press Shift + Left or Right arrow, then press Ctrl + Space. Press again to select those columns.
To select a range of cells, focus the “Name box”:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + j.
- For MacOS: Press Command + j.
Type a range, like b2:f6 and then press Enter.
- For example:
  - Enter 2:2 to select row 2.
  - Enter 2:4 to select rows 2 through 4.
  - Enter A:F to select columns A through F.

After you select a range, use the shortcuts below to move your focus within the range:

Enter: Move from top to bottom.
Shift + Enter: Move from bottom to top.
Tab: Move from left to right.
Shift + Tab: Move from right to left.
- Tip: Movements “wrap” within the range.

To edit a cell without deselecting your range:
- For Windows or MacOS: Press F2.
- For ChromeOS: Press Search + 2.
To move focus and deselect the range, press an Arrow key.

Use the name box with named ranges

You can use the name box to create, select, or manage a named range. To move focus to the name box edit field:

For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + j.
For MacOS: Press Command + j.
To create a named range:
1. Select the cells you want to name.
2. Open the name box.
3. Type a unique name.
4. Press Enter.
To select a named range:
1. Open the name box.
2. Type part of the name.
3. Press Down arrow until the matching “Name box menu item.”
4. Press Enter. This moves focus to the start of the range.
  - Tip: Use a named range to mark a location you want to return to easily.
To manage named ranges:
1. Open the name box.
2. Tab to the name box menu button.
3. Press Up arrow to “Manage named ranges.”
4. To open the named ranges sidebar, press Enter.
  - Tip: To un-name a range, delete it in this sidebar. The range contents aren’t deleted.
To explore named ranges and Sheets:
1. Open the name box.
2. Tab to the name box menu button.
3. Press Down arrow for each name and its range, followed by each sheet.

Tip: To confirm that a range has been named, select the cells and then open the name box. The name of the range is present instead of the usual form of A1:A20. To return focus to the content, press Escape.

Change cell formatting

You can change the formatting for an entire cell or for specific parts of a cell.

To change the formatting for an entire cell or set of cells, select the cell.
To change a specific part (for example, to make a single word bold), press Enter, then hold Shift and use the Arrow keys to select the part that you'd like to change.

Explore formatting styles

Open the Format menu.
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + o.
- For MacOS: Press Control + Option + o.
Press the Down arrow key to hear options, then press Enter to select.
To clear formatting for the selected cell:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Backslash.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Backslash.

Duplicate, copy, or rename a sheet

The sheet menu lets you perform a variety of actions on the active sheet, such as duplicate, copy, or rename.

Press the shortcut for your platform:
- For Windows: Press Alt + Shift + s.
- For ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + s.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Shift + s.
Press the Down arrow key to navigate through the options, and press Enter to select.

Work with multiple sheets in a spreadsheet

To open the list of sheets:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Shift + k.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Shift + k.
Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move through the list.
To move to a sheet, press Enter.

Tips:

To move to the next sheet:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Down arrow.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Down arrow.
To move to the previous sheet:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Up arrow.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Up arrow.
For bulk actions, select adjacent tabs with:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Alt + Open square bracket or Ctrl + Alt + Close square bracket.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Option + Square bracket.
Then select the action you want from the sheet menu.

Add or move columns & cells

You can add, change, move, or delete your spreadsheet's columns, rows, or cells.

Add one row, column, or cell

Move focus to a cell next to where you want to insert a row, column, or cell.
Open the Insert menu.
Select an option:
- Cells, then “Insert cells and shift right” or “Insert cells and shift down.”
- Rows, then “Insert 1 row above” or “Insert 1 row below.”
- Columns, then “Insert 1 column left” or “Insert 1 column right.”

Add more than one row, column, or cell

Move focus to a cell next to where you want to insert several rows, columns, or cells.
Press and hold Shift.
Select the number you want to insert, cursor down, or cursor right.
Open the Insert menu, then select Cells, Rows, or Columns.
- For example:
  1. Press and hold Shift and cursor down 5 times to highlight 5 rows.
  2. Open the Insert menu, then select Rows.
  3. Select “Insert 5 rows above” or “Insert 5 rows below.”

Change row height or column width

Select a row or column to resize.
To open the context menu, press Shift + F10.
To resize a row or column, press Down arrow.
Choose an option:
1. Enter a custom height or width (the initial focus).
2. Press Shift + Tab to the Custom radio button.
3. Press Down arrow to “Fit to data.”
Tab to OK.

Move rows or columns

Select the rows or columns to move.
Open the Edit menu.
Select the direction you want to move the row or column, like move row up.

Move cells

Select the cells to move.
Cut the selection to clipboard:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + x.
- For MacOS: Press Command + x.
Move focus to the new location.
Paste the selected cells:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + v.
- For MacOS: Press Command + v.

Tip: There are additional options with the “Edit” menu, then “Paste special.”

Delete rows, columns, or cells

Select the rows, columns, or cells to delete.
To open the context menu, press Shift + F10.
From the menu that displays, select Delete rows, Delete columns, or Delete cells.

Tips:

When you delete cells, you then select whether other content should be shifted up or shifted left.
To just clear the contents without a shift, press Delete key.
Use the “Delete” option in the “Edit” menu for additional options.

Use sum & average

You can quickly calculate the sum, average, and count in Sheets.

Important: This feature doesn’t work for some numbers or currency formats.

Select the cells you want to calculate.
To move focus to the quicksum list:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Shift + q.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Shift + q.
Press Down arrow from “Sum” to:
- Minimum
- Maximum
- Count
- Count numbers
- Average
To return focus to content, press Enter or Escape.

Tip: Each element in the quicksum list includes the value for easy exploration.

Focus an existing chart, graph, or floating image

Open the Accessibility menu.
Choose Select.
Select the chart, graph, or image you want.

Tip: The “Select” option isn’t available when no floating content is present.

Add alt text to a chart, graph, or image

Focus the cell with an image or focus an existing chart, graph, or floating image.
For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Alt + Slash.
- For MacOS: Press Option + Slash.
Type “Alt text.”
To open the sidebar, press Enter.
Tab to “Advanced options.”
To expand, press Enter.
Tab to “Title” and type a name that identifies this chart.
- Tip: The “Title” is used in the “Accessibility” menu.
Tab to the "Close" button.
To set the alt text and return focus to the Sheet and not the chart, press Enter.

Tip: The “Select” option in the “Accessibility“ menu uses the “Title” if set.

If not, the description is used.
If no alt text is set, the chart or graph title is used.
If all are clear, the default title “Chart,” “Graph,” or “Image” is used.

Insert smart chips

To include information, insert smart chips in your Sheets.

Users with Gmail or Google Workspace email addresses.
Other Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files.

Use one of these methods:

To open a menu of smart chips, type at-sign in a cell.
Press Shift + F10, then select Smart chips.
Open the Insert menu, then select Smart chips.

With focus on a smart chip in your spreadsheet, you can enter the popup for more information:

For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Alt + e then p.
For MacOS: Press Control + Command + e then p.
Tab to each section of the popup, then press Escape to close.

Tip: Convert cell contents to a smart chip or back:

To convert, select one or more cells.
Press Shift + F10.
Select Smart chips.
Select “Convert to xxx chip” or “Remove smart chip.”

Insert checkboxes

Select the cells you want to have checkboxes.
Open the Insert menu.
Select Checkbox.
To remove checkboxes, select the cells you want to clear.
Press Delete.

Tip: To toggle a checkbox in a focused cell, press Spacebar.

Filter your data

Important: When you add a filter, everyone with access to your spreadsheet has the filter applied too. Anyone with permission to edit your spreadsheet can add, remove, or change the filter.

Select a range of cells, usually one or more columns.
Open the Data menu.
Select “Create a filter.”
- Tip: All data is selected and all columns have a filter option if nothing is selected.
To open filter options, go to the top of the selected range and then:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Alt + r.
- For MacOS: Press Control + Command + r.
- Tip: “Open filter dropdown menu” is also available in the “Accessibility” menu.
Tab to the following options:
- Filter by condition: Select a condition or write your own.
- Filter by values: To expand this section, press Enter.
  - From the list, select what values to use for filtering.
    - If selected, only cells with the selected values are kept, other cells and rows are hidden.
  - To bulk select or unselect values, select Select all or Clear.
  - To explore the list of values, from the Filterbox, press Down arrow.
  - To toggle the checked state of a value, press Enter.
  - When done, Tab to OK.
    - Tip: Cells that contain unchecked values are hidden.
- Search: Search for data points by typing in the Filterbox.
- Filter by color: Select which text or fill color to filter by. You can filter by conditional formatting colors, but not alternating colors.
- When done, press OK.

To turn the filter off, open the Data menu, then select Remove filter.

Tip: When the filter is first applied, your screen reader announces the number of available rows.

Automatically create a series or list

You can use autofill to create a series of numbers, letters, or dates in Sheets.

Use autofill to complete a series

In a column or row in at least two cells next to each other, enter text, numbers, or dates.
Select the cells with the sequential content.
Extend the selection down or to the right to empty cells that have a continuation of the series.
To autofill the series:
- For Windows or ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Alt + Enter.
- For MacOS: Press Command + Option + Enter.
- If the cells form a series of dates or numbers, the series continues across the selected cells.
- If the cells repeat, the list of values repeat across the selected cells.
- If the cells don’t repeat or form a series of dates or numbers, the cells are unchanged.

Tip: When you use autofill, select multiple columns or rows even if they have different series types. This works as long as the initial number of filled cells in each column or row is the same.

Group or ungroup rows or columns

You can organize and summarize related data when you group rows and columns.

To group:

Move focus to the row or column you want to group with the preceding row or column. More than 2 rows or columns can be grouped when you select multiple adjacent cells.
Open the View menu.
Select Group.
Select Group row or Group column.

To collapse:

Move focus to the expanded row or column.
Press Alt + Shift + Up arrow (Shift + PgUp on Chrome OS, or Option + Shift + Up arrow on Mac).

To expand grouped rows or columns:

Move focus to the collapsed row or column.
Press Alt + Shift + Down arrow (Shift + PgDn on Chrome OS, or Option + Shift + Down arrow on Mac).

To ungroup:

If collapsed, expand the group.
Move focus to a cell in the grouped row or column.
Select multiple cells if multiple rows or columns must be ungrouped.
Open the View menu.
Select Ungroup.