Excel Line Break in Cell: Shortcuts for Windows, Mac and Formulas

Press Alt+Enter on Windows or Control+Option+Return on Mac to start a new line in an Excel cell. In a formula, use CHAR(10) with Wrap Text on.

Excel line break shortcut by device

On a computer, put the cell in edit mode, click where the text should split, then use the shortcut for your system.

Where you use Excel	How to insert the line break
Windows	Double-click the cell, click where you want the break, press `Alt` + `Enter`
Mac	Double-click the cell, click where you want the break, press `Control` + `Option` + `Return`
Excel for the web	Double-click the cell (or select it and press `F2`), click where you want the break, press `Alt` + `Enter`
Android	Double-tap the cell, tap and hold where you want the break, then tap New Line
iPhone and iPad	Tap the keyboard toggle button to open the numeric keyboard, tap and hold where you want the break, then tap New Line

On Windows you can also select the cell and press F2 instead of double-clicking. On a Mac, Microsoft’s Excel for Mac shortcut list also shows Option + Return and Cmd + Option + Return for the same job, so try those if the first combination does nothing on your keyboard.

How to add a line break in an Excel formula

A formula can’t use Alt+Enter. You add the line feed character, CHAR(10), between the pieces of text instead. Microsoft’s own example uses the same method: a CHAR(10) placed where the line break should go.

Select the cell. On Windows, press Ctrl + 1, open the Alignment tab and check Wrap Text. On a Mac, select the cell and click Wrap Text on the Home tab.
Type the formula with CHAR(10) where the break goes, for example ="Order #"&A2&CHAR(10)&"Status: "&B2.
If the second line is cut off, widen the column or increase the row height (see the fix table below).

The break only shows up when Wrap Text is on. Without it, the whole result sits on one line.

Line break formulas you can copy

What you want	Formula	Notes
Join two cells on two lines	`=A2&CHAR(10)&B2`	Turn on Wrap Text
Join a whole row, one item per line	`=TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2:C2)`	TEXTJOIN needs Excel 2019 or later, or Microsoft 365. `TRUE` skips empty cells.
Turn a separator into a line break	`=SUBSTITUTE(A2,", ",CHAR(10))`	Replaces every comma-and-space with a line break
Replace line breaks with a space	`=SUBSTITUTE(A2,CHAR(10)," ")`	Keeps the words apart
Strip line breaks completely	`=CLEAN(A2)`	Also removes other nonprintable characters. Words on either side of the break will run together.
Count the lines in a cell	`=LEN(A2)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A2,CHAR(10),""))+1`	Counts the line breaks, then adds 1

The CLEAN function removes the first 32 nonprinting characters of the 7-bit ASCII set (codes 0 through 31), and CHAR(10) is one of them. Microsoft’s own CLEAN example removes CHAR(10) from a text string.

If you plan to use CHAR(10) in Excel for the web, note that Microsoft says it supports only CHAR(9), CHAR(10), CHAR(13) and CHAR(32) and above. That covers the line break.

Excel line break not working: causes and fixes

What you see	Likely cause	Fix
Alt+Enter does not add a line break	The cell is not in edit mode. Microsoft’s steps start by opening the cell for editing.	Double-click the cell or press `F2` first, then click where the break goes
You are using Alt+Enter on a Mac	Alt+Enter is the Windows and web shortcut. Excel for Mac has its own list.	Try `Control` + `Option` + `Return`. Microsoft’s Mac list also shows `Option` + `Return` and `Cmd` + `Option` + `Return`.
Formula result stays on one line	Wrap Text is off	Home tab, Alignment group, Wrap Text
Only the first line shows	The row height is fixed, or the cells are merged	Windows: Home > Cells > Format > AutoFit Row Height. Mac: Format menu > Row > AutoFit. You can also drag the bottom border of the row. If that does not help, check whether the cells are merged.
Shortcut seems ignored in Excel for the web	The browser takes the shortcut first	In Excel for the web, select Help > Keyboard Shortcuts, then select Override browser shortcuts

Tips that save time

Break first, wrap second. A manual break forces a new line at that exact spot. Wrap Text only adds soft breaks when the text reaches the edge of the column. If you change the column width, the wrapping adjusts automatically, but your manual breaks stay where you put them.
Use CHAR(10) in both directions. The character that you add with a formula is the same one you remove with SUBSTITUTE or CLEAN, so the formulas in the table above work on cells that you broke by hand, too.
Check the key labels. Microsoft’s shortcut lists use the US keyboard layout. On other layouts, the keys may not match exactly.