On Wall Street, juniors are having their mouse cord cut 🤷‍♀️

This story has been retold on Reddit for years, and it makes more sense than it seems.
We constantly reach for the mouse while working. We waste a ton of work time on it - over a year, hundreds of hours of pure routine add up.
And what if an admin in a rush pulls the mouse off the desk? Do you stop working then? 😁

In 2024-2025, Microsoft added new shortcuts and features to Excel 365. Those who prefer the mouse probably don't know about them.
Here are 10 combinations that cover most daily operations. From simple to fresh.

1️⃣ Alt+= - instant AutoSum

Select a range, press Alt+=, SUM() is inserted automatically. Works for a row, a column, or multiple columns at once. Saves 5-10 seconds on each sum, adding up to significant savings per day.

2️⃣ Ctrl+T - smart table in a second

Converts a range into a table with autofilters, alternating shading, and named columns. Formulas in such a table automatically expand to new rows. A lifesaver for regular reporting.

3️⃣ Ctrl+Shift+L - toggle filters

Press once = turn on autofilter. Press again = turn off. No need to go into the Data menu.

4️⃣ F4 - double agent

Inside a formula: toggles reference between $A$1, A1, $A1, A$1. Outside a formula: repeats the last action. Filled a cell with color? F4 repeats the fill on the next one. Two modes, one key.

5️⃣ Ctrl+E - Flash Fill

Enter 1-2 examples in the adjacent column, press Ctrl+E. Excel automatically recognizes the pattern and fills the entire column. Extract a name from full name, domain from email, change case - all without a single formula. Introduced back in 2013, but still elicits a "wow" even from experienced users. And honestly, I myself didn't know all the shortcuts when I worked with Power Query.

6️⃣ Ctrl+; and Ctrl+Shift+; - date and time

Ctrl+; inserts today's date. Ctrl+Shift+; inserts the current time. Static, without recalculation. Instead of a thousand =TODAY().

7️⃣ Alt+H+O+I - auto-fit column width

This is my favorite. I really like it when table widths are polished to perfection. Instead of double-clicking each column border with the mouse: select all (Ctrl+A), press Alt → H → O → I. All 20, 30, 50 columns adjust to the content at once.

8️⃣ Ctrl+` (backtick) - show all formulas

Toggles the entire sheet between results and formulas. Perfect for auditing. Definitely better than checking formulas one by one with F2.

9️⃣ Ctrl+Shift+V - paste values only

Microsoft added this to Excel 365 in August 2024. One of the most requested shortcuts in Excel history. If you often copy external data into tables, you can't do without it.
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1️⃣0️⃣ Alt+W+E+F - Focus Cell

Highlights the entire row and column of the active cell, like a ruler on the screen. In wide tables with 30+ columns, your eyes no longer wander.
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Just ten shortcuts, you'll memorize them in no time. And you'll feel the difference in speed even faster 💯

If one of these shortcuts doesn't work for you, you probably have the Russian version of Excel.
The thing is, combinations like Alt + W + E + F are not global hotkeys but sequential keytips on the ribbon, and in localized versions, the letters differ. To find out the actual keytips for your version, just hold down the Alt key - the corresponding letters will appear above each ribbon element. Then press them in sequence. For example, Focus Cell in Russian Excel is invoked via Alt → О → Я1 → Ф.


Tomorrow I'll post about how to install a fresh Office without shady activators 😎

Try using them at work. How many combinations did you know before this post?

🔥 - knew almost all
👍 - knew half, didn't know half
🤔 - Ctrl+Shift+V and Focus Cell — what are those??

#excel

@data_dzen