To press Enter in an Excel cell and what happens depends on what is intended:
- Pressing the regular Enter key after typing in a cell will enter the data and move the cursor down to the cell directly below it. This is the default behavior in Excel and useful for entering data down a column.
- To insert a line break inside the same cell (start a new line within a cell), press Alt + Enter on Windows (or Control + Option + Return on Mac). This allows multiple lines of text within one cell.
- To stay in the same cell after pressing Enter (not move the cursor), use Ctrl + Enter after typing. This finalizes the entry but keeps the cursor in the current cell.
- There are ways to change the behavior of the Enter key, including changing the direction the cursor moves after pressing Enter (down, up, left, right) in Excel options under File > Options > Advanced > Editing options.
Summary of key shortcuts for pressing Enter in Excel cells:
- Enter: Confirm and move down.
- Shift + Enter: Confirm and move up.
- Alt + Enter: Insert line break (new line inside the same cell).
- Ctrl + Enter: Confirm and stay in the same cell.
This covers how to press Enter and control its behavior in Excel cells effectively.