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How to Make Excel Open in Full Screen?

Published in Excel View Options 2 mins read

While Excel typically doesn't have a built-in setting to automatically open in full-screen mode every time, you can easily enter and exit this view after the application is open to maximize your workspace by hiding the ribbon interface.

Full-screen view in Microsoft Excel is a display option that removes the ribbon (which contains tabs like File, Home, Insert, etc.) and the formula bar from the screen. This allows you to see more rows and columns of your spreadsheet at once, which is particularly useful on smaller screens or when presenting data.

Entering Full-Screen View Manually

The most straightforward way to switch your current Excel window into full-screen mode is by using a simple keyboard shortcut.

Based on the provided reference, you can use the following command:

  • Press "Ctrl+Shift+F1"

What happens when you press Ctrl+Shift+F1?

According to the reference, pressing this shortcut will "enter full-screen mode. The header and menu bar should now be hidden."

This means:

  • The entire ribbon interface (tabs, commands) disappears.
  • The formula bar is hidden.
  • The status bar at the bottom may also be hidden, depending on your Excel version and settings.
  • Your worksheet area expands to fill almost the entire screen, with only the window title bar (showing the file name) and possibly the taskbar visible.

Returning to Standard View

To exit full-screen view and bring back the ribbon and other hidden elements, you simply use the same shortcut again.

  • Press "Ctrl+Shift+F1" again.

Alternatively, in most versions of Excel, pressing the Esc key will also exit full-screen view and restore the standard display with the ribbon visible.

Quick Reference Table

Here’s a summary of the shortcut:

Action Keyboard Shortcut Effect
Enter Full Screen Ctrl+Shift+F1 Hides ribbon, formula bar, etc.
Exit Full Screen Ctrl+Shift+F1 Restores standard view with ribbon.
Exit Full Screen Esc Restores standard view with ribbon.

Using this shortcut is the quickest way to toggle the display mode in Excel after your workbook is open.