Just click individual cells to sum
Excel 2011 had the possibility to sum individual cells by typing "=", and then just clicking on individual cells across the workbook that you want to sum, and "return" when done. This functionality is no longer available in Excel 2016 (you have to type "=sum(", then clicking on the individual cells while holding down the command key, "return". I would be happy if the old functionality is brought to Excel 2016.
Saskia Aldershof
shared this idea
Update – thanks for the continued support of this feature. We’ll keep this request open for voting, but we’ll need to consider modifying the behavior slightly if it is to be brought back. For this suggestion, we would want to enable such behavior on both Mac and Windows, but we would need to do it in a way that does not cause problems for people who don’t want this behavior. For example, it may be that you would type =, then hold the CMD key as you click the cells to be added. Or perhaps you would need to enable a preference to get the old behavior. Please comment on these options or offer other ideas.
We’ve been working to make Excel more consistent between Mac and Windows, as can be seen by the updates over the past several months, which have satisfied several thousand votes on this forum (multi-thread calculation, PivotCharts, modern chart types, new functions, slicers for tables). I mention that to be clear that we are listening to the suggestions, comments and votes.
Steve K [MS Excel]
352 comments
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User Error
commented
How is this error allowed to persist. To perform this simple task you use to be able to click a cell, press = and click however many cells you needed to add up. Now, you click on a cell (and on a laptop) take your hands off the mouse so you can click "shift + =" (a 2 handed key press) then grab mouse and move to another cell, repeat. There is no "+" symbol on a compact laptop keyboard and no easy way to one-hand that key combo.
You already have this feature implemented in a non-functioning way. If you hold down command, you can select multiple cells, but they are separated by a "," resulting in "#value!".
Why are you allowed to do a function that does not work and not allowed to do a feature that works for consistency?
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John Gardner
commented
I'm a Mac user and, yes, I'm mortified to find out that "upgrading" to a more recent version has very tangibly hurt my productivity due to this baffling decision to remove the fundamental feature of simply clicking to add a cells to a formula. PLEASE BRING BACK THIS SIMPLICITY. Window users and Mac users have all been happy with this method, so I can't believe that this is a consistency issue.
I have not met anyone who does not want this functionality- and I've asked dozens of WIN & MAC users randomly. I just can't find it in my heart to believe that there's a real contingency of users saying, "Please require me to type + or , or to hold down some keyboard key in order to add cells to my formulas." That's incomprehensible to me
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Anonymous
commented
I would really like to see this added back.
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Peter
commented
Why would Microsoft do this kind of damage to Excel? I do not need to spend my day typing + signs. I want my money back.
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Tom
commented
User of Excel 365 for Mac and I would really like to see this added back. I think a preference ability to revert to the old behavior would be preferable.
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Anonymous
commented
Please add this function back. It is critical to all I do.
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Elizabeth
commented
Wow! If I could roll back, I would, but my old software doesn't work with the newly installed iOS. Sheesh. Who thought removing this feature was a good idea? Clearly, someone who doesn't use spreadsheets. I can't believe this didn't come up in UAT with business users!
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PBT
commented
Why did you get rid of this function it was one of the very few things that kept me from switching completely over to Google Sheets.
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PHIL
commented
Please, please, please add the function back. Have just upgraded to latest version from 2015 and discovered its missing so reverted to older version as latest is a functional down grade rather than having any advantage.
Thanks -
James
commented
Bring it back as a preference. Very useful and ergonomic for certain very common work situations.
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Glenn
commented
Add my vote for a preference to select either the new (problematic) behaviour, or the old (it wasn't broken so why was it fixed).
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Charlie Hartman
commented
Adding this functionality back as a preference should mean making it something you can choose to have turned on or not. It should be a one-time choice, and from then on you'd be able to click on cells to add them.
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CT
commented
I like the add-as-i-click-cells and sometimes i dont based on what i'm trying to do within the sheet. So having it as an option is great. It can be a Preferences but changing this option would take too long by leaving the sheet and opening the Preference window. It takes too many steps vs holding down CMD or Option or Shift or Control.
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Anonymous
commented
Please bring this functionality back. I think adding as a Preference would be the best solution.
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Kiyoshi Inoue
commented
I am really struggling with the new catalina update for mac as it forced me to update to the latest office package. I combine information from multiple sheets with intricate structure, adding individual cells in different location on each sheet. Being able to click to add in each cell after inserting = in my totals sheet in imperative.. I can't fathom why this feature is no more?!!???? I guess I could work with the cmd suggestion but as excel has no feature that conflicts with this simple yet ingenious feature is mind puzzling..
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Denise Imbesi
commented
This was one of the best features of Excel which in my opinion sets Excel apart from other worksheet programs. Please please bring it back...
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BW
commented
Absolutely bring that function back. It was such a time saver! Thank you
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NK
commented
Please bring that function back. I just upgraded and now takes me so much longer to do my spreadsheets and I hate it. That feature was extremely convenient. I also use a mac.
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PL
commented
I am a 100% Mac user and I too want to see the function back.
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Willy
commented
Why make Excel more consistent between Mac & Windows? The reason I have a Mac is to never touch a PC of my whole life again.
BTW, why do I have to pay 70$/yr for MS on my Mac? I had MS Office 2011 for years. Now we have to pay a fee yearly? Such a rip off!