select text

To select text, do any of the following while viewing a spreadsheet in editing view:

  • Select a word: Double-tap it.

  • Select a paragraph: Triple-tap in the paragraph.

  • Select an item in a list: Tap its bullet, number, or letter.

  • Select a range of text: Double-tap a word, then move the grab points to include more or less text.

  • Select noncontiguous text: Press and hold the Command key on a connected keyboard while selecting two or more nonadjacent words or ranges of text using a trackpad or mouse.

    To deselect a portion of any noncontiguous selections, press and hold the Command key, then select the text you want to exclude.

On iPad, you can also drag two fingers across the keyboard to move the insertion point, then tap once on the keyboard to select a word and twice to select a paragraph.

You can select a range of continuous text or multiple noncontiguous selections only within the same area of a sheet—for example, within a single text box, shape, or table cell.

To deselect all text selections, click anywhere on the sheet outside a selection.