You can add comments to text, objects, charts, table cells, and sheets. A small square appears next to text (which is also highlighted) to indicate a comment is attached. Comments attached to shapes are also indicated by a small square. Comments in table cells are indicated by a triangle in the corner of the cell. When you don’t want comments to be visible, you can hide them, and you can print a spreadsheet with or without comments.
When multiple people are working on a spreadsheet, each person’s comments appear in a unique color and include their author name. Anyone can reply to a comment, which is especially useful if you’re collaborating—you can add a comment, then with back-and-forth replies have a conversation in real time.
Note: Comments aren’t visible in printed spreadsheets unless you select that printing option.
You can add and edit your own comments, and anyone can delete a comment.
Select text, or click an object or a table cell, then click in the toolbar.
Note: If you click the background of the sheet (so that nothing is selected), you can add a comment to the sheet that always stays open. You can resize the comment and reposition it on the sheet. Others can’t reply to this type of comment.
Type your comment, then click Done (or click outside the comment).
To view, edit, or delete your comment, do one of the following:
Open a comment: Click the comment marker (or move the pointer over the highlighted text).
Edit a comment: If you’re the comment’s author, open the comment, click in the text, then type.
If there are replies to your comment, you can’t edit the original comment by clicking its text. Instead, move the pointer over the timestamp to the right of your name at the top of the comment. When the down arrow appears, click it, choose Edit Comment, then make your changes.
Delete a comment: Click Delete at the bottom of the comment. If there are replies to the comment, this action deletes the entire conversation. You can delete an individual reply only if you’re the author of the reply or the spreadsheet owner.
If the comment is on the sheet background, move the pointer over the comment, then click Delete.
Choose Numbers > Settings (from the Numbers menu at the top of your screen).
Click General.
Click the Text Size pop-up menu, then choose a size.
Click the comment marker (or move the pointer over the highlighted text).
Do any of the following:
Review a comment or conversation: Scroll through the text. If a comment is truncated, click Show More. If replies are hidden, click “View [n] more replies.”
Go to the next or previous comment (or highlight): Click the arrows at the bottom of a comment.
If the comment is on the sheet background, move the pointer over the comment, then click the arrows.
Click the comment marker (or move the pointer over the highlighted text).
Do any of the following:
Add a reply: Click Reply at the bottom of the comment, type your reply, then click Done. You can reply as many times as you like.
Edit your reply: Move the pointer over the timestamp (to the right of your name) for the reply you want to edit. When the down arrow appears, click it, then choose Edit Reply. Make your changes then click Done.
Delete a reply: Move the pointer over the timestamp to the right of your name (or if you’re the spreadsheet owner, the person’s reply you want to delete). When the down arrow appears, click it, then choose Delete Reply. You can only delete an individual reply if the reply is yours or if you’re the spreadsheet owner.
Click the comment marker (or move the pointer over the highlighted text), then click Delete at the bottom of the conversation.
Do one of the following:
Click in the toolbar, then choose either Show Comments or Hide Comments.
Choose View > Comments > Show Comments or Hide Comments (from the View menu at the top of your screen).
If you send your spreadsheet to someone who opens it on an iPhone or iPad, it may open in reading view. To add or edit comments, the recipient must tap at the top of the screen.
When you print a spreadsheet with comments included, the comments appear on a separate page that follows the sheet. Comment flags on the sheet are numbered to correspond with the comments on the comment page.