Mac users of Excel have struggled with the lack of alt-key shortcuts for the past 10 years with only painful workarounds available (see Reddit and Microsoft's forum).

macOS's increased support for accessibility features recently enabled a new way to control Mac Excel. Mac users can now use alt-key shortcuts without spending a lot or inconvenient setups. Give it a try!

• Bootcamp: Inconvenient to switch between Windows and Mac partitions, when most of our apps are on the Mac partition. Read-only access to Mac files from Windows partition without paid third-party software. Requires an additional Office license (US$150 per year).
• Running a VM (e.g. Parallels): Laggy and consumes a lot of CPU. Some keyboard shortcuts still don't work properly. And this isn't cheap — Parallels costs US$80/year, and you need additional Windows and Office licenses.
• Buying a separate PC: Technically this works…but surely we can do better than buying a new computer?

Have a question, or just want to say hi? You can always reach us at hi@acceleratorkeys.com.

For setup instructions, please follow this walkthrough.

Does Accelerator Keys replicate the experience of using Alt keys on Windows Excel?
Yes it does! Just:
• Follow the instructions in our set-up walkthrough
• Change the top row of keys on your Mac to work as standard function keys without holding the fn key
• Use the cmd key instead of the ctrl key for shortcuts that used the ctrl key in windows (eg, ctrl-D, ctrl-R to drag formulas).
Does Accelerator Keys have all the shortcuts available on Windows Excel / Powerpoint?

We have all the shortcuts available on macOS Excel and Powerpoint. However, a small percentage of users may see missing shortcuts when Excel / Powerpoint add or change button names, or due to differences in internationalisation.

Why do I need to enable automatic updates?

The app needs to be updated each time Microsoft updates Excel Office 365. This allows the app to find controls in the Excel ribbon accurately (eg, if button labels or the ribbon layout has changed), and let users control them through Accelerator Keys.

I signed up for a free trial but did not receive an activation code

The activation code is automatically sent to the email address which you used to sign up for the trial. If you’re missing the code or think you might have mistyped your email address, drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com so that we can manually retrieve the code for you.

I keyed in the wrong email address when signing up for a free trial - how do I fix this?

No problem - drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com so that we can manually retrieve the code for you.

How do I activate Accelerator Keys after paying for a subscription? Do I need a licence key?
Once you have paid for a subscription, you can use the email address that you used during subscription to activate Accelerator Keys, just by clicking on the “Activate” button (see image below). No licence key or activation code needed!

I purchased a subscription plan, but when I key in my email address, it says that no purchases were found for this email address

The email address used is case sensitive and character sensitive, so make sure you key it in exactly. Drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com if you can’t remember the exact email address used, or if it still doesn’t work.

Can I use my Accelerator Keys licence on multiple laptops?

One licence will only work on one laptop at one time.

If you want to use the same licence on multiple laptops, you will have to deregister the current laptop associated with the licence, and then activate Accelerator Keys on a different laptop. You can do this back and forth - but if you foresee that you will need to frequently use Accelerator Keys on multiple devices, it might be simpler to purchase an additional licence.

Drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com if you’re interested in bulk licence discounts.

Note that for our old customers on the lifetime licence, your licence is tied to a specific device and cannot be transferred.

How do I transfer my Accelerator Keys licence to a different laptop?

To transfer your licence to a different laptop, you will first have to deregister the current laptop associated with your subscription.

To deregister the current laptop associated with your subscription:

• Click on the Accelerator Keys icon in the menu bar.
• Click on Manage account > Deregister this Mac.



After your current laptop has been deregistered, you can activate Accelerator Keys on your new laptop using the same email address associated with your subscription.

Note that for our old customers on the lifetime licence, your licence is tied to a specific device and cannot be transferred.

How do I transfer my Accelerator Keys licence to a new laptop, if I no longer have access to my old laptop?

No problem - drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com so that we can manually deregister your old laptop on the backend.

How can I convert my monthly subscription to an annual subscription, or vice versa?
• Click on the Accelerator Keys icon in the menu bar.
• Click on Manage account > Billing.
• Click on Update plan.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel your subscription at any time, just:

• Click on the Accelerator Keys icon in the menu bar.
• Click on Manage account > Billing.
• Click Cancel plan.



Do note that cancelling your subscription will terminate your access to Accelerator Keys with immediate effect, even if you have just paid for a new subscription cycle.

Help! I can’t get Accelerator Keys to work at all
Make sure that you’ve followed all the instructions in our set-up walkthrough, and that Accelerator Keys is open before you open Excel.
If that still doesn’t work, drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com with the following information:
• Your macOS version
• Your Excel version
• Your Accelerator Keys version
Help! I’m having technical issues with Accelerator Keys
Drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com with the following information:
• Your macOS version
• Your Excel version
• Your Accelerator Keys version
• A description of the error, preferably with screenshots or a screen recording.
Do you offer any student discounts or bulk discounts?

Sure - drop us an email at hi@acceleratorkeys.com and we’ll see what we can do.

This is the best thing since sliced bread - how can I show my appreciation?

If you’re enjoying Accelerator Keys, do leave us a positive review on Product Hunt.

I know I keep saying “we” in the FAQs above, but Accelerator Keys is really a one-man (and wife) operation, so I really appreciate your kind words 🥲

See our full list of supported alt and ribbon shortcuts here.