To insert a line break (return) within a single Excel cell, follow these methods:

• Using Keyboard Shortcut (Windows):
  While editing the cell (either by double-clicking it or pressing F2), place the cursor where you want the new line, then press Alt + Enter. This inserts a line break inside the cell, allowing multiple lines of text

• Using Keyboard Shortcut (Mac):
  Press Control + Option + Return or Option + Return (in Excel 365) to insert a line break within a cell during editing

• Enable Wrap Text:
  To see multiple lines correctly, make sure the cell has Wrap Text enabled. Select the cell(s), then click the Wrap Text button on the Home tab in the Alignment group. Adjust cell width or height if necessary to display all lines

• Using Formulas:
  You can insert line breaks in formulas using the CHAR(10) function (Windows) or CHAR(13) (Mac). For example:
  =A1 & CHAR(10) & B1
  This concatenates text from two cells with a line break between them

• Find and Replace for Multiple Cells:
  To add line breaks across many cells, use Find & Replace:

  1. Select cells
  2. Press Ctrl + H
  3. In "Find what," enter the character to replace (e.g., comma)
  4. In "Replace with," press Ctrl + J (this inserts a line break)
  5. Click "Replace All"

These methods allow you to format text inside Excel cells with multiple lines for better readability and presentation.

Summary of shortcuts

Platform| Shortcut to insert line break in cell
---|---
Windows| Alt + Enter
Mac| Control + Option + Return or Option + Return (Excel 365)

This technique is often called inserting a "hard return" or "carriage return" within a cell