Excel on mac, running (macOS Tahoe 26.6.2) not allowing typing on the desk top application

Uninstall your Office apps. Download and install this slightly older version https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/mro1cdnstorage/C1297A47-86C4-4C1F-97FA-950631F94777/MacAutoupdate/Microsoft_365_and_Office_16.110.26062818_BusinessPro_Installer.pkg

See if it helps.

Hello @neil

This looks very similar to a known/reported Excel for Mac 16.111.x issue, rather than something that requires reinstalling macOS. Other users on macOS Tahoe have reported the same symptom: Excel opens normally, but keyboard input into cells stops working.

Before reinstalling anything, try resetting Excel’s macOS permissions:

1. Quit Excel completely.
2. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders.
3. Expand Microsoft Excel.
4. Toggle its folder permissions off/on to force macOS to refresh them.
5. Reopen Excel and test a blank workbook.

If that doesn’t work, check Excel > About Microsoft Excel. If you’re running 16.111.x, there are matching reports where temporarily rolling Excel back to 16.110.3 restored cell input. Multiple users confirmed that workaround.

So don’t reinstall macOS at this stage. Since you’ve already reinstalled Microsoft 365 without success, I’d try the permission reset first, then roll back to 16.110.3 as a temporary workaround until a newer Excel build resolves it.

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Dear neil,

Another user reported these exact symptoms after a July 17, 2026 update, and found a solution that resolved it for them. Please try the following.

1. Completely quit Excel by selecting Excel > Quit Excel or pressing Command + Q.
2. Open Apple menu > System Settings.
3. Select Privacy & Security.
4. Open Files and Folders.
5. Find Microsoft Excel and expand it.
6. Turn on access to available locations, particularly: documents folder, desktop folder and downloads folder
7. If access is already enabled, turn one permission off and back on to force macOS to refresh it.
8. Restart the Mac and test a blank workbook.

If Excel is not listed there, open an existing spreadsheet from the Documents or Desktop folder. macOS may then display a permission prompt. Select Allow.

For reference: Excel for Mac - Can't type in cells - Solution (July/August 2026) - Microsoft Q&A

If the issue still persists, a corrupted settings container can also cause this:

1. Quit Excel with Command + Q.
2. In Finder, select Go > Go to Folder.
3. Enter: ~/Library/Containers/
4. Find the folder named com.microsoft.Excel.
5. Move that folder to your Desktop rather than deleting it.
6. Restart your Mac and open Excel.

Excel will create a fresh settings container. Moving the old folder to the Desktop lets you put it back if needed.

If the problem continues and you are running Excel version 16.111, users in the same thread reported that temporarily reverting Excel to version 16.110.3 restored keyboard input. However, I would confirm your installed version before considering that workaround. Open Excel > About Microsoft Excel to check your Excel version.

If none of that help, I recommend that the Global Admin in your organization create a service request with Microsoft Support. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. If you don't know who your IT administrator is, please refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support 

For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number from your region: Contact Microsoft customer support | Microsoft Support 

I truly hope you get your issue resolved swiftly. Please know that even though I can't directly intervene, directing you to the correct, specialized support is the most effective help I can provide from my position. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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