Move One Cell Right: Excel & Google Sheets

This guide explains what happens when you press the key or command that moves the selection one cell to the right in a spreadsheet, and how to do it in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. You’ll learn the default shortcuts, how to change them, and what to do when the arrow keys don’t behave as expected.

Formula

The movement itself isn’t a formula—it’s a navigation action. But the related concept of cell referencing uses a simple rule: a cell address is ColumnLetter + RowNumber (e.g., B3). Moving one cell right increases the column letter by one (A→B, B→C, … Z→AA). The row number stays the same.

If you’re calculating a value that depends on the cell to the right, you’d use a relative reference like =B3 (if you’re in A3) or an absolute reference like =$B$3 if you want it to stay fixed when copying.

Worked Example

Suppose you have a value in cell A1 (the default input is 50 minutes for a finish time, but let’s use a simple number). You want to move one cell right from A1 to B1. In Excel or Google Sheets, you press the Tab key (or the Right Arrow key, depending on settings). The active cell changes from A1 to B1. If you type =A1 in B1, it will display the value from A1.

For the calculator above, if you enter a finish time of 50 minutes and a distance of 10 km, the average pace is 5.00 min/km, and the average speed is 12.00 km/h. That’s the same as moving from one cell to the next in a table—each cell holds a number, and the formulas reference adjacent cells.

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

The most common way to move one cell right is the Tab key. In both Excel and Google Sheets, Tab moves the selection one cell to the right and keeps the same row. The Right Arrow key also moves one cell right, but only if Scroll Lock is off (on Windows) and the selection is not locked in a dialog.

On a Mac, the same keys work: Tab and Right Arrow. If you’re editing a cell, pressing Enter completes the entry and moves down by default, but you can change that to move right (see below).

Changing the Direction of Enter

Many users want Enter to move right instead of down. In Excel, go to File → Options → Advanced (Windows) or Excel → Preferences → Edit (Mac). Under “After pressing Enter, move selection,� choose “Right� from the drop-down. In Google Sheets, click File → Settings (or the gear icon) and under “Enter key moves selection,� choose “Right.� This affects only the Enter key, not Tab or arrow keys.

Common Problems and Fixes

If pressing the Right Arrow key scrolls the whole sheet instead of moving the cell, Scroll Lock is likely on. On Windows, press the Scroll Lock key (sometimes labeled ScrLk) to turn it off. On a Mac, there’s no Scroll Lock key, but you can use the Fn + Right Arrow to move to the end of a row, or check if the “Use arrow keys to move� setting is disabled in System Preferences.

Another issue: if you’re in a merged cell, arrow keys may skip over merged areas. Unmerge the cells or use Tab to move cell-by-cell. If you’re in a filtered list, arrow keys might move to visible cells only—that’s normal.

Alternatives to Arrow Keys

Besides Tab and arrow keys, you can use Ctrl + Right Arrow (Windows) or Command + Right Arrow (Mac) to jump to the edge of a data region. Home moves to the beginning of a row, and Ctrl + Home goes to A1. In Google Sheets, Fn + Right Arrow moves to the end of a row.

If you prefer mouse navigation, simply click the cell you want. For large jumps, use the Name Box (left of the formula bar) to type a cell address and press Enter.

Why It Matters

Moving one cell right is fundamental to data entry and formula creation. When you copy a formula across a row, relative references shift one column at a time—exactly like moving one cell right. Understanding this helps you predict how formulas behave when filled or copied. For example, if you have =A1*2 in B1 and copy it to C1, it becomes =B1*2.

This behavior is consistent across Excel and Google Sheets, making it easy to switch between them. The only major difference is the settings location for Enter direction, as described above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I make the arrow keys move cells instead of scrolling?
Turn off Scroll Lock. On Windows, press the Scroll Lock key (often labeled ScrLk). On a Mac, there’s no dedicated key, but you can check System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts → Input Sources, or use Fn + Arrow keys to move to the edge of data.

Q: Why does pressing Tab move to the right, but in a form it moves to the next field?
In spreadsheet grids, Tab moves right by default. In dialog boxes or forms, Tab moves to the next control. That’s standard behavior for all applications—Excel and Google Sheets follow it.

Q: Can I set a custom shortcut to move one cell right?
Not directly, but you can use the built-in keys. In Excel, you can create a macro and assign a shortcut, but that’s advanced. In Google Sheets, there’s no custom shortcut for navigation, but you can use the “Go to� feature (Ctrl+G) to type a cell address.

Q: Does moving one cell right change the formula references?
Only when you copy or fill a formula. Moving the active cell itself doesn’t change any formulas. But if you insert a new column, references shift automatically to keep pointing to the same logical cell.

Q: What is the difference between Tab and Right Arrow?
Tab always moves one cell right, regardless of Scroll Lock. Right Arrow moves one cell right only when Scroll Lock is off. Also, Tab is often used to confirm data entry in a cell, while Right Arrow just moves the selection.

Q: How do I move one cell right in Google Sheets on a mobile app?
Tap the cell you want to move to. There’s no keyboard shortcut on mobile, but you can use the arrow keys if you connect a physical keyboard.

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in t | Finish time | min | 50 | 0
in d | Distance | km | 10 | 0
out pace | Average pace | min/km | t / d | 2
out speed | Average speed | km/h | d / (t / 60) | 2