Excel spreadsheet via Teams (opens in browser) 'return to beginning column' function

Dear @D L Smith,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Community.

You have correctly identified a key difference in functionality between the desktop and web versions of Excel. The behavior you're describing, where the cursor automatically returns to the first column of the next row after hitting "Enter," is a feature of the full desktop application. The browser-based version of Excel, used within Teams, does not currently have this same function.

You are not missing a setting; this is a known difference in the design of Excel for the web. You are also correct that downloading and re-uploading is counterproductive to the purpose of Teams.

To access the full functionality of the desktop application while still collaborating with others in Teams, you can open the file directly from the Teams channel in your desktop Excel app. When the Excel file is open in your browser, look for the "Editing" dropdown menu at the top of the ribbon. Click it, and you may find the "Open in Desktop" option there.

The default action of the Enter key in Excel is to move the cursor one cell down, not to the beginning of the next row. To get the specific functionality you described where the cursor returns to the beginning of the next row after you've entered data in the final column, you need to adjust a setting within the desktop version of Excel.

Here's how you can change this setting:

1. Click on the File tab, and then select Options.
2. In the Excel Options dialog box, select Advanced from the left pane.
3. Under the Editing options section, you'll see a setting called "After pressing Enter, move selection". Ensure this box is checked.
4. Just below that, you can specify the direction to the Right if you want the cursor to move to the beginning column after pressing Enter.

Once this is configured, you should be able to tab through your columns and, upon pressing Enter, have the cursor move to the first column of the next row. This customization is a feature of the desktop app, which is why it wasn't available in the web version.

I hope this information helps clarify the situation and provides you with workable solutions. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're always here to help. Have a wonderful day!

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Dear @D L Smith,

It’s been a while since our last email, and I wanted to check in to see if your issue has been resolved. Have you encountered any difficulties with the steps I provided?

If you still have any questions or concerns, please feel free to share them with me. I’m always happy to help.

If you found the answer helpful, we kindly invite you to mark it as the accepted answer.

Once marked, it will automatically be pinned to the top. Since many other users also search for information in this community, your valuable contribution will help them easily find the right channel and useful insights more quickly. 

Thank you very much, and I wish you a great day.