In Excel for Mac, use the sheet-tab scrolling buttons when the target is visible by name but off-screen, or step through worksheets with Option+Right Arrow and Option+Left Arrow. If you have Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel’s Navigation pane can also list sheets: enable the sheet count in the status bar, select the count, then choose a sheet from the list. If the tab is missing entirely, check whether the worksheet is hidden. These routes help you find and activate the sheet without rearranging the workbook.

Start with the method that matches what you know

If you know the tab’s name and can see part of the sheet-tab row, use the scrolling buttons at the left of the tabs until the name appears, then click it. Scrolling changes which tabs are visible; you still need to select the target tab to make that worksheet active. Microsoft documents these buttons as a way to display a tab that is not currently visible. Hide or Unhide worksheets — Microsoft Support

If you do not know where the sheet falls in workbook order, move between sheets from the keyboard. Microsoft lists Option+Right Arrow to move to the next sheet and Option+Left Arrow to move to the previous sheet in Excel for Mac. Watch the active sheet as you step through, and stop when you reach the one you need. Keyboard shortcuts in Excel — Microsoft Support

If you have Microsoft 365 for Mac and want to select from a list, use the Navigation pane’s sheet-count route described below. For other editions, or when you only need to move a short distance, the scrolling buttons and keyboard shortcuts are the dependable documented choices covered here.

Use keyboard shortcuts to move through workbook order

Click a cell in the workbook so Excel is focused on the worksheet, then press Option+Right Arrow to activate the next sheet. Press Option+Left Arrow to move back. Repeat as needed. The shortcut follows workbook order, so it is practical when you know roughly where the target sits, or when you can recognize it as each sheet becomes active. It does not open a searchable list of worksheet names.

Microsoft’s shortcut table also shows Control+Page Down and Control+Page Up for moving to the next and previous sheet, but the previous-sheet row contains an apparent copy error: it prints Control+Page Down there too. On a MacBook, Page Up and Page Down may require Fn with the arrow keys, and keyboard settings or utilities can affect shortcuts. For a clearly stated Mac alternative, start with Option+Left or Option+Right; check the current shortcut reference if your keyboard behaves differently. Keyboard shortcuts in Excel — Microsoft Support

Once the correct sheet is active, verify the tab name before making edits. This matters in a workbook where adjacent sheets have similar names, such as “Jan Actual” and “Jan Plan.” Moving between tabs only changes which worksheet is active; it does not reorder, rename, or edit sheet contents.

Select a sheet from the Microsoft 365 Navigation pane

The Navigation pane is documented for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Mac. It can show a sheet count in Excel’s status bar; selecting that count opens a sheet list, and choosing an entry shifts focus to that sheet. This is useful when a workbook has many tabs and you know the target’s name but do not want to step through sheets one by one. Use the Navigation pane in Excel — Microsoft Support

To open the list through the status bar:

  1. In the workbook, right-click the status bar along the bottom of the Excel window and select Sheet Number to display the sheet count.

  2. Select the sheet-count indicator in the status bar.

  3. Choose the desired worksheet from the list. Excel shifts focus to that sheet and opens the Navigation pane.

The pane’s main view is for exploring workbook elements such as tables, charts, PivotTables, and images, grouped by sheet. Microsoft describes selecting a listed element as a way to move to that element, including when it is on another sheet. The status-bar sheet count is the specific route for choosing a worksheet from a list; do not assume that the pane’s element search is a general search field for arbitrary sheet names. The feature applies to Microsoft 365 for Mac, so if you do not see the documented controls, use the tab row or keyboard navigation instead. Use the Navigation pane in Excel — Microsoft Support

If the tab is absent, check for a hidden worksheet

A worksheet that is hidden does not appear among the visible sheet tabs, so scrolling will not reveal it. On Mac, right-click any visible sheet tab and choose Unhide; select the worksheet in the dialog and confirm. You can also use the Home tab’s Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide route. Excel lists hidden worksheets in the Unhide dialog. Hide or Unhide worksheets — Microsoft Support

There are two useful limits to know. First, a sheet hidden with VBA’s xlSheetVeryHidden setting does not appear in the Unhide dialog; Microsoft advises contacting the workbook owner if this is the case. Second, if workbook structure is protected, sheet actions including Hide and Unhide can be unavailable. The workbook owner may need to unprotect its structure before you can change worksheet visibility. Hide or Unhide worksheets, Protect a workbook — Microsoft Support

Also distinguish a hidden worksheet from a hidden workbook window. The former removes a sheet from the tab row; the latter hides the workbook window itself. Excel’s Window menu has separate Hide and Unhide commands for workbook windows. If the entire workbook seems to have disappeared, check Window > Unhide rather than looking for a missing sheet tab. Hide or Unhide worksheets — Microsoft Support

A quick decision path

  • You know the tab name and see some tabs: use the sheet-tab scrolling buttons to reveal it, then click the tab.

  • You can recognize the sheet but do not know where it is in order: use Option+Right Arrow or Option+Left Arrow and check each active sheet.

  • You want a list and have Microsoft 365 for Mac: enable Sheet Number in the status bar, select the count, and choose the sheet.

  • The sheet is not listed among visible tabs: use Unhide and check whether workbook structure protection or a VBA very-hidden setting applies.

  • The whole workbook window is missing: use the Window menu’s Unhide command.

If sheet names are cut off or nearly identical, take a moment to confirm the full name before editing. For frequently revisited work, Wallo can organize existing open Mac windows and to-dos locally by goal, with keyboard focusing; it does not replace Excel’s worksheet navigation or expose a separate list of tabs.

Sources