Numbers commands

Hello megamom,

Along the rows (and columns) there is an icon with two lines. If you click that once a new row, or column, is added. You can also click and drag this to add more at once. You can also right click and click on Add Row Before, Add Row After, Add Column Before, Add Column After.

Add or remove rows and columns in Numbers on Mac - Apple Support

I hope this helps!

Sorry guys, but I have to nit-pick here. Numbers can't add a row within a cell. I can't try it here, but l seem to recall that excel can do that, called splitting a cell, but Numbers can't. Having two lines of text in a single cell would be called adding a "Line" of text. That would be done by turning on Wrap Text in a case where the string exceeds the space available, or by using the New Line Keyboard Shortcut Option-Return and then continuing to type.

Numbers can separate a cell that has been merged, back into its original form, sort of like adding a row or splitting a cell, but it's really just an undoing.

Jerry

Select a cell in the row above the place you want to add a row.

Move the pointer to the space between the table and the row reference tab for that row.

Click the 'wide V' that appears to open the pop up menu shown in the image above, then

click on the menu item selected (highlighted) in the image.

Result:

Alternate method:

Select any cell in the row above or below what will become the new row.

For this example, the new row is to be inserted above the current row 3.

Press and hold the option key and tap the arrow key (lower right of keyboard) pointed toward the location for the new row in this case, option-up arrow:

Note that the option-arrow key combination can be used to insert rows (using the up or down arrow key) or to insert columns using the left or right arrows.

You can insert multiple rows or columns by selecting more than one cell:

Press Option-down arrow:

Regards,

Barry

megamom wrote:

How do I get numbers to insert a new row?

If you mean a new row within the same cell you can use option-return.

SG

Well spotted, SG!

Type Option + up arrow to add a row above, or Option + down arrow to add a row below. This works for me with all versions of Numbers as far back as version 1 (iWork '08).