How do I turn off the auto cell focus feature on excel for Mac?

Not sure that can be done.

But if it can and you don't get a suitable response here, you should ask the question in the Microsoft help forums. Excel is a MS product, not Apple.

Excel Help & Learning - support.microsoft.com

I don't use MS Excel... haven't for decades anyway, but I was able to find the following: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/increase-ease-of-navigation-with-focus-cell-in-excel/4264531 It appears to address what you need to do.

Yes, understood it's a MS product, but full-time MS users aren't too bright.

If they were they'd be Mac users 😃 I do agree that the degree of competence on this site exceeds most other user-to-user support sites.

From the link above provided by @John Galt:

❝Availability 

This feature is available on Beta Channel users running Version 2410 (Build 18118.20000) or later. Focus Cell for Mac and Web is coming soon. Focus Cell support with Freeze Panes is also coming soon.❞

The mere sight of that MS Toolbar induces waves of nausea 🤮 I think I'll stick with Numbers.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/increase-ease-of-navigation-with-focus-cell-in-excel/4264531

❝How it works 

1. Open an existing worksheet that contains a large data set. 

2. On the View tab, select Focus Cell button to toggle the feature on and off, or press Alt + W + E + F.❞

Maybe?

Open a new excel workbook on your mac, go to search on the top right you will see Focus Cell, click on it to deactivate/activate and you are good to go..