Mac Numbers table selection toolbar icon not showing thumbnails

This is specific to 1 spreadsheet, duplicating the file doesn't help, new spreadsheets do not exhibit this problem.


The Mac Numbers toolbar icon to choose a table to add to this spreadsheet is empty. It used to work and show thumbnails of different styles. I can briefly see them along the edge, I've tried different zoom levels etc but they don't appear. thank you,


Mac Numbers Sequoia 15.7.9 MBP2021

MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 2021)

Posted on Oct 29, 2026 6:46 AM

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5 replies

Oct 29, 2026 11:01 AM in response to J_M2

Do you mean the toolbar attached to the window? that's the only icon I can think of that adds a table to the sheet.


If so, the toolbar is totally customizable, and it sounds like (inadvertently, perhaps) the Add Table tool has been nixed.


It's easy to reset, though. Just Crtl-click on the toolbar and choose Customize Toolbar.


Here you'll see all the options you can add to the toolbar. Just drag up the icon(s) you want (or drag off the ones you don't). Or you can reset to defaults by dragging the default toolbar at the bottom of this popup to the toolbar.


Does that help?

Oct 29, 2026 11:27 AM in response to Camelot

thanks for the reply, the toolbar icon is still there. And choosing any of the dots at the bottom doesn't show any thumbnails. In the sidebar there are many table styles available, but nothing for a quick pick from the toolbar. Attached screen grabs show what I see in a new spreadsheet and what is missing in this one file. It's a deep spreadsheet with roughly 16 sheets, I have yet to look into some way to copy to a clean spreadsheet, but not looking forward to it either... thanks again,

Oct 29, 2026 11:21 AM in response to J_M2

phew! all fixed.


Apparently there is a limit to the number of table styles before that toolbar drop-down goes a bit wonky. As I was deleting styles I could see the thumbnails start to move in from the right side of that thumbnail drop down.


I'll leave this conversation up in case anyone is crazy enough to add too many table styles. This is an older spreadsheet that has been developed over the years so the number of table styles slowly grew.


thanks again for the response!

Mac Numbers table selection toolbar icon not showing thumbnails

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