What the Scroll Lock key does
Scroll Lock is a relic that almost only matters in Excel: with it on, the arrow keys scroll the sheet instead of moving the selected cell. Some keyboards use its indicator for other purposes and some remote-desktop tools use it as a shortcut key.
On a Mac
Fn+Shift+F14 toggles Scroll Lock in Excel for Mac. A full-size Apple keyboard has F14 in the top row.
On a laptop
If Excel shows "Scroll Lock" in the status bar and you have no key, open the On-Screen Keyboard (Windows+Ctrl+O), click Options, enable the numeric keypad view and click ScrLk.
Shortcuts that use the Scroll Lock key
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Scroll Lock | Toggle arrow-key scrolling in Excel |
| Fn+C / Fn+K (some laptops) | Scroll Lock |
| Fn+Shift+F14 (Mac) | Scroll Lock in Excel |
| Windows+Ctrl+O | On-Screen Keyboard with a ScrLk button |
If the Scroll Lock key is missing or not working
If arrow keys scroll the Excel sheet instead of moving cells, Scroll Lock is on; turn it off with the key or the On-Screen Keyboard. Test it below.
Test it here: click the tester, press the key, and it should light up green. A red key is stuck; a key that never lights up is dead or intercepted by the system. The full keyboard tester has the press log and more detail.
Click the tester, then press any key. Browser shortcuts are blocked while it has focus.
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- key
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- code
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- keyCode
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none
Max at once: 0 (rollover)
None detected. A key held for more than 2 seconds is flagged.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn off Scroll Lock in Excel? +
Press the Scroll Lock key. On a laptop without one, open the On-Screen Keyboard (Windows+Ctrl+O), turn on the numeric keypad in Options, and click ScrLk. On a Mac press Fn+Shift+F14.
Where is Scroll Lock on a laptop? +
Usually nowhere. Try Fn+C, Fn+K or Fn+S depending on the brand, or use the On-Screen Keyboard.
What does Scroll Lock do? +
In Excel it makes the arrow keys scroll the window rather than move the active cell. Almost nothing else uses it.