Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (2024)

Numbers

Table of Contents

Numbers User Guide for Mac

  • Welcome
  • What’s new in Numbers 14.1
    • Get started with Numbers
    • Intro to images, charts, and other objects
    • Create a spreadsheet
    • Open or close spreadsheets
    • Personalize templates
    • Use sheets
    • Undo or redo changes
    • Save your spreadsheet
    • Find a spreadsheet
    • Delete a spreadsheet
    • Print a spreadsheet
    • Change the sheet background
      • Change the spreadsheet view
      • Customize the toolbar
      • Show or hide the sidebar
      • Change settings
      • Set a default template
    • Touch Bar for Numbers
      • Use VoiceOver to create a spreadsheet
      • Use VoiceOver to create formulas and autofill cells
    • Add or delete a table
    • Select cells, rows, and columns
      • Add or remove rows and columns
      • Move rows and columns
      • Resize rows and columns
    • Merge or unmerge cells
      • Change how table text looks
      • Show, hide, or edit a table title
      • Change table grid colors
      • Use table styles
    • Resize, move, or lock a table
      • Add text to tables
      • Add objects to cells
      • Add stock information
      • Autofill cells
      • Copy, move, or delete cell content
      • Create a snapshot of a table
      • Format dates, currency, and more
      • Create a custom cell format
      • Add checkboxes and other controls to cells
      • Format tables for bidirectional text
    • Wrap text to fit in a cell
    • Highlight cells
    • Filter data
    • Alphabetize or sort data in a table
      • Intro to categories
      • Add, edit, or delete categories
      • Change category groups
      • Add calculations to summarize group data
      • Intro to pivot tables
      • Create a pivot table
      • Add and arrange pivot table data
      • Change how pivot table data is sorted, grouped, and more
      • Refresh a pivot table
      • View the source data for a pivot table value
    • Quickly calculate a sum, average, and more
    • Calculate values using data in table cells
    • Use the Formulas and Functions Help
      • Select data to make a chart
      • Add column, bar, line, area, pie, donut, and radar charts
      • Add scatter and bubble charts
      • Interactive charts
      • Delete a chart
      • Change a chart’s type
    • Modify chart data
    • Move and resize charts
      • Change the look of data series
      • Add a legend, gridlines, and other markings
      • Change the look of chart text and labels
      • Add a chart border and background
      • Use chart styles
    • Select text
      • Add text
      • Copy and paste text
      • Use dictation to enter text
      • Use accents and special characters
        • Format a spreadsheet for another language
        • Use phonetic guides
        • Use bidirectional text
        • Use vertical text
      • Change the font or font size
      • Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough
      • Change the color of text
      • Change text capitalization
      • Add a shadow or outline to text
      • Intro to paragraph styles
      • Apply a paragraph style
      • Create, rename, or delete paragraph styles
      • Update or revert a paragraph style
    • Use a keyboard shortcut to apply a style
      • Adjust character spacing
      • Add drop caps
      • Raise and lower characters and text
      • Format fractions automatically
      • Create and use character styles
      • Format dashes and quotation marks
      • Format Chinese, Japanese, or Korean text
      • Set tab stops
      • Align text
      • Format text into columns
      • Adjust line spacing
    • Format lists
    • Add and edit equations
    • Add a highlight effect to text
    • Add links
    • Add borders and rules (lines) to separate text
      • Add an image
      • Add an image gallery
      • Edit an image
      • Add and edit a shape
      • Combine or break apart shapes
      • Draw a shape
      • Save a shape to the shapes library
      • Add and align text inside a shape
    • Add 3D objects
    • Add lines and arrows
    • Animate, share, or save drawings
      • Add video and audio
      • Record audio
      • Edit video and audio
    • Set movie and image formats
      • Use rulers
      • Position and align objects
      • Use alignment guides
      • Place objects inside a text box or shape
      • Layer, group, and lock objects
    • Change object transparency
    • Fill shapes and text boxes with color or an image
    • Add a border to an object or sheet
    • Add a caption or title
    • Add a reflection or shadow
    • Use object styles
    • Resize, rotate, and flip objects
    • Look up words
    • Find and replace text
    • Replace text automatically
    • Check spelling
    • Set author name and comment color
    • Highlight text
    • Add and print comments
    • Send a spreadsheet
    • Intro to collaboration
    • Invite others to collaborate
    • Collaborate on a shared spreadsheet
    • See the latest activity in a shared spreadsheet
    • Change a shared spreadsheet’s settings
    • Stop sharing a spreadsheet
    • Shared folders and collaboration
    • Use Box to collaborate
    • Use iCloud with Numbers
    • Import an Excel or text file
    • Export to Excel or another file format
    • Reduce the spreadsheet file size
    • Save a large spreadsheet as a package file
    • Restore an earlier version of a spreadsheet
    • Move a spreadsheet
    • Lock a spreadsheet
    • Password-protect a spreadsheet
    • Create and manage custom templates
      • Transfer spreadsheets with AirDrop
      • Transfer spreadsheets with Handoff
      • Transfer spreadsheets with the Finder
    • Keyboard shortcuts
    • Keyboard shortcut symbols
  • Copyright
Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (1)

Numbers supports bidirectional text in cells, so within the same spreadsheet you can have some cells with text written from left to right (such as in English or Chinese) and others with text written from right to left (such as in Arabic or Hebrew). You can also reverse the direction of the table itself, or of a sheet and everything on it.

Note: To change the direction of cell text, a sheet, or an entire table, your device must be set up for input sources that use different text directions—for example, one keyboard for typing a right-to-left language, such as Hebrew, and another for typing a left-to-right language, such as English. If Numbers is open when you add a right-to-left keyboard, you need to restart Numbers before you’ll see the bidirectional controls. See Set up a keyboard or other input source for another language.

The default direction of text in cells is based on the current keyboard (selected in the Input menu).

Change text direction in cells

You can change the direction of text in selected cells.

  1. Select the cells.

  2. In the Format Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (2)sidebar, click the Text tab.

  3. Click the Style button near the top of the sidebar, then in the Alignment section, click Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (3).

    Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (4)

Reverse the table or sheet direction

If you reverse the table direction, header rows move to the other side and column order is reversed. If you reverse a sheet, all tables on the sheet, as well as the relative position of all objects on the sheet, are reversed.

Do any of the following:

  • Change the table direction: Click the table, in the Format Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (5)sidebar, click the Table tab, then click a Table Direction button at the bottom of the sidebar.

  • Change the sheet direction: Move the pointer over the sheet title (by default, Sheet 1), click the down arrow that appears, then choose Reverse Sheet Direction.

When you change the direction, cell alignment is affected as follows:

  • Text cells set to auto-align (the default setting) change their text alignment.

  • Number cells set to auto-align (the default setting) don’t change their number alignment. (Numbers always auto-align to be right-aligned.)

  • If a cell’s alignment is right, left, or center aligned, it retains that alignment.

  • If a cell’s alignment is justified, the gap for a partial line changes from being on the right to being on the left.

See alsoUse bidirectional text in Numbers on Mac

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Use bidirectional text in tables in Numbers on Mac (2024)

FAQs

How do I change text direction in Mac numbers? ›

In the Format sidebar on the right, click the Style button near the top. Click the Text Direction button to the right of the alignment buttons. If you don't see the Text Direction button, make sure that a right-to-left language is selected in the input menu, or that your spreadsheet includes right-to-left text.

How to flip text vertically in numbers? ›

Use vertical text in Numbers on Mac
  1. Control-click the object you want to use vertical text.
  2. Choose Turn On Vertical Text. If the object already contains text, it becomes vertical and any additional text you add is vertical. ...
  3. To make the text horizontal again, Control-click the object, then choose Turn Off Vertical Text.

How to split text into two columns in numbers? ›

Format text into columns in Numbers on Mac
  1. Click the shape or text box to select it.
  2. In the Format sidebar, click the Text tab.
  3. Click the Layout button near the top of the sidebar, then click the arrows next to the Columns value field to add or remove columns.

How do you change the direction of text in a table on a Mac? ›

Control + Click the border of the shape or text box that contains the text, and then click Format Shape. In the Format Shape pane on the right, click Text Options. Click the third icon, Textbox, and then select the option that you want from the Text direction list.

How to rotate text in table numbers? ›

Change the orientation of text in a cell
  1. Select a cell, row, column, or a range.
  2. Select Home > Orientation. , and then select an option. You can rotate your text up, down, clockwise, or counterclockwise, or align text vertically:

How do I flip text to vertical? ›

Rotate a horizontal text box to a vertical position
  1. Select the text box you want to rotate.
  2. Click Home > Position > Rotate Shapes, and then click Rotate Right 90 degrees or Rotate Left 90 degrees. Or. Use the rotation handle to position the text box and its contents vertically.

Which option helps us rotate text vertically? ›

Position text vertically in a shape or text box

Right-click the border of the shape or text box. On the shortcut menu, select Format Shape. Select the option that you want in the Vertical alignment list.

How do I convert text to two column tables? ›

Select the text that you want to convert, and then click Insert > Table > Convert Text to Table. In the Convert Text to Table box, choose the options you want. Under Table size, make sure the numbers match the numbers of columns and rows you want. In the Fixed column width box, type or select a value.

How do I make text appear in two column Format? ›

Answer
  1. Select Layout Tab.
  2. Select Columns Icon.
  3. From the Columns drop-down select 'two' if you need the two-column layout. There are other column layouts.
  4. When you add content it will be added to the first column on the left and will automatically move to the right column when it reaches the end of the page.
Jun 18, 2024

How do you transpose a table in Mac Numbers? ›

Transpose rows and columns
  1. Select the table.
  2. Choose Table > Transpose Rows and Columns (from the Table menu at the top of your screen).

Is Numbers on Mac the same as Excel? ›

Excel is a powerful spreadsheet software developed by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft Office suite. Unlike Apple Numbers, Excel is not platform-specific and offers compatibility with a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

How do I change the typing direction on my Mac? ›

Change selected text to the default direction: Press Control-Option-Command-Down Arrow. Change a paragraph to left to right: Press Control-Command-Right Arrow. Change a paragraph to right to left: Press Control-Command-Left Arrow. Change a paragraph to the default direction: Press Control-Command-Down Arrow.

How do I change the direction of text using my keyboard? ›

Right-to-Left Text Entry
  1. For right-to-left, press: Ctrl + Right-Shift.
  2. For left-to-right, press: Ctrl + Left-Shift.

How do I change the alignment of text in numbers? ›

Select any portion of the text or click a text box or shape with text; if you're working in a table, click a table cell or select a row or column. In the Format sidebar, click the Text tab. Click the Style button near the top of the sidebar, then click the alignment buttons you want.

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