Recently, a rising number of Mac users have complained the sluggishness of Microsoft’s Office. Updates with novel features trigger compatibility issues with proprietary extensions. Sometimes this may due to too many apps are installed on your Mac and there're not enough application memory to run Excel.
Excel offers revolutionary and professional-grade software integrated into business toolkits. When Excel slow on Mac issue appears, Mac owners experience downtimes and diminished productivity. Like a bolt from the blue, Excel begins to run extremely slow.
This piece of content discusses techniques alluded by Mac connoisseurs to fix Excel running slow on Mac when opening or processing. Best of all, we’ve hammered out quick fixes to troubleshoot issues and get down to business right away.
Part 1. Drive Mac’s Excel to Peak Performance with Quick Fixes

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Strip Down Fonts in your Account
Some users have pulled off the trick by tweaking fonts. You don’t need distinct fonts because they build up over time from different apps. Alternatively, create a new user on your Mac and Excel runs like a bat out of hell.
Follow the steps below to fix Excel slow on Mac and get it running at normal speed again:
- Launch Font Book
- Choose ‘LOOK FOR ENABLED DUPLICATES’ under EDIT.
- Automatically handle any duplicates present.
- Choose all fonts, go to FILE and click on VALIDATE FONT.
- Remove any font displaying any error or warning. System fonts require a password to remove them from your registry.
- Under FILE, choose RESTORE STANDARD FONTS to purge other items. The omitted fonts peter out when you VALIDATED FONT and edged out the ones generating warnings or errors.
- Launch OS Library and identify the FONT folder. It unveils FONTS (REMOVED) and FONTS DISABLED. Tap on the FONTS (REMOVED) folder and look for the MICROSOFT folder. Yank this into the FONTS folder, it begins to copy. A version will stay in FONTS (REMOVED) and another copy will be generated in FONTS.
- Lastly, invoke Disk Utility to fix disk permissions before you restart.

Note: Office expects you’ll keep a minimum of two fonts, viz. Arial.ttf and Calibri.ttf active. If you’ve removed some fonts, check for the two and add them back. This should fix the sluggishness issue.
Part 2. Speed Up Excel Slow Processing Permanently
"Excel file slow to respond; Excel running slow after update; Excel slow scrolling; Excel slow to open", all these are issues related to Excel slow on Mac. Your Excel may be under the wrecking ball for several reasons. If your Excel working slow on Mac, it could stem from accumulation of corrupted or transient files that should be automatically deleted but your computer failed to implement it. The Office suite could be outdated or attempting to feed corrupted data.
Very likely, it’s a cluster of factors that your machine is laboring under. Find below how to fix Excel slow on Mac safely and decisively.
Difficulty Launching Files or Folders with Hyperlinks
When you click on a hyperlink to open any item or folder, it may block the Finder window or the link. The issue was resolved for version 16.11.0 or later. To update your suite, fire up Excel for Mac, head to Help > Check for Updates menu, and implement the guidelines under AutoUpdate app.
Text in Worksheet Displayed Upturned or Backwards
This is a widespread issue that has hit many Mac users with Excel 2016. Users have reported that the computer renders Excel worksheets making text to show as upturned or backwards. This arises on a computer with macOS High Sierra beta or Excel 2016 for Mac Insider’s Fast Update.
Microsoft hinted the issue will be fully fixed when the upcoming Insider’s Fast update is unveiled. Onto a workaround, you can remove the Excel 2016 for Mac Insider Fast and get the production version of Excel on Mac.