Display the Quick Access Toolbar and Change Its Position
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated April 9, 2022
Applies to: Microsoft® Excel® 2021 and 365 (Windows)
In 2021 and 365 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you now have the ability to hide or unhide the Quick Access Toolbar. So if your Quick Access Toolbar seems to have disappeared, it may simply be hidden. In 2021, Microsoft also removed Undo and Redo / Repeat from the Quick Access Toolbar and moved these commands to the Home tab in the Ribbon.
There are a few ways to display the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) and you can display it below the Ribbon.
The Quick Access Toolbar may not be hidden. In 2021 and 365 versions, it appears by default above the Ribbon simply as a down arrow if no other commands have been added to it. To make it easier to view and customize, simply click the down arrow and select Show Below the Ribbon to move it. You can then right-click commands in the Ribbon and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar. You may want to add Undo and Redo / Repeat since these commands have appeared in the Ribbon since 2007.
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Displaying the Quick Access Toolbar by right-clicking
To display the Quick Access Toolbar if it's hidden:
- Right-click in the Ribbon. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Show Quick Access Toolbar.
The QAT may appear simply as a down arrow in the Title Bar.
Displaying the Quick Access Toolbar using Options
To display the Quick Access Toolbar using Options:
- Click the File tab in the Ribbon.
- Click Options at the bottom.
- Select Quick Access Toolbar on the left.
- Check or select Show Quick Access Toolbar.
- Choose the desired position of the Quick Access Toolbar from the Toolbar Position drop-down menu.
- Click OK.
Although you also have the option to Show Command Labels, they take up a lot of space.
Below is the Options dialog box in Word with Quick Access Toolbar selected in the categories on the left (which is similar in Excel and PowerPoint):
Hiding the Quick Access Toolbar by right-clicking
To hide the Quick Access Toolbar:
- Right-click in the Ribbon. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Hide Quick Access Toolbar.
You can also click the down arrow in the Quick Access Toolbar (if it's displayed) and select Hide Quick Access Toolbar.
The Quick Access Toolbar is a great tool to customize your Microsoft applications and, in future, it may be hidden be default.
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More resources
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