# How to protect a sheet with a password in Excel on Mac: steps for Microsoft 365

> How to protect a sheet with a password in Excel on Mac: clear Locked on input cells, turn on Protect Sheet, set a password, and test.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/protect-a-sheet-with-a-password-in-excel
Updated: 2026-11-09

To protect a sheet with a password in Excel on Mac, first clear the Locked box on the cells people may edit. Then open the Review tab, click Protect Sheet, optionally type a password, retype it under Verify, and click OK.

## Quick answer

- Clear Locked on the cells people should edit before you protect anything. Excel locks every cell by default.
- Go to Review > Protect Sheet, tick what users may do, and optionally type a password.
- Passwords in Excel for Mac are limited to 15 characters.
- Sheet protection is not a security lock. Use a workbook password for sensitive files.
- To change things later, use Review > Unprotect Sheet and enter the password.

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024 and Excel 2021 for Mac. Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel 2024 for Mac or Excel 2021 for Mac
- The workbook open, with the sheet you want to protect active
- A list of which cells people need to edit
- A password of 15 characters or fewer, if you want one

## How to Protect one worksheet with a password in Excel for Mac in Excel on a Mac

1. **Select the cells people can edit.** Click the first cell people should be able to change. Drag across the rest of the range, or hold ⇧ and click the last cell. Leave totals and formula cells out of the selection.
2. **Open Format Cells.** (Format > Cells) Shortcut: ⌘1. With the cells still selected, click Format in the menu bar, then Cells. You can also press ⌘1. The Format Cells window opens. Tip: ⌘1 is the only shortcut Microsoft documents for these steps.
3. **Clear the Locked box.** (Format Cells > Protection > Locked) Click the Protection tab in the Format Cells window. Untick Locked so the box is empty. Click OK. The selected cells stay open for editing once the sheet is protected.
4. **Open Protect Sheet on the Review tab.** (Review > Protect Sheet) Click the Review tab in the ribbon at the top of the window. Click Protect Sheet. The Protect Sheet dialog opens. If the sheet is already protected, the button reads Unprotect Sheet.
5. **Choose what people can do.** Under Allow users of this sheet to, tick each action you want to allow. Keep Select locked cells and Select unlocked cells ticked so people can click into the sheet. Anything unticked stays blocked.
6. **Add a password if you need one.** The password is optional. Type a password in the box, then retype it in the Verify box. Keep it to 15 characters or fewer, and write it down before you click OK. Tip: Without a password, any user can unprotect the sheet.
7. **Click OK and confirm protection.** Click OK. Look at the Review tab. The button now reads Unprotect Sheet, which shows protection is on. Type into one open cell and then one locked cell to test it. Tip: A locked cell should refuse the edit. An open cell should accept it.

## What sheet protection does and doesn't do

Sheet protection controls one worksheet at a time. It stops people from typing into cells you have locked. It does not lock the rest of the workbook, so other sheets stay open unless you protect them too.

Every cell in Excel starts out locked. That sounds strict, but the lock does nothing until the sheet is protected. Until then, the Locked box is just a setting. Protection is what enforces it.

Microsoft's Mac help article describes the job as two steps. First, clear Locked on the cells people may edit. Then protect the sheet from the Review tab. The article covers Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel 2024 for Mac and Excel 2021 for Mac.

![Person at a laptop checking a spreadsheet before they protect a sheet with a password in Excel on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/protect-a-sheet-with-a-password-in-excel/how-to-protect-a-sheet-with-a-1-d51d0c.jpg)

## Choose which cells stay editable

Start with the cells, not the button. Ask who will open the file and what they need to change. Input cells and comment columns usually stay open. Totals, formulas and headers usually stay locked.

Take a monthly budget sheet as an example. The figures in columns B through E are typed in by hand. Column F adds each row with a formula. Clear Locked on B through E, leave F locked, and protect the sheet. Your team can enter numbers, and nobody overwrites a total by accident.

Two mistakes cause most of the trouble here. The first is protecting before you clear Locked. Then nobody can type anywhere, and people assume the file is broken. The second is clearing Locked on the whole sheet out of habit. That leaves formulas open to overwrites.

A quick check helps. Select a cell you plan to leave open, press ⌘1, and look at the Protection tab. If Locked is unticked, the cell stays open. If it is ticked, protection blocks edits there once the sheet is on.

![Desk with a laptop open to a spreadsheet, ready to protect a sheet with a password in Excel on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/protect-a-sheet-with-a-password-in-excel/how-to-protect-a-sheet-with-a-2-8796f6.jpg)

## Settings in the Protect Sheet dialog

The Protect Sheet dialog has a list called Allow users of this sheet to. Each tick is a permission. Anything you leave unticked is blocked after you protect the sheet. These are the options Microsoft's Mac article lists.

- Select locked cells: people can click cells you locked. They can see them but not change them.
- Select unlocked cells: people can click the cells you left open, which is where they type.
- Format cells, columns or rows: people can change formatting in those areas.
- Insert columns, rows or hyperlinks: people can add new rows, columns or links.
- Delete columns or rows: people can remove rows or columns.
- Sort and Filter: people can reorder data and use filters on the sheet.
- Use PivotTable reports: people can work with pivot tables on the sheet.
- Edit objects: people can change charts, shapes and other objects.
- Edit scenarios: people can change scenarios saved on the sheet.

Most shared sheets need Select locked cells and Select unlocked cells. Without them, people cannot click into the sheet at all. Tick Sort and Filter only if your team needs those tools on the protected sheet.

If the sheet holds a pivot table, check Use PivotTable reports before you protect. Without that tick, people may be blocked from working with the pivot table. For the pivot table steps, see [how to make a pivot table in Excel on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/make-a-pivot-table-in-excel).

## Passwords are optional and not a lock on your data

The password is optional, and that choice matters. Microsoft's Mac article says that if you do not supply a password, any user can unprotect the sheet and change what was protected. A password stops casual edits. It does not stop someone set on getting past it.

The Mac article also says sheet protection does not stop malicious users. For that job, it recommends a workbook-level password. Microsoft's general protect article says the same thing in plainer words: worksheet protection isn't intended as a security feature.

Keep one rule in mind. Microsoft cannot retrieve a forgotten sheet password. If you lose it, the protected parts of the sheet can't be accessed. Store the password in a password manager on the day you set it, not later.

> **Not a security lock:** Sheet protection keeps honest people out of the wrong cells. It does not protect sensitive data on its own. For that, use a workbook password, and keep every password somewhere safe.

## The 15-character password limit on Mac

Microsoft's Mac article sets a limit of 15 characters for passwords in Excel for Mac. Plan for it before you type anything. Pick a password you can remember or store in a password manager.

- **15** Maximum characters for a sheet password in Excel for Mac ([source](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/protect-a-worksheet-in-mac))

The same article covers the reverse problem. A workbook protected with a password longer than 15 characters in Windows Excel or Word can't be opened in Office for Mac. If your team moves files between systems, keep every password at 15 characters or fewer.

Microsoft's workbook password article does not mention the 15-character limit, so the two pages do not agree on paper. Before you rely on a longer password, test it on your own Mac, using a copy of the file.

## Unprotect the sheet and change locked cells

Once a sheet is protected, the Review tab button reads Unprotect Sheet. Select the sheet, click Review, then click Unprotect Sheet. Enter the password if Excel asks for one. If you set no password, there is nothing to enter.

To change which cells are locked, unprotect the sheet first. Then select the cells, press ⌘1, clear Locked and click OK. Protect the sheet again from the Review tab. Microsoft's steps for editing locked cells follow this same order.

## Excel for the web and Windows: what changes

Excel for the web uses a different path. Go to Review > Manage Protection, then turn on the Protect sheet toggle. Turning it off unprotects the sheet. A locked icon on the sheet tab means protection is on. Pause Protection and Resume Protection also sit under Review.

Password support on the web is less clear than on the Mac. Microsoft's general protect article describes a sheet password in the same Manage Protection pane. Check the current article before you promise a password to your team.

| Task | Excel for Mac | Excel for the web |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open the protection controls | Review tab > Protect Sheet | Review > Manage Protection |
| Turn protection on | Click OK in the Protect Sheet dialog | Turn on the Protect sheet toggle |
| Set a password | Type it in the password box, retype under Verify | Optional password in the same pane, per Microsoft's general article |
| Turn protection off | Review tab > Unprotect Sheet | Turn off the Protect sheet toggle |

_Mac and web paths, taken from Microsoft's protection articles._

Windows wording differs too. Its dialog asks for a Password to unprotect sheet and then a Confirm Password box. The Mac dialog uses a Verify box. The Windows list also includes Use AutoFilter, where the Mac list shows Sort and Filter.

## A worked example: a shared expense tracker

Say you run a shared expense tracker. Your team adds a date, a description and an amount for each purchase. A formula in the last column adds up each row. You want people to type in the first three columns and nothing else.

Here is the order that works. Select the three input columns, press ⌘1, clear Locked and click OK. Then go to Review > Protect Sheet, keep both select options ticked, add a password if the file leaves your team, and click OK.

Test before you send the file. Type into one open cell, then into a formula cell. Excel should accept the first entry and refuse the second. If it accepts both, the sheet is not protected yet, so go back to the Review tab.

## Common mistakes that cause trouble

![Person working on a Mac at a desk, ready to protect a sheet with a password in Excel on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/protect-a-sheet-with-a-password-in-excel/how-to-protect-a-sheet-with-a-3-6f3a90.jpg)

- Protecting before clearing Locked. Nobody can type anywhere. Unprotect, clear Locked on the input cells, and protect again.
- Forgetting the password. Microsoft cannot retrieve it, and the protected parts stay inaccessible.
- Treating the password as security. Without one, any user can unprotect the sheet.
- Typing a password over 15 characters on Mac. Excel for Mac limits sheet passwords to 15 characters.
- Protecting one sheet and assuming the workbook is locked. Protection applies to each sheet on its own.
- Leaving formulas in unlocked cells. Anyone who can type there can overwrite the formula.

## Next steps: protect the whole workbook

If the file leaves your team, protect the whole workbook too. Microsoft's article Require a password to open or modify a workbook covers that. It says that if you lose the password, you can't open or gain access to the workbook, so write the password down and keep it safe.

Lazur is not an add-in, and it does not click for you. It sees your screen while you hold ⌥ ⌘, points at the button you need, and waits while you click. If you want that kind of help in Excel, see [Lazur for Excel on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/apps/excel). The Pro trial is 3 days, with no credit card, and starts when you first open the app. See [pricing](https://www.lazur.app/pricing) for the plans.

## Shortcuts

- Open Format Cells to change the Locked setting: ⌘1

## If it does not work

- **Protect Sheet does nothing or is hard to find** Make sure the sheet is active and that you are on the Review tab in the ribbon. If a cell is still in edit mode, press Return or Esc first. Microsoft's Mac article documents only this path.
- **People can edit cells you meant to lock** Check the button on the Review tab. If it reads Protect Sheet, the sheet is not protected yet, so finish the dialog. If it reads Unprotect Sheet, protection is on, so check the Locked box on those cells.
- **Excel rejects the password when you unprotect** Retype the password carefully. If it still fails, the password you remember may not be the one you set. Microsoft provides no way to recover a forgotten sheet password.
- **Someone cannot click a locked cell** That is the Select locked cells setting. Unprotect the sheet with the password, reopen Protect Sheet, tick Select locked cells, and protect again.
- **A workbook from Windows will not open on Mac** Office for Mac can't open a workbook protected in Windows Excel or Word with a password longer than 15 characters. Ask the sender to remove the password or set a shorter one, then open it again.
- **Mac and Windows dialogs look different** That is expected. Windows asks for Password to unprotect sheet and Confirm Password, while Mac uses a Verify box and lists Sort and Filter. The steps for protecting the sheet are the same.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where's the Protect Sheet button?”: Lazur circles Protect Sheet on the Review tab and labels it. It waits while you click, then guides you through the dialog one click at a time. (Walks you through it)

## FAQ

### Can I protect one sheet and leave the others open?

Yes. Sheet protection works on the sheet you have selected. Repeat the Review > Protect Sheet steps for each sheet you want locked. Sheets you don't protect stay editable, even in the same workbook.

### Is a password on a sheet secure?

Not by itself. Microsoft says worksheet protection isn't intended as a security feature, and a sheet with no password can be unprotected by any user. Use a workbook password for sensitive files.

### What is the password limit in Excel for Mac?

Microsoft's Mac protection article gives 15 characters. Keep passwords at or under that length, especially for files that also open in Windows, where longer passwords can block opening on a Mac.

### Can I change the sheet password later?

Yes, but unprotect first. Go to Review > Unprotect Sheet and enter the current password. Then click Protect Sheet again and enter the new password in the dialog.

### What happens if I forget the sheet password?

Microsoft cannot recover it. Its Mac article says that if you lose the password, you can't access the protected parts of the sheet. Keep a copy in a password manager from the start.

### Does this work in Excel for the web?

The path differs. Use Review > Manage Protection and the Protect sheet toggle. Microsoft's pages are less clear on passwords for the web, so check the current article before you rely on one.

## Sources

1. [Protect a worksheet in Mac](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/protect-a-worksheet-in-mac), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-09
2. [Lock cells to protect them in Excel for Mac](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lock-cells-to-protect-them-in-excel-for-mac-59bb04cf-1a79-4a69-9828-568c98bdb310), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-09
3. [Protect a worksheet](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/protect-a-worksheet), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-09
4. [Require a password to open or modify a workbook](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/require-a-password-to-open-or-modify-a-workbook-10579f0e-b2d9-4c05-b9f8-4109a6bce643), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-09