All shortcuts
Fill Color Shortcut in Google Sheets
Windows
Alt→H→H
Mac
Option→H→H
Excel users color cells with Alt H H. Sheets has no shortcut, so you click the toolbar every time. XLKeys restores Alt H H (free) and adds Ctrl + Shift + K to cycle fill colors (Pro).
Excel vs. Google Sheets vs. XLKeys
| Where | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Excel | Alt→H→H |
| Google Sheets (native) | No keyboard shortcut |
| Google Sheets + XLKeys | Alt→H→H |
Google Sheets has no keyboard shortcut for fill color — it’s a toolbar-only control.
How to use it
- Select the cells you want to color.
- Press Alt, release it, then type H, H to open the fill color picker.
- Choose a color with the arrow keys or your mouse and confirm.
Frequently asked questions
Related shortcuts
Make Google Sheets feel like Excel
Install XLKeys to use fill color and 150+ other Excel-style shortcuts, Alt-key sequences, formula auditing, Goal Seek, Sensitivity Tables, and Workbook Health audits in Google Sheets.