Use a screen reader to insert a table in an Excel worksheet

Use Excel for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to insert and modify a table in your workbook. Make your tables more accessible by adding alternative text to the table. You can also expand the tables by adding new rows and columns, or you can show your data as a chart.

In this topic

• Insert a table
• Add an alternative text to a table
• Add a row or a column to a table
• Delete a row or a column from a table
• Apply formatting to your table
• Show your data in a chart

Insert a table

Add a table to present your data in an effective and systematic way. You can insert a table on a blank worksheet and fill in your data. Alternatively, you can quickly create a table by using data in your existing cell cluster.

1. To move to a cell where you want to insert a table, drag one finger across the screen until you hear the cell you want. If you want to turn existing data in your cells into a table, simply go to one of the cells in the cell cluster. Then double-tap the screen.

2. Drag one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Off, More options switch," and double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected.” 

3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens. Swipe right or left until you hear “Insert tab," and double-tap the screen.

4. Swipe right until you hear “Table, button,” and then double-tap the screen. You hear: “Not checked, Table has headers, checkbox.”

5. Do one of the following:

   • If your table has data that you want to display as table headers, swipe left until you hear: "Not checked, Table has headers, checkbox, double-tap to toggle." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Checked."
   • If you want to use the default names Excel provides (for example, Column1, Column2, and so on), do not select the checkbox and proceed to the next step.

   Note

   Table headers are very important for accessibility. Screen readers use the information in the headers for navigation, and meaningful column headings can help readers understand the data.

6. To move away from the checkbox, tap anywhere on the screen with two fingers.
   The table is now added to your worksheet.

Add an alternative text to a table

To make your tables in Excel accessible for a wider audience, add a short and descriptive alt text to it.

1. In your worksheet, slide one finger across the screen until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details, and then double-tap the screen. The focus can be anywhere in the table.
2. Drag one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Off, More options switch," and double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected."
3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens. Swipe right or left until you hear “Table tab," and double-tap the screen.
4. Swipe right until you hear “Alt text, menu,” and double-tap the screen. You hear: "Alt text."
5. Swipe right until you hear: “Edit-box for, describe this object for someone who is blind.” Then double-tap the screen. 
6. Use the on-screen keyboard to type a short alt text for your table. To close the keyboard, swipe down-then-left.
7. To return to the Table tab menu, swipe down-then-left.

Add a row or a column to a table

You can easily expand your table by adding more rows or columns to it.

1. In your worksheet, slide one finger across the screen until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details.

2. Swipe left or right until you hear the location where you want to add a new row or a column, and then double-tap the screen.

3. Drag one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Off, More options switch," and double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected.”

4. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens. Swipe right or left until you hear “Table tab," and double-tap the screen.

5. Do one of the following:

   • To insert a row above the current location, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert above, button," and then double-tap the screen.
   • To insert a row below the current location, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert below, button," and then double-tap the screen.
   • To insert a column to the left of the current location, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert left, button," and then double-tap the screen.
   • To insert a column to the right of the current location, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert right, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Delete a row or a column from a table

You can quickly delete unnecessary rows or columns from your table.

1. In your worksheet, slide one finger across the screen until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details.
2. Swipe left or right until you hear the row or column you want to delete.
3. Drag one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Off, More options switch," and double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected.”
4. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens. Swipe right or left until you hear “Table tab," and double-tap the screen.
5. Swipe right until you hear “Delete rows, button” or “Delete columns, button,” and then double-tap the screen.

Apply formatting to your table

You can select a predefined style for your table.

1. In your worksheet, slide one finger across the screen until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details.
2. Drag one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Off, More options switch," and double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected.”
3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens. Swipe right or left until you hear “Table tab," and double-tap the screen.
4. Swipe right until you hear “Table styles, menu,” and then double-tap the screen. You hear: “Table styles.”
5. Swipe right or left until you hear a style you want. The styles are organized into three categories: Light, Medium, and Dark. To select a style, double-tap the screen. 

Show your data in a chart

You can show the data in your table in chart format.

1. In your worksheet, slide one finger across the screen until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details.
2. Drag one finger around the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear "Off, More options switch," and double-tap the screen. You hear "Tab menu," followed by the currently selected tab, for example, "Home, selected."
3. Double-tap the screen. The tab menu opens. Swipe right or left until you hear “Insert tab," and double-tap the screen.
4. Swipe left or right until you hear: “Chart menu.” Double-tap the screen. You hear: “Chart.”
5. Swipe left or right until you hear the chart type you want to select, for example, "Pie, menu." Double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the selected chart type, for example, "Pie." The chart type list opens.
6. In the chart type list, swipe right or left to browse through the list. You hear the list item names, for example, “3D pie, list item.” To select a chart type, double-tap the screen.
   The chart is generated on the worksheet.

See also

Use a screen reader to sort or filter a table in Excel

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Excel

Keyboard shortcuts in Excel

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Excel