Forum Discussion
Comments not displaying on hover
In Excel 365, the default behavior for comments has changed, and they now appear as a small indicator with the option to reply when you hover over a cell that has a comment. However, if you prefer to see the full comment or thread when hovering over the cell, you can change the settings to display comments as they did before.
Here is how:
- Click on the "File" tab in the Excel ribbon to access the backstage view.
- Choose "Options" from the menu. The Excel Options dialog box will appear.
- In the Excel Options dialog box, select the "Advanced" category from the left-hand sidebar.
- Scroll down to the "Display" section.
- Under the "Display options for this workbook" section, uncheck the box that says "Show comments (indicators only) and select cells on hover."
- Click "OK" to apply the changes.
After following these steps, the comments should now display the original comment or thread when you hover over a cell. Please note that the exact location of the options may vary slightly depending on the specific version and build of Excel 365 that you are using. The text and steps were created with the help of AI.
Hope this will help you.
Well, I tried to uncheck this box. However, the only way my Excel 365 will allow me to do this is if I check one of the other two boxes. Since neither of the other two boxes gives the desired behavior of displaying notes on hover, I'd sure appreciate some help with this.
Thanks.
In Excel 365, Microsoft introduced a new comment display behavior where you see only the comment indicator when you hover over a cell, and you need to click on it to see the full comment or thread. Unfortunately, there may not be an option within Excel's settings to revert to the old behavior of displaying comments in full on hover without third-party add-ins or custom programming.
As a workaround, you might consider using Excel's "Comments" sidebar. Here's how:
- Select the cell with the comment.
- Go to the "Review" tab in the Excel ribbon.
- Click on "Show Comments" in the "Comments" group. This will open the Comments sidebar, which displays all comments for the current sheet.
- You can then select a comment from the sidebar to view it in full.
Here are some additional steps you can try to troubleshoot this issue if you are stuck with previous solutions proposal:
- Check for Updates: Ensure that your Microsoft Office 365 suite, including Excel, is up to date. Sometimes, software updates can fix bugs and improve functionality.
- Review Display Settings:
- Click on the "View" tab in the Excel ribbon.
- Check if the "Comments" option is selected in the "Show" group. If it is not, select it.
- You can also try switching between different comment display options to see if that resolves the issue.
- Repair Office Installation: If the problem persists, you can try repairing your Office 365 installation. Here is how:
- Open the Control Panel on your computer.
- Go to "Programs" > "Programs and Features."
- Find Microsoft Office 365 in the list of installed programs, right-click it, and select "Change."
- Choose the option to "Repair" the installation and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Disable Add-ins: Sometimes, third-party add-ins can interfere with Excel's functionality. Try disabling any add-ins you have installed and check if the comments display correctly.
- Create a New Excel Workbook: If the issue persists only in a specific workbook, try creating a new workbook and see if comments display correctly there. If they do, you may need to copy your data to the new workbook.
The text and steps were created with the help of AI.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
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I recently had the same problem, hover over cell with comments and a line appears but no comment, I tried to edit comment but nothing happened, I also have hidden lines on the worksheet so I unhid them and again tried to edit the comment, the comments box was at the very top of the sheet but squashed/closed up, I clicked and dragged on the corner of the box and it opened up (no need to move it back where it should be)
In Excel 365, Microsoft replaced traditional "comments" with "threaded comments" (for conversations), while the old-style hoverable comments were renamed "Notes." This change is causing the confusion.
Try a general fix.
1. Determine Comment Type
- If the comment shows “Reply,” it’s a Threaded Comment (new style).
- If it shows text when you hover, it's a Note (old style).
Threaded Comments do not show fully on hover — this is by design.
2. Switch to Notes if You Want Hover-to-View
- Use Notes instead of Comments:
- Right-click the cell → New Note
- These will appear on hover, like old-style comments.
3. Change Display Settings (Limited Impact)
- File > Options > Advanced > Display
Look for:
o “No comments or indicators”
o “Indicators only, and comments on hover”
o “Indicators and comments”
But these only apply to Notes, not Threaded Comments.
Microsoft does not offer a setting to make Threaded Comments behave like Notes. If that's essential, consider using Notes for feedback-type comments, and only use Comments for collaborative discussions.
