Forum Discussion
Excel For Web: "Picture > Place In Cell" is Gone
Hi,
I have Excel for the web. A few months ago, when I was using Excel for the web, the Insert > Pictures > Place In Cell option became no longer available on my Windows 11 laptop. I don't think it has anything to do with any new updates to Excel for the web, as I'm able to use Place In Cell on my iPhone (where none of my desktop images are stored).
Here is a reference of what I'm trying to do:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V0tX83Zm-kY?feature=share
How can I update my excel for the web to return it to it's original settings, allowing me to use the place picture in cell feature?
3 Replies
I’ve noticed this too—“Place in Cell” in Excel for Web isn’t consistently available across all platforms. On desktop browsers, the feature has been rolling out gradually and sometimes disappears if Microsoft is testing changes or running A/B experiments. That’s likely why you still see it on iOS but not on your Windows browser.
A couple of things you can try:
Clear browser cache or test in another browser to rule out a local issue.
Make sure you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account and that your tenant has the feature enabled (some features appear first on consumer accounts vs. enterprise).
Check the Microsoft 365 Roadmap / Message Center since this feature has been flagged as “in preview” before, and rollout timelines can shift.
Unfortunately, there’s no manual setting to “re-enable” it—it depends on Microsoft’s feature flags. If it’s critical for your workflow, you might want to raise a support ticket or use the Feedback option in Excel for Web to add weight to the request.
ounds like you’ve run into one of those tricky differences between Excel for the web and the desktop version. Since Microsoft has been shifting features around, I’ve found that checking their official support website or using the IMAGE() function with hosted links can sometimes be a good workaround. Curious if you’ve tried linking images that way yet?
The “Insert → Pictures → Place in Cell” feature is inconsistently available in Excel for the web, and there’s no "update" you can trigger on your end to bring it back in cases where it disappears.
No official update or setting toggle has been documented that restores this feature if it's missing. It appears to be a rollout issue or inconsistency that Microsoft hasn’t addressed in documentation or hotfixes, it’s a known limitation/bug.
Workarounds You Can Try…
Right-Click → “Place in Cell”
Some users have reported a partial workaround:
- Insert the picture via Insert → Pictures (which may default to “over cells”).
- Right-click the image, and if the context menu shows “Place in Cell”, select it.
- The image may end up in a different cell, but you can then cut and paste it to your desired location.
Use the IMAGE() function (works reliably in Excel web + desktop):
=IMAGE("https://example.com/myimage.png", "Alt text")
Check different browsers (Edge vs Chrome vs Firefox). Some people find the button behaves differently depending on the browser/session, but I'm not sure if it works at all because the function might have a bug.
On Excel for the web, “Place in Cell” is not fully working everywhere yet — it’s more of a “previewed feature.” If you need guaranteed functionality, the IMAGE() function is the only consistent method today.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
