pivot table

Unfortunately there is no single switch that restores the old PivotTable behavior. Is not a usage mistake, there is no full fix on Mac today.

The only truly reliable Pivot experience remains Excel for Windows.

Short-term: use menus and field list, not free dragging.

Workarounds…

Use the Field List checkboxes instead of drag-and-drop

Not ideal, but more reliable on Mac now.

• Check the field → it defaults to Rows
• Then use the dropdown next to the field name:
• “Move to Report Filter”
• “Move to Column Labels”
• “Move to Row Labels”

This avoids the “field disappears” problem entirely.

Use the right-click / Control-click menu

For advanced users, this is sadly the most stable method now.

• Right-click the field in the PivotTable
• Choose:
• Move to Filters
• Move to Rows / Columns

Yes, it’s slower — but it’s consistent.

Drag from the Field List, not from the Pivot itself

Dragging fields inside the PivotTable grid is far more error-prone now.

Best practice on Mac:

• Only drag fields within the Field List pane
• Pause briefly when hovering over a target area (Filters / Rows / Columns)

Excel now needs an annoying “hover delay” to register the drop zone.

Resize the Field List pane (this matters)

A weird but real workaround:

• Make the Field List pane wider
• Ensure all four zones (Filters, Columns, Rows, Values) are fully visible

When zones are cramped, Excel Mac is much more likely to interpret a drag as a delete.

If PivotTables are core to your work, use Excel for Windows

If PivotTables are mission-critical:

Run Excel for Windows via:

• Parallels Desktop
• VMware Fusion
• Windows 365 (cloud PC)

Many power users on Mac have quietly gone this route.

If I may offer one final suggestion, please also send feedback to Microsoft. The more people complain, the greater the chance that Microsoft will take this issue seriously and potentially make changes.

My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

Hope this will help you.

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