Excel super slow after updating to Tahoe 26.0.1

Excel is super slow after the update to Tahoe 26.0.1. It takes more than 5 seconds to open the Format Cell option in a blank file. This lag is very frustrating.


I have a Macbook Air, Chip Apple M3, Memory 16 GB, HD 512 GB, bought one year ago.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Oct 17, 2025 3:38 PM

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Posted on Nov 4, 2025 6:13 AM

I would wait until Tahoe 26.1 is released and you have updated to it. Then repeat this Excel test and see if the response times have improved to format cells. If it has, then it was some issue with Apple frameworks in 26.0.1, and if it persists then contact Microsoft.


I am using a Mac Mini M4 Pro (14c/20g) with 64 GB RAM and Tahoe 26.0.1. Launched Excel 16.102.2 and opened a blank worksheet. Whether I pressed ⌘1 or right-clicked on a blank cell and chose Format Cells…, it took about 5 - 7 seconds to open the panel. Only one browser tab open in Safari and no other user applications active.



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Nov 4, 2025 6:13 AM in response to MorpheusRevo

I would wait until Tahoe 26.1 is released and you have updated to it. Then repeat this Excel test and see if the response times have improved to format cells. If it has, then it was some issue with Apple frameworks in 26.0.1, and if it persists then contact Microsoft.


I am using a Mac Mini M4 Pro (14c/20g) with 64 GB RAM and Tahoe 26.0.1. Launched Excel 16.102.2 and opened a blank worksheet. Whether I pressed ⌘1 or right-clicked on a blank cell and chose Format Cells…, it took about 5 - 7 seconds to open the panel. Only one browser tab open in Safari and no other user applications active.



Nov 1, 2025 6:58 PM in response to MorpheusRevo

The steps I took (thanks to Moto Lorne):

#1 Delete the Microsoft Excel App from your applications folder.

#2 Intall via https://officecdn.microsoft.com/pr/C1297A47-86C4-4C1F-97FA-950631F94777/MacAutoupdate/Microsoft_Excel_16.101.25100321_Updater.pkg


works a treat on MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip running latest Tahoe, make sure you turn Microsoft AutoUpdater off until Microsoft stops trying to annoy Apple users..... and updates Excel for Mac with a proper fix. BTW, I tried latest Excel version 16.104 Beta but no difference

Oct 23, 2025 3:35 PM in response to MorpheusRevo

Confirming your observations:


— M4 Pro Macbook Pro 14" with 24GB RAM running Tahoe

it takes 5-6 seconds for Format Cells to open, whether invoked from the the menu bar or the command 1

Excel 365 16.102.1


— 2017 iMac 5K with 4.2ghz Core I7 and 16GB RAM running macOS 10.14 Mojave

It takes less than two seconds for Format Cells to open with either way of invoking..

Excel 2019, (v 16.054)


🙄

Nov 12, 2025 9:46 AM in response to MorpheusRevo

It is a disaster!


So, Excel for Mac (whatever version) and Tahoe (whatever version 26.01, 26.1) it doesn't matter, all of them just don't work well.


Excel is lagging, zooming in or out via trackpad results in a white screen until the zoom process ends. So you don't know how much you have zoomed in or out until the zoom process is finished.


Simple calculations take for ever to finish. You basically cannot work with Excel anymore. A simple task of a 15 seconds takes now several minutes to finish.


The Cell Format window used to take 5 seconds or more to load, but after Tahoe 26.1 it is resolved. Still all other issues remain!


All files I am using now, I used to work on before the update to Tahoe and the newest Excel version, and everything worked like a charm. Now I cannot even finish the simplest tasks on Excel!


It is a disaster!

Excel super slow after updating to Tahoe 26.0.1

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