Toggle Formula and Value View in LibreOffice Calc

This guide explains how to quickly toggle between formula view and calculated value view in LibreOffice Calc using keyboard shortcuts and menu options. Switching to formula view allows you to inspect, audit, and troubleshoot the underlying equations across your spreadsheet without clicking into individual cells.

The Default Keyboard Shortcut

The primary keyboard shortcut to switch between displaying cell formulas and displaying calculation results is:

• Ctrl + ` (Grave accent key, usually located below the Esc key and to the left of the 1 key on standard QWERTY keyboards)

Pressing this combination immediately switches the entire sheet to formula view, revealing all formulas in their respective cells and temporarily widening columns to accommodate the text. Pressing Ctrl + ` a second time restores the standard value view.

Note: On some keyboards and operating systems, this shortcut functions as Ctrl + ~ (Tilde).

Alternative Methods

If your keyboard layout does not support the default shortcut, you can toggle the view using the standard interface options:

1. Via the View Menu

1. Click View in the top menu bar.
2. Select Show Formula (or Show Formulas in some versions).
3. Click it again to return to the calculated values view.

2. Via the Options Menu

1. Navigate to Tools > Options (on macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences).
2. Expand the LibreOffice Calc section in the left pane and select View.
3. Under the Display section, check or uncheck the Formulas box.
4. Click Apply or OK.

Customizing the Shortcut

If the default shortcut conflicts with your operating system or keyboard language layout:

1. Go to Tools > Customize.
2. Select the Keyboard tab.
3. In the Category section, select View.
4. In the Function section, select Show Formula.
5. Select an available shortcut key from the Shortcut Keys list at the top.
6. Click Modify to assign the shortcut, then click OK.