Cannot find "notes" anywhere in Excel

Question

Need "notes" so I can embed a photo into a cell that will appear upon hover. I have Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021 and AI says i should be able to find or insert the notes feature. Can't. Don't want to buy a newer version just for this. Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello Shirien Chappell, thank you for the follow-up. For your privacy, please cover your personal information before posting next time.

You're already on the right track—it's just a terminology difference. Your cell already has a “Comment”, and in your version that replaces the old “Note” option in the right‑click menu.

Please click Show/Hide Comments — you should see the red triangle appear in the top‑right corner of the cell, indicating there is a comment.

Hover on that and right-click > Format Comment > Colors and Lines tab > Fill section > Color dropdown > Fill Effects > Picture tab > Select Picture > choose your image > OK

Now the image should appear as background when hovering over the red triangle. Let me know how it goes!

Answer 2

Answer 3

Hello Shirien Chappell, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Please try right clicking a cell:

If it works, note that to add picture you would need to right-click the edge of the note, not inside (see thread)

If your UI looks different and you don’t see “New Note,” please reply with a screenshot of the right-click menu and your exact Office version (File > Account > About Excel).

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Answer 4

In Excel, the feature you are looking for is referred to as "notes". However, in Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021, the functionality to add notes may not be as straightforward as in newer versions. Notes in Excel are tied to individual cells and can be viewed by anyone with the appropriate permissions. To add a note, you can use the Excel JavaScript API if you are developing an add-in, but this may not be applicable for general users.

To embed a photo that appears upon hover, you might consider using comments instead, as they can also provide similar functionality. Comments in Excel allow you to add visual elements and can be set to show when hovering over the cell.

If you are unable to find the notes feature, it could be due to the version limitations or settings within your Excel application. You may want to check if there are any updates available for your version or consult the help documentation for further assistance.

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References:

• Work with notes using the Excel JavaScript API
• Work with comments using the Excel JavaScript API