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It's FINALLY here! In this video I show the new Excel feature to search dropdown lists on the DESKTOP version of Excel. I also explain a workaround if you are on an older version of Excel that doesn't have this feature.

This feature was released on the web (online) version of Excel last year and I'm excited that it is now on the desktop version as well.

The feature performs a contains type search on the items in the dropdown list for whole words. This means that the list item does NOT need to start with the search term. It just needs to contain the word or phrase you are searching.

To search a drop-down list with this new feature you just have to start typing the search in the cell that contains the data validation list. A list of search results will appear and filtered down as you type. Similar to autocomplete behavior.

This update is currently available on the Beta Channel for Office Insiders for Windows and Mac. It is being flighted out and not available to all beta users yet. Here is a link to learn more about the free Office Insiders program for Mac and Windows.

https://insider.office.com/

The feature has also been available on the online/web version of Excel since last year. I covered it in my last video on 21 New Excel Features from 2021. https://youtu.be/NaVgwudi6AY

If you are not on the latest version of Excel yet, our FREE List Search Add-in will also add functionality to Excel to search drop down lists. It's packed with features that go beyond the features and current limitations of the native dropdown search in Excel.

Here is a link to download the List Search Add-in: https://excelcampus.com/list-search

And a video on how List Search works: https://youtu.be/kntHn2J7pdk

Our Hero Tools Add-in includes List Search and over 100 additional productivity features to help save you time with your everyday Excel tasks. Here is a link to learn more about The Hero Tools Add-in: https://www.excelcampus.com/hero-tools-add-in/
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Demo
02:29 Availability