Productivity tools work best when tailored to fit your workflow. If you frequently use Microsoft Office for Mac 2016, learning how to customize the Ribbon and Toolbar can dramatically streamline your experience in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. This blog provides an in-depth, step-by-step guide to modifying the user interface in Office 2016 for Mac, helping you work faster and smarter.

Whether you’re looking to add frequently used commands, create custom tabs, or reorganize buttons, this tutorial has you covered.

What Are the Ribbon and Toolbar in Office?

The Ribbon:

The Ribbon is the horizontal strip at the top of Office applications. It organizes commands into tabs (like Home, Insert, Design), and groups tools for easy access.

The Toolbar:

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) appears above or below the Ribbon and contains shortcut icons for commonly used commands, like Save, Undo, Redo, and Print.

Both elements are customizable in Office 2016 for Mac, giving users the ability to fine-tune the interface for their unique tasks.

Why Customize the Ribbon and Toolbar?

  • Boost Productivity: Frequently used commands are accessible in one click.

  • Reduce Clutter: Remove rarely used tools to keep your interface clean.

  • Enhance Focus: Group related commands in a logical, task-oriented layout.

  • Consistency: Ensure the same layout across all Office apps for familiarity.

Customization Options in Office for Mac 2016

Office 2016 for Mac doesn’t support Ribbon customization to the same extent as Office 2019 or Microsoft 365, but it still allows you to:

  • Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

  • Hide or show Ribbon tabs

  • Show/hide the Ribbon itself

  • Use keyboard shortcuts to mimic UI customizations

Let’s break it down app-by-app.

Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar in Office 2016 for Mac

Step 1: Open the Office App

Choose the application you want to customize—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook.

Step 2: Locate the Quick Access Toolbar

By default, the QAT is positioned at the top-left corner of the app window, next to the red/yellow/green window buttons.

Step 3: Add or Remove Commands

  1. Click the downward arrow at the right end of the QAT.

  2. A dropdown menu will appear listing popular commands like:

    • Save

    • Undo/Redo

    • Print

    • Quick Print

    • Email

  3. Click to check or uncheck any command to add/remove it from the toolbar.

Step 4: Add More Commands

To access more commands:

  1. Click More Commands from the dropdown.

  2. The Customize Toolbar dialog opens.

  3. From here, you can:

    • Select a category from the left panel (e.g., Popular Commands, All Commands)

    • Choose a command and click Add >> to include it in your toolbar.

    • Rearrange commands using the up/down arrow buttons.

  4. Click OK to apply changes.

Step 5: Reset the Quick Access Toolbar (if needed)

To restore default settings:

  1. Reopen the More Commands menu.

  2. Click Reset.

  3. Confirm when prompted.

Showing or Hiding the Ribbon in Office 2016 for Mac

Temporarily Hide or Show the Ribbon

  1. Click the small upward-facing arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon.

  2. The Ribbon will collapse, showing only the tabs.

  3. Click the same area (now a downward arrow) to expand it again.

Permanently Show or Hide the Ribbon

  1. Open the View menu from the top Apple menu bar.

  2. Select Ribbon to toggle it on/off.

This action is app-specific and will not affect other Office programs.

Hide or Show Individual Ribbon Tabs

While you cannot fully customize the Ribbon by adding or removing commands in Office 2016 for Mac (as you can in newer versions), you can toggle the visibility of certain tabs like Developer or add-ins.

To Show the Developer Tab:

  1. Open Preferences from the Word/Excel/PowerPoint menu.

  2. Choose Ribbon & Toolbar.

  3. Under Customize the Ribbon, check the Developer tab.

  4. Click Save.

Note: Some tabs are contextual (e.g., Chart Tools) and only appear when relevant objects are selected.

Workaround: Use Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster Access

Since Ribbon customization is limited in Office 2016 for Mac, using keyboard shortcuts is an efficient alternative:

  • Cmd + S – Save

  • Cmd + Z – Undo

  • Cmd + P – Print

  • Cmd + Shift + L – Bullet List

  • Cmd + Option + R – Show/Hide Ribbon

You can also create macOS system-level shortcuts by going to:

System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts

Customizing Toolbars in Outlook 2016 for Mac

Outlook has its own customization settings for toolbars:

  1. Go to Tools > Customize Toolbars and Menus

  2. Drag and drop icons to and from the toolbar

  3. You can also reset the toolbar to default from this panel

Tips for Advanced Customization

Although Office 2016 for Mac does not support deep Ribbon editing, here are a few advanced suggestions:

  • Upgrade to Office 2019 or Microsoft 365 if you need full Ribbon editing.

  • Use Templates with pre-built tool settings (especially in Word).

  • Macros: For repetitive tasks, you can record macros (via Developer tab) and assign them to Quick Access Toolbar icons.

Maintaining Consistency Across Office Apps

If you work across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint:

  • Customize the QAT in each app similarly (same icons, same order)

  • Enable common tabs (Developer, Review) in all apps

  • Use the same keyboard shortcuts or assign custom ones where possible

This keeps your experience smooth and reduces the learning curve.

How to Reset the Ribbon and Toolbar to Default

  1. Open the Office app (e.g., Word).

  2. Go to Tools > Customize Toolbars and Menus.

  3. Click Reset in the bottom left.

  4. Confirm the reset action.

This removes all changes and restores the factory layout.

Best Practices for Toolbar & Ribbon Customization

  • Keep it simple: Avoid cluttering the interface with rarely used commands.

  • Think task-oriented: Group commands based on tasks (e.g., Editing, Review, Formatting).

  • Regularly review: As your workflow changes, revisit your customizations.

  • Use macros: Automate repetitive steps and assign them to toolbar buttons.

FAQ

Q1: Can I add custom tabs to the Ribbon in Office 2016 for Mac?
 No, Office 2016 for Mac doesn’t support full Ribbon customization like newer versions do.

Q2: Is the Quick Access Toolbar available in all Office apps on Mac?
 Yes, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook all support QAT, though placement and options may vary.

Q3: Will these changes sync across devices?
 No, customizations are saved locally and need to be repeated on each device.

Q4: Can I undo my customization changes?
 Yes, you can reset both the Ribbon and Toolbar to their original states anytime.

Q5: Do I need admin rights to customize toolbars?
 No, any user can customize their interface without administrator privileges.