How to delete checkbox in excel

To delete a checkbox in Excel, select the checkbox and press Delete.

Which checkbox types exist, and why does that matter?

There are two common checkbox types:

1. Form Control checkbox — inserted from the Developer tab → Insert → Form Controls.

2. ActiveX checkbox — inserted from the Developer tab → Insert → ActiveX Controls.
   The method for deleting depends on the type because ActiveX controls require Design Mode to be turned on before editing or deleting.

How to delete a single checkbox (quick method)

1. Click the checkbox border so the whole control is selected.

2. Press Delete on the keyboard.

Notes:

1. Left-clicking on the check mark itself may toggle the check instead of selecting the control.

2. Right-click the checkbox border to verify the control type from the context menu (menu text will mention Format Control for Form Controls or include Properties for ActiveX).

How to delete multiple checkboxes at once (no VBA)

1. On the Home tab, go to Find & Select → Go To Special.

2. Choose Objects, then click OK.

3. Excel selects every drawing object on the worksheet (shapes, checkboxes, buttons).

4. Press Delete to remove all selected objects.

Caution:

1. This removes every object on the sheet, not only checkboxes.

2. Use this on a copy of the sheet if other objects must be preserved.

How to delete form-control checkboxes only (safer multi-delete)

1. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click the borders of each checkbox you want to remove.

2. Press Delete.

Alternatively using the Selection Pane:

1. On the Home tab, choose Find & Select → Selection Pane (or on the Format tab for shapes).

2. In the Selection Pane, click each checkbox name to select it and press Delete.

How to delete ActiveX checkboxes

1. On the Developer tab, click Design Mode to enable design editing.

2. Click the checkbox border to select it.

3. Press Delete.

4. Turn Design Mode off when finished.

Note:

1. ActiveX controls do not function for deletion unless Design Mode is on.

How to delete checkboxes on Mac versus Windows

1. Windows — Both Form and ActiveX controls work. Use Design Mode for ActiveX, or Go To Special → Objects for broad selection.

2. Mac — ActiveX controls are not supported. Form Controls are available. Use right-click to select and press Delete, or use Command + click to multi-select.

How to delete all checkboxes using VBA

1. Open the Visual Basic Editor with Alt + F11 (Windows) or Option + F11 (Mac).

2. Insert a new Module: Insert → Module.

3. Paste one of the macros below and run it.

To remove all Form Controls (checkboxes from the Forms toolbar):

Sub DeleteAllFormCheckBoxes()

    Dim sht As Worksheet

    Dim shp As Shape

    For Each sht In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets

        For Each shp In sht.Shapes

            If shp.Type = msoFormControl Then

                If shp.FormControlType = xlCheckBox Then shp.Delete

            End If

        Next shp

    Next sht

End Sub

To remove all ActiveX CheckBoxes:

Sub DeleteAllActiveXCheckBoxes()

    Dim sht As Worksheet

    Dim obj As OLEObject

    For Each sht In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets

        For Each obj In sht.OLEObjects

            If TypeName(obj.Object) = "CheckBox" Then obj.Delete

        Next obj

    Next sht

End Sub

To remove both types:

Sub DeleteAllActiveXCheckBoxes()

    Dim sht As Worksheet

    Dim obj As OLEObject

    For Each sht In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets

        For Each obj In sht.OLEObjects

            If TypeName(obj.Object) = "CheckBox" Then obj.Delete

        Next obj

    Next sht

End Sub

Steps to run the macro:

1. Paste the desired macro into a module.

2. Close the VB Editor.

3. On the Developer tab, click Macros, select the macro name, click Run.

Caution:

1. Saving a workbook after running these macros cannot be undone.

2. Run macros on a backup copy when unsure.

Troubleshooting common problems

1. Deleting does not work — Confirm Design Mode is on for ActiveX controls.

2. Wrong objects removed after using Go To Special — Use the Selection Pane or VBA targeted code to avoid deleting shapes you want to keep.

3. Cannot select by clicking — Use Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while clicking the border to force control selection.

Best practice for worksheets that need checkboxes

1. Keep a backup of the worksheet before mass-deleting objects.

2. Name checkboxes when creating them to make targeted selection easier via the Selection Pane.

3. Group controls you want to delete together so bulk deletions are safe.

Can I remove checkboxes from many worksheets at once?

Yes. Use the VBA macro DeleteAllCheckboxesBothTypes above to remove checkboxes across all worksheets in the workbook.