How to blink or flash text of specified cell in Excel?

For making a certain cell outstanding in your worksheet, how about blinking the text of this cell? This article will show you method of blinking the text of a specified cell in Excel.

Blinking or flashing text of specified cell with VBA code

Blinking or flashing text of specified cell with VBA code

Please do as follows to blink the text of a specified cell in Excel.

1. Press Alt + F11 keys simultaneously to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, click Insert > Module. Then copy and paste the following code into the Code window.

VBA code: Blinking text of specified cell in Excel

Sub StartBlink()
'Updated by ExtendOffice 20181010
    Dim xCell As Range
    Dim xTime As Variant
      On Error Resume Next
    Set xCell = Range("Sheet2!A1")
  On Error Resume Next
   
        If xCell.Font.Color = vbRed Then
            xCell.Font.Color = vbWhite
        Else
            xCell.Font.Color = vbRed
        End If
    xTime = Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 1)
    Application.OnTime xTime, "'" & ThisWorkbook.Name & "'!StartBlink", , True
End Sub

Note: in this VBA code, Sheet2 and A1 indicate the text in cell A1 of Sheet2 will be blinked in current workbook.

3. Press the Alt + Q keys simultaneously to close the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

Now you need a button to start and stop the blinking.

4. Click Developer > Insert > Button (Form Control). See screenshot:

5. Draw a button in your worksheet, then an Assign Macro dialog box pops up, please click StartBlink in the Macro name box, and then click the OK button. See screenshot:

6. Right click the inserted button, and click Edit Text from the right-clicking menu. Then change the button text to the text you need such as Start / Stop Blinking.

From now on, when clicking on the button, the text of cell A1 starts blinking. And when clicking on the button again, the text of cell A1 stops blinking.

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Comments (26)

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Ken

about 5 years ago

#18083

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This code will not stop the blinking it get stuck. What am I doing wrong?

Geoff Culbertson

about 5 years ago

#18738

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Could this blinking text be applied to a condition. i.e. if a date is reached or is approaching on one worksheet, a cell on a cover/menu sheet flashes

Adam

about 5 years ago

#20624

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How can it make a random cell blink in a certain range?

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Rafi

about 4 years ago

#23438

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Working... Great

Dayle

about 4 years ago

#24494

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

How do I include this code in the following so I don't need buttons but the blinking starts automatically on the workbook opening?

Private Sub Workbook_Open()

' code here

End Sub

crystal Dayle

about 4 years ago

#24495

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi Dayle,
Please put this code into the ThisWorkbook window.

'Put in“ThisWorkbook”window
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
StarBlink
End Sub

Put the below code into the Module window. And then save the workbook as an Excel Macro-enabled Workbook. Hope I can help. Thanks for your comment.

'Start blinking
Sub StarBlink()
Dim xCell As Range
Dim xTime As Variant
Set xCell = Range("A1")
With ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1").Font
If xCell.Font.Color = vbRed Then
xCell.Font.Color = vbWhite
Else
xCell.Font.Color = vbRed
End If
End With
xTime = Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 1)
Application.OnTime xTime, "" & ThisWorkbook.Name & "!StarBlink", , True
End Sub
'Stop blinking
Sub StopBlink()
xTime = Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 1)
Application.OnTime EarliestTime:=xTime, Procedure:="" & ThisWorkbook.Name & "!StarBlink", Schedule:=False
End Sub

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Rashid Imam

about 4 years ago

#26065

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi,
it's working well but when I am protecting my sheet then blinking is not working showing debug msg.

crystal Rashid Imam

about 3 years ago

#26066

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Good day,
Please try the following code.

Sub StartBlink()
Dim xCell As Range
Dim xTime As Variant
On Error Resume Next
Set xCell = Range("A1")
On Error Resume Next

If xCell.Font.Color = vbRed Then
xCell.Font.Color = vbWhite
Else
xCell.Font.Color = vbRed
End If
xTime = Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 1)
Application.OnTime xTime, "'" & ThisWorkbook.Name & "'!StartBlink", , True
End Sub

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Al Assail Comapny

about 4 years ago

#26067

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Working. good
But after protecting my sheet LOCK & Hidden ( except blinking cell ) it's not working.
Anyone plz help me solve this issue.

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SUNARYANTO

about 4 years ago

#27147

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MANTEB GAN

Sam

about 3 years ago

#28279

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

How do i change this to sheet 1?

crystal Sam

about 3 years ago

#28280

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi Sam,
If you want to make cell A1 in Sheet1 or other specific worksheet blinking, please add "Sheet1!" or other worksheet name before the cell address. See the below code line:

Set xCell = Range("Sheet1!A1")

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mekka

about 3 years ago

#29958

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hi, i need help in google sheets..

I need an entire row to blink if F3:F1001 contains the "STAT". the entire row should be in orange but also blinking until the the column W3:W1001's checkbox is ticked.

is it possible? can you help? pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee

crystal mekka

about 3 years ago

#29959

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi mekka,
Sorry can't help you with that. Thank you for your comment.

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Shreenivas AK

about 2 years ago

#31974

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

when protect the sheet this code not working

connie

about 2 years ago

#32735

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

not working,

Please help

shalim

about 1 year ago

#34828

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

how to make flashing specific cell containing specific Text only ?

jass

about 5 months ago

#38750

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

how can i create flash blink for my time sheet .where the cell contain time above 10 hours .please suggest

crystal jass

about 5 months ago

#38786

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi jass,
The following VBA code may solve your problem. Please give it a try.
Don't forget to change the sheet name and the hours range in the code.

Sub StartBlink()
'Updated by ExtendOffice 20220707
Dim xCell As Range
Dim xTime As Variant
Dim xRg As Range
Dim xWb As Workbook
On Error Resume Next
Set xCell = Range("'blinking cells'!D2:E27") 'If there are spaces in your sheet name, enclose the sheet name in single quotes. If no space exists, enter the sheet name without the signe quotes
'On Error Resume Next
For Each xRg In xCell
If xRg >= TimeValue("10:00:00") Then
If xRg.Font.Color = vbRed Then
xRg.Font.Color = vbWhite
Else
xRg.Font.Color = vbRed
End If
Else
xRg.Font.Color = vbBlack
End If
Next
Set xWb = xCell.Worksheet.Parent
xTime = Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 1)
Application.OnTime xTime, "'" & xWb.Name & "'!StartBlink", , True
End Sub

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Lokesh

about 4 months ago

#39299

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi I need to do the same for the duplicate cell value in selected column where cell value will blink if the duplicate value appeared in excel

Sanjeev Raghavan

about 3 months ago

#39636

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hello,
I am looking for solution to flash / blink a range of cells approaching a future date, say in one week. I mean something like a purchase order delivery date is 30 August. I would like to start flashing the cells by 25th August onwards and even after 30 August till it is delivered.
Can someone give me a solution?
Thank you,
Sanjeev.

crystal Sanjeev Raghavan

about 3 months ago

#39776

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi Sanjeev Raghavan,
The following VBA code can do you a favor. In the code, you need to change Sheet5!D2:D5 to the sheet name and the range you want to blink.

Sub StartBlink2()
'Updated by ExtendOffice 20220830
Dim xCell As Range
Dim xTime As Variant
Dim xRg As Range
Dim xWb As Workbook
On Error Resume Next
Dim xToday
Set xCell = Range("Sheet5!D2:D5") 'If there are spaces in your sheet name, enclose the sheet name in single quotes. If no space exists, enter the sheet name without the signe quotes
'On Error Resume Next
xToday = Now()
For Each xRg In xCell
If (xRg - xToday > -1) And (xRg - xToday <= 5) Then
If xRg.Font.Color = vbRed Then
xRg.Font.Color = vbWhite
Else
xRg.Font.Color = vbRed
End If
Else
xRg.Font.Color = vbBlack
End If
Next
Set xWb = xCell.Worksheet.Parent
xTime = Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 1)
Application.OnTime xTime, "'" & xWb.Name & "'!StartBlink2", , True
End Sub

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