How to Hide Columns in Google Sheets and Even Rows! (Easy Guide)

GiGiKing·March 13, 2024·0 comments
Video google sheet hide columns

Do you ever find yourself needing to hide certain columns in Google Sheets because they contain unsightly data or empty columns? Well, you’re in luck because I’m here to show you all the methods you can use to hide columns in Google Sheets.

The Google Sheets Shortcut to Hide Columns

If you’re like me and prefer using keyboard shortcuts rather than constantly switching between your mouse and keyboard, then this one is for you.

To hide a column in Windows (or a range of columns), simply select the column(s) and use the following shortcut:

CTRL + ALT + 0

For macOS, use the following shortcut:

Command + Option + 0

When you use this shortcut, all the selected rows or columns will be hidden.

How to Hide Columns in Google Sheets with Right-Click

Another quick method to hide columns in Google Sheets is to use a simple right-click. Just select the columns, right-click on them, and select “Hide column(s)”.

Here are the steps to hide a column in Google Sheets:

  1. Select the column(s) you want to hide. To do this, click on the column header at the top of the worksheet.
  2. Right-click anywhere within the column.
  3. Click on “Hide column”.

The above steps will hide the selected column.

These same steps also work for a range of columns, rows, grouped columns, or even non-contiguous columns.

For example, if you want to hide columns D and G, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and select these two columns using your mouse. Once selected, right-click on any of the columns and click on “Hide columns”.

Hiding Unused Columns in Google Sheets

If you don’t want unused rows and columns to be visible in your Google Sheets, you can easily hide them.

Here are the steps to hide unused columns in Google Sheets:

  1. Select the first adjacent column to the last used column. You can select the entire column by clicking on the column header at the top.
  2. Hold down the CTRL and SHIFT keys and press the right arrow key. This will select all the unused columns.
  3. Right-click on any of the selected columns and click on “Hide columns” (in your case, the displayed alphabetical columns might be different depending on the selected columns).

In Step 3, you can also use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + ALT + 0 to hide all the selected columns.

You can use the same methodology to hide unused rows as well.

Hiding Columns in Google Sheets with the Help Menu

You can also hide columns using the Help menu. Here’s how:

  1. Select the columns you want to hide from the headers.
  2. Go to the Help option in the spreadsheet menu.
  3. Type “hide” and press Enter.

Displaying Hidden Columns in Google Sheets

After hiding a column or a range of columns, you can easily display them with just one click.

Here’s an example where I’ve hidden column B, and you’ll notice small double-pointed arrows between columns A and C. This visually indicates that there are one or more hidden columns between the two visible columns.

To display a column, simply click on one of the arrow icons, and it will show all the hidden columns between the two visible columns.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to display hidden columns in Google Sheets.

To display a column in Windows (or a range of columns), select the column(s) and use the following shortcut:

CTRL + Shift + 0

For macOS, use the following shortcut:

Command + Shift + 0

When you use this shortcut, all the selected rows or columns will be displayed.

Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs should help you fully understand how to hide cells in Google Sheets.

How to Hide Columns in Google Sheets?

Select the column header (the titles), right-click, and select “Hide columns”.

How to Hide Rows in Google Sheets?

Just like using INDEX MATCH with multiple criteria, hiding rows in Google Sheets is simple. Select the row header (the titles), right-click, and select “Hide rows”.

How to Hide Specific Columns in Google Sheets for Certain Users?

Simply protect the range before hiding the column. This way, users will see that certain columns are hidden but won’t be able to display them. We have a comprehensive tutorial on how to hide columns in Google Sheets for certain users.

How to Delete Infinite Columns in Google Sheets?

You can simply delete the excess rows and columns. Here’s how to hide unused cells in Google Sheets:

  1. Select the column from which you want to delete.
  2. Press CTRL + Shift + Right Arrow (Command instead of Ctrl for Mac). This will select all the columns to the right.
  3. Right-click and select “Delete”, or you can also hide the columns by clicking on “Hide columns”.

You can repeat this process to hide rows in Google Sheets by using the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys instead. That’s how you hide all unused cells in Google Sheets.

Can Viewers See Hidden Columns in Google Sheets?

No, only individuals with editing access or ownership can view or modify hidden rows.

Now that you’ve learned how to hide columns in Google Sheets, you might also be interested in the following articles:

For more tips and tricks on Google Sheets, visit Crawlan.com!

Note: This article has been adapted from the original content provided.

GiGiKing

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