When dealing with a large amount of spreadsheet data on a laptop, it might be tough to keep track of everything. It is simple to compare one or two rows of information when working with a small subset of data, but it becomes cumbersome when a dozen rows are involved. And we haven’t even begun to discuss columns yet. There is just one remedy for unwieldy spreadsheets: freezing the rows and columns.
Freezing rows and columns in Excel facilitates navigation considerably. When done successfully, the selected panes are locked in place, ensuring that the specified rows remain displayed regardless of how far down the page is scrolled. Excel does not impose a restriction on the number of rows or columns that can be frozen, which might be useful for larger spreadsheets.
This tutorial is compatible with Microsoft Excel 2016 and subsequent versions. This approach is compatible with Google Sheets, OpenOffice, and LibreOffice. Are you prepared for work? Here’s how to freeze Excel rows and columns:
How to freeze a row in Excel
1. Select the row right below the row or rows you want to freeze. If you want to freeze columns, select the cell immediately to the right of the column you want to freeze. In this example, we want to freeze rows 1 to 5, so we’ve selected row 6.
2. Go to the View tab. This is located at the very top, inbetween “Review” and “Add-ins.”
3. Select the Freeze Panes option and click “Freeze Panes.” This selection can be found in the same place where “New Window” and “Arrange All” are located.
That’s all there is to it. As you can see in our example, the frozen rows will stay visible when you scroll down. You can tell where the rows were frozen by the green line dividing the frozen rows and the rows below them.
If you want to unfreeze the rows, go back to the Freeze Panes command and choose “Unfreeze Panes”.
Note that under the Freeze Panes command, you can also select “Freeze Top Row” to freeze the visible top row (and any above it) or “Freeze First Column” to keep the leftmost column visible while you scroll horizontally.
Also Read: How to Find Duplicate Entries in Excel?
In addition to allowing you to compare rows in a lengthy spreadsheet, the freeze panes function allows you to always view essential information, such as table headings.
Want more Excel tips? Check out our Excel tutorials on How to Lock Cells and How to Use VLOOKUP.
