Cells in excel will not unhide

Asked by: Prof. Barry Breitenberg IV

Score: 4.8/5
(53 votes)

If you select all the rows and click ‘unhide’ and they do not show up, then they are filtered and not hidden. Click the Sort & Filter button on the Home tab of the ribbon and then click ‘clear’. … On the Home tab, click on the Format icon Choose Hide & Unhide from the dropdown menu then select Unhide Rows.

How do I enable hidden unhide in Excel?

Hide or Unhide worksheets

How do I unhide all?

If you decide to unhide all cells later, select the entire sheet, then press Ctrl + Shift + 9 to unhide all rows and Ctrl + Shift + 0 to unhide all columns.

How do you unhide all cells in Excel?

How to unhide columns in Excel:

Why can’t I unhide all rows in Excel?

On the Home tab, in the Cells group, click Format. Do one of the following: Under Visibility, point to Hide & Unhide, and then click Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns.

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If the first row (row 1) or column (column A) is not displayed in the worksheet, it is a little tricky to unhide it because there is no easy way to select that row or column. You can select the entire worksheet, and then unhide rows or columns (Home tab, Cells group, Format button, Hide & Unhide command), but that displays all hidden rows and columns in your worksheet, which you may not want to do. Instead, you can use the Name box or the Go To command to select the first row and column.

1. To select the first hidden row or column on the worksheet, do one of the following:

   • In the Name Box next to the formula bar, type A1, and then press ENTER.

     

   • On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select, and then click Go To. In the Reference box, type A1, and then click OK.

     

2. On the Home tab, in the Cells group, click Format.

   

3. Do one of the following:

   • Under Visibility, click Hide & Unhide, and then click Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns.

   • Under Cell Size, click Row Height or Column Width, and then in the Row Height or Column Width box, type the value that you want to use for the row height or column width.

     Tip: The default height for rows is 15, and the default width for columns is 8.43.

If you don’t see the first column (column A) or row (row 1) in your worksheet, it might be hidden. Here’s how to unhide it. In this picture column A and row 1 are hidden.

To unhide column A, right-click the column B header or label and pick Unhide Columns.

To unhide row 1, right-click the row 2 header or label and pick Unhide Rows.

Tip: If you don’t see Unhide Columns or Unhide Rows, make sure you’re right-clicking inside the column or row label.

Learn several ways to do this

Updated on September 19, 2022

What to Know

• Hide a column: Select a cell in the column to hide, then press Ctrl+0. To unhide, select an adjacent column and press Ctrl+Shift+0.
• Hide a row: Select a cell in the row you want to hide, then press Ctrl+9. To unhide, select an adjacent column and press Ctrl+Shift+9.
• You can also use the right-click context menu and the format options on the Home tab to hide or unhide individual rows and columns.

You can hide columns and rows in Excel to make a cleaner worksheet without deleting data you might need later, although there is no way to hide individual cells. In this guide, we provide instructions for three ways to hide and unhide columns in Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and Excel for Microsoft 365.

Hide Columns in Excel Using a Keyboard Shortcut

The keyboard key combination for hiding columns is Ctrl+0.

1. Click on a cell in the column you want to hide to make it the active cell.

2. Press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

3. Press and release the 0 key without releasing the Ctrl key. The column containing the active cell should be hidden from view.

   To hide multiple columns using the keyboard shortcut, highlight at least one cell in each column to be hidden, and then repeat steps two and three above.

   Hide Columns Using the Context Menu

   The options available in the context — or right-click menu — change depending upon the object selected when you open the menu. If the Hide option, as shown in the image below, is not available in the context menu it is likely that you didn’t select the entire column before right-clicking.

   Hide a Single Column

4. Click the column header of the column you want to hide to select the entire column.

5. Right-click on the selected column to open the context menu.

6. Choose Hide. The selected column, the column letter, and any data in the column will be hidden from view.

   Hide Adjacent Columns

7. In the column header, click and drag with the mouse pointer to highlight all three columns.

8. Right-click on the selected columns.

9. Choose Hide. The selected columns and column letters will be hidden from view.

When you hide columns and rows containing data, it does not delete the data, and you can still reference it in formulas and charts. Hidden formulas containing cell references will update if the data in the referenced cells changes.

Hide Separated Columns

1. In the column header click on the first column to be hidden.

2. Press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

3. Continue to hold down the Ctrl key and click once on each additional column to be hidden to select them.

4. Release the Ctrl key.

5. In the column header, right-click on one of the selected columns and choose Hide. The selected columns and column letters will be hidden from view.

When hiding separate columns, if the mouse pointer is not over the column header when you click the right mouse button, the hide option will not be available.

Hide and Unhide Columns in Excel Using the Name Box

This method can be used to unhide any single column. In our example, we will be using column A.

1. Type the cell reference A1 into the Name Box.

2. Press the Enter key on the keyboard to select the hidden column.

3. Click on the Home tab of the ribbon.

4. Click on the Format icon on the ribbon to open the drop-down.

5. In the Visibility section of the menu, choose Hide & Unhide > Hide Columns or Unhide Column.

Unhide Columns Using a Keyboard Shortcut

The key combination for unhiding columns is Ctrl+Shift+0.

1. Type the cell reference A1 into the Name Box.

2. Press the Enter key on the keyboard to select the hidden column.

3. Press and hold down the Ctrl and the Shift keys on the keyboard.

4. Press and release the 0 key without releasing the Ctrl and Shift keys.

To unhide one or more columns, highlight at least one cell in the columns on either side of the hidden column(s) with the mouse pointer.

1. Click and drag with the mouse to highlight columns A to G.

2. Press and hold down the Ctrl and the Shift keys on the keyboard.

3. Press and release the 0 key without releasing the Ctrl and Shift keys. The hidden column(s) will become visible.

   The Ctrl+Shift+0 keyboard shortcut might not work depending on the version of Windows you’re running, for reasons not explained by Microsoft. If this shortcut doesn’t work, use another method from the article.

   Unhide Columns Using the Context Menu

   As with the shortcut key method above, you must select at least one column on either side of a hidden column or columns to unhide them. For example, to unhide columns D, E, and G:

4. Hover the mouse pointer over column C in the column header. Click and drag with the mouse to highlight columns C to H to unhide all columns at one time.

5. Right-click on the selected columns and choose Unhide. The hidden column(s) will become visible.

Hide Rows Using Shortcut Keys

The keyboard key combination for hiding rows is Ctrl+9:

1. Click on a cell in the row you want to hide to make it the active cell.

2. Press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

3. Press and release the 9 key without releasing the Ctrl key. The row containing the active cell should be hidden from view.

To hide multiple rows using the keyboard shortcut, highlight at least one cell in each row you want to hide, and then repeat steps two and three above.

Hide Rows Using the Context Menu

The options available in the context menu — or right-click — change depending upon the object selected when you open it. If the Hide option, as shown in the image above, is not available in the context menu it is because you probably didn’t select the entire row.

Hide a Single Row

1. Click on the row header for the row to be hidden to select the entire row.

2. Right-click on the selected row to open the context menu.

3. Choose Hide. The selected row, the row letter, and any data in the row will be hidden from view.

Hide Adjacent Rows

1. In the row header, click and drag with the mouse pointer to highlight all three rows.

2. Right-click on the selected rows and choose Hide. The selected rows will be hidden from view.

Hide Separated Rows

1. In the row header, click on the first row to be hidden.

2. Press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

3. Continue to hold down the Ctrl key and click once on each additional row to be hidden to select them.

4. Right-click on one of the selected rows and choose Hide. The selected rows will be hidden from view.

Hide and Unhide Rows Using the Name Box

This method can be used to unhide any single row. In our example, we will be using row 1.

1. Type the cell reference A1 into the Name Box.

2. Press the Enter key on the keyboard to select the hidden row.

3. Click on the Home tab of the ribbon.

4. Click on the Format icon on the ribbon to open the drop-down menu.

5. In the Visibility section of the menu, choose Hide & Unhide > Hide Rows or Unhide Row.

Unhide Rows Using a Keyboard Shortcut

The key combination for unhiding rows is Ctrl+Shift+9.

Unhide Rows using Shortcut Keys and Name Box

1. Type the cell reference A1 into the Name Box.

2. Press the Enter key on the keyboard to select the hidden row.

3. Press and hold down the Ctrl and the Shift keys on the keyboard.

4. Press and hold down the Ctrl and the Shift keys on the keyboard. Row 1 will become visible.

Unhide Rows Using a Keyboard Shortcut

To unhide one or more rows, highlight at least one cell in the rows on either side of the hidden row(s) with the mouse pointer. For example, you want to unhide rows 2, 4, and 6.

1. To unhide all rows, click and drag with the mouse to highlight rows 1 to 7.

2. Press and hold down the Ctrl and the Shift keys on the keyboard.

3. Press and release the number 9 key without releasing the Ctrl and Shift keys. The hidden row(s) will become visible.

Unhide Rows Using the Context Menu

As with the shortcut key method above, you must select at least one row on either side of a hidden row or rows to unhide them. For example, to unhide rows 3, 4, and 6:

1. Hover the mouse pointer over row 2 in the row header.

2. Click and drag with the mouse to highlight rows 2 to 7 to unhide all rows at one time.

3. Right-click on the selected rows and choose Unhide. The hidden row(s) will become visible.

How to Move Columns in Excel

FAQ

• How do I hide cells in Excel?

  Select the cell or cells you want to hide, then select the Home tab > Cells > Format > Format Cells. In the Format Cells menu, select the Number tab > Custom (under Category) and type ;;; (three semicolons), then select OK.

• How do I hide gridlines in Excel?

  Select the Page Layout tab, then turn off the View checkbox under Gridlines.

• How do I hide formulas in Excel?

  Select the cells with formulas you want to hide > select the Hidden checkbox on the Protection tab > OK > Review > Protect Sheet. Next, verify that Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells is turned on, then select OK.

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Watch Video – How to Unhide Columns in Excel

If you prefer written instruction instead, below is the tutorial.

Hidden rows and columns can be quite irritating at times.

Especially if someone else has hidden these and you forget to unhide it (or even worse, you don’t know how to unhide these).

While I can’t do anything about the first issue, I can show you how to unhide columns in Excel (the same techniques can also be used to unhide rows).

It may happen that one of the methods of unhiding columns/rows may not work for you. In that case, it is good to know the alternatives that can work.

There are many different situations where you may need to unhide the columns:

1. Multiple columns are hidden and you want to unhide all columns at once
2. You want to unhide a specific column (in between two columns)
3. You want to unhide the first column

Let’s go through each for these scenarios and see how to unhide the columns.

Unhide All Columns At One Go

If you have a worksheet that has multiple hidden columns, you don’t need to go hunt each one and bring it to light.

You can do that all in one go.

And there are multiple ways to do this.

Using the Format Option

Here are the steps to unhide all columns at one go:

1. Click on the small triangle at the top left of the worksheet area. This will select all the cells in the worksheet.
2. Right-click anywhere in the worksheet area.
3. Click on Unhide.

No matter where that pesky column is hidden, this will unhide it.

Note: You can also use the keyboard shortcut Control A A (hold the control key and hit the A key twice) to select all the cells in the worksheet.

Using VBA

If you need to do this often, you can also use VBA to get this done.

The below code will unhide column in the worksheet.

Sub UnhideColumns ()
Cells.EntireColumn.Hidden = False
EndSub

You need to place this code in the VB Editor (in a module).

If you want to learn how to do this with VBA, read a detailed guide on how to run a macro in Excel.

Note: To save time, you can save this macro in the Personal Macro Workbook and add it to the quick access toolbar. This will allow you to unhide all columns with a single click.

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

If you’re more comfortable using keyboard shortcuts, there is a way to unhide all columns with a few keystrokes.

Here are the steps:

1. Select any cell in the worksheet.
2. Press Control-A-A (hold the control key and press A twice). This will select all the cells in the worksheet
3. Use the following shortcut – ALT H O U L (one key at a time)

If you can get hang of this keyboard shortcut, it could be a lot faster to unhide columns.

Note: The reason you need to press A twice when holding the control key is that sometimes when you press Control A, it only selects the used range in Excel (or the area that has the data) and you need to press the A again to select the entire worksheet.

Another keyword shortcut that works for some and not for others is Control 0 (from a numeric keypad) or Control Shift 0 from a non-numeric keypad. It used to work for me earlier but doesn’t work anymore. Here is some discussion on why it may happen. I suggest you use the longer (ALT HOUL) shortcut that works every time.

Unhide Columns in Between Selected Columns

There are multiple ways you can quickly unhide columns in between selected columns. The methods shown here are useful when you want to unhide a specific column(s).

Let’s go through these one-by-one (and you can choose to use that you find the best).

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Below are the steps:

1. Select the columns that contain the hidden columns in between. For example, if you are trying to unhide column C, then select column B and D.
2. Use the following shortcut – ALT H O U L (one key at a time)

This will instantly unhide the columns.

Using the Mouse

One quick and easy way to unhide a column is to use the mouse.

Below are the steps:

Using the Format Option in the Ribbon

Under the home tab in the ribbon, there are options to hide and unhide columns in Excel.

Here is how to use it:

Another way of accessing this option is by selecting the columns and right clicking using the mouse. In the menu that appears, select the unhide option.

Using VBA

Below is the code that you can use to unhide columns in between the selected columns.

Sub UnhideAllColumns()
Selection.EntireColumn.Hidden = False
End Sub

You need to place this code in the VB Editor (in a module).

If you want to learn how to do this with VBA, read a detailed guide on how to run a macro in Excel.

Note: To save time, you can save this macro in the Personal Macro Workbook and add it to the quick access toolbar. This will allow you to unhide all columns with a single click.

By Changing the Column Width

There is a possibility that none of these methods work when you try to unhide column in Excel. It happens when you change the Column Width to 0. In that case, even if you unhide the column, it’s width still remains 0, and hence you can’t see it or select it.

Below are the steps to change the column width:

This is by far the most reliable way to unhide columns in Excel. If everything fails, just change the column width.

Unhide the First Column

Unhiding the first column can be a little bit tricky.

You can use many of the methods covered above, with a little bit of extra work.

Let me show you a few ways.

Use the Mouse to Drag the First Column

Even when the first column is hidden, Excel allows you to select it and drag it to make it visible.

To do this, hover the cursor on the left edge of column B (or whatever is the leftmost visible column).

The cursor would change into a double arrow pointer as shown below.

Hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor to the right. You will see that it unhides the hidden column.

Go to a Cell in the First Column and Unhide it

But how do you go to any cell in the column that’s hidden?

Good question!

You use the Name Box (it’s left to the formula bar).

Enter A1 in the Name Box. It will instantly take you to the A1 cell. Since the first column is hidden, you won’t be able to see it, but be assured that it’s selected (you’ll still see a thin line just left of B1).

Once the hidden column cell is selected, follow the below steps:

• Click the Home tab.
• In the Cells group, click on Format.
• Hover the cursor on the ‘Hide & Unhide’ option.
• Click on ‘Unhide Columns’

Select the First Column and Unhide it

Again! How do you select it when it’s hidden?

Well, there are many different ways to skin the cat.

And this is just another method in my kitty (this is the last cat sounding reference I promise).

When you select the leftmost visible cell and drag the cursor to the left (where there are row numbers), you end up selecting all the hidden columns (even when you don’t see it).

Once you have select all the hidden columns, follow the below steps:

• Click the Home tab.
• In the Cells group, click on Format.
• Hover the cursor on the ‘Hide & Unhide’ option.
• Click on ‘Unhide Columns’

Check The Number of Hidden Columns

Excel has an ‘Inspect Document’ feature that is meant to quickly scan the workbook and give you some details about it.

And one of the things that you can do that ‘Inspect Document’ is to quickly check how many hidden columns or hidden rows are there in the workbook.

This might be useful when you get the workbook from someone and want to quickly inspect it.

Below are the steps on how to check the total number of hidden columns or hidden rows:

1. Open the workbook
2. Click on the File tab
3. In the Info options, click on the ‘Check for Issues’ button (it’s next to the Inspect Workbook text).
4. Click on Inspect Document.
5. In the Document Inspector, make sure Hidden Rows and Columns option is checked.
6. Click the Inspect button.

This will show you the total number of hidden rows and columns.

It also gives you the option to delete all these hidden rows/columns. This can be the case if there is extra data that has been hidden and is not needed. Instead of finding hidden rows and columns, you can quickly delete these from this option.

You May Also Like the following Excel Tips/Tutorials:

• How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel – 4 Methods.
• How to Quickly Insert New Cells in Excel.
• Keyboard & Mouse Tricks that will Reinvent the Way You Excel.
• How to Hide a Worksheet in Excel.
• How to Unhide Sheets in Excel (All In One Go)
• Excel Text to Columns (7 Amazing things you can do with it)
• How to Lock Cells in Excel
• How to Lock Formulas in Excel

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