Excel sheet not show

The default setting in Excel is to show all the tabs (also called sheets) below the working area.

But if you can’t see any tabs and are wondering where has it disappeared, worry not. There are some possible reasons that may have been the cause of missing tabs in your Excel workbook.

In this article, I will show you a couple of methods you can use to restore the missing tabs in your Excel Workbook.

If you can’t see any of the tab names, it is most likely because of a setting that needs to be changed.

And in case you can see some of the sheet tabs but not all the sheet tabs, one possible reason could be that the sheets have been hidden, and you need to unhide the sheets to make the sheet tabs visible.

Another less likely but possible reason could be that the scrollbar he’s hiding the sheet tabs (when there are more sheets that extends beyond where the scrollbar starts)

Let’s have a look at each of these scenarios.

When All the Sheet Tabs are Missing

Whenever you open an Excel workbook, it must have at least one sheet tab in it (even if it’s a new blank workbook).

If you can’t see any tab, this most likely means that you need to change a setting that will enable the visibility of the tabs.

Below are the steps to restore the visibility of the tabs in Excel:

1. Click the File tab

1. Click on Options

1. In the ‘Options’ dialog box that opens, click on the Advanced option

1. Scroll down to the ‘Display Options for this Workbook’ section
2. Check the ‘Show sheet tabs’ option

The above change would ensure that all the available sheet tabs in the workbook become visible (unless the user has specifically hidden some of the worksheets)

Note that this setting is workbook specific – which means that in case you enable this setting in one of the workbooks, it would only make the tabs reappear in that specific workbook

When Some of the Sheet Tabs are Missing

Sometimes, you may be able to see some of the tabs in the workbook, while some others may be missing.

In this section, I have some solutions when only some of the tabs are missing and some are visible.

Some of the Sheets are Hidden

The most likely reason that you cannot see some of the tabs in the workbook is that they have been hidden by the user.

When a worksheet is hidden in Excel, it continues to exist as a part of the Excel workbook, but you don’t see that sheet tab name along with other sheet tabs.

And this has a really simple solution – you need to unhide the sheets.

Below are the steps to unhide one or more sheets in Excel:

1. Right-click on any of the existing sheet tab name
2. Click on the Unhide option. In case there are no hidden sheets in the workbook, this option will be grayed out

1. In the Unhide dialog box, click on the sheet name you want to unhide

1. Click on OK

The above steps would unhide the selected sheet, and it would reappear as a tab in your workbook.

In case you want to unhide multiple sheets, you can select them in one go in the ‘Unhide’ dialog box. To do this, hold the Control key (or Command key if using Mac) and then click on the Sheet names that you want to unhide. This would select all the sheets on which you click and then you can unhide all these with one click.

But what if you do not see the tab name in the names listed in the Unhide dialog box?

Well, there is a way in Excel to hide a sheet in such a way that its name doesn’t show up in the Unhide dialog box.

Then how do you unhide these ‘very hidden’ sheets?

You can read my tutorial here where I show you how to unhide those sheets that have been ‘very hidden’. It’s easy and it will only take a couple of clicks.

Tabs are Hidden Because of the Scroll Bar

Another reason your tabs may be missing could be because of a large scroll bar that hides the tabs.

And it has a simple fix – resize the scroll bar to make all other tabs visible.

Below I have a screenshot of an Excel workbook where I have 8 sheets but only three sheet tabs are visible. This is because of a large scrollbar that hides those tab names.

To get the sheet tabs to reappear, click on the three dots icon on the left of the scrollbar and drag it to the right. This will minimize the scroll bar and all the sheet tabs that were earlier hidden would now become visible.

In case you have a large workbook with a lot of sheets, even if you minimize the scrollbar, some sheet tabs would still be hidden.

In such a case, you can use the navigation icons (which are at the left of the first sheet tab) to make those sheet tabs visible.

So these are some of the ways you can use to fix the issue when the sheet tabs are missing and not showing in Excel. If you don’t see any sheet tab in the workbook, it’s most likely because of the setting in the Excel Options dialog box that needs to be changed.

And in case you see some sheet tab names but some are missing, then you need to check if some of the sheets have been hidden by the user or if they are hidden because of a large scroll bar.

Other Excel tutorials you may also like:

• Microsoft Excel Won’t Open – How to Fix it! (6 Possible Solutions)
• How to Switch Between Sheets in Excel? (7 Better Ways)
• Count Sheets in Excel (using VBA)
• How to Get the Sheet Name in Excel? Easy Formula
• How to Insert New Worksheet in Excel (Easy Shortcuts)
• How to Delete Sheets in Excel (Shortcuts + VBA)
• Arrow Keys not Working in Excel | Moving Pages Instead of Cells
• How to Change the Color of the Sheet Tab in Excel

Ever stuck into such an issue where you can’t see tabs in Excel or sheets not visible in Excel? Looking for some easy tricks to fix Excel tabs not showing issue?

Leave all you worry because, for easy restoration of missing worksheet tabs, this tutorial is surely going to help you a lot. Here you will get the best tricks to overcome the Excel spreadsheets disappeared issue in an easy way.

Apart from that, you will also get an easy idea of how to find hidden worksheets in Excel 2010/2013/2016/2019.

Why Did My Excel Worksheet Disappeared?

Normally, within the Excel workbook, you will get several tabs along with the bottom of the screen. The missing Excel worksheet tab issue mainly generates when sheets may get hidden in plain sight due to some changes in the Excel setting.

In order to solve the mystery of Excel tabs not showing problems let’s first find the answer to why are tabs not showing in Excel? After then follow the workarounds to fix the Excel missing sheet tabs issue.

There are numerous things that will make your Excel sheet disappeared.

Here we have listed some most common causes of Excel sheet tabs missing. Have a Look…

• When you inadvertently disconnect the workbook Windows from Excel. Mainly while using the trio of restore windows buttons on the title bar and moving the Windows under the status bar.
• The screen resolution is done too high and the tab gets vanished from the bottom of the screen.
• You may have turned off the Display options for this workbook.
• The workbook window is sized in a way that the tabs are hidden.
• The tabs get obscure due to the horizontal scroll bar.
• The worksheet itself is hidden.

How To Fix Excel Tabs Not Showing Issue?

Follow the given methods to troubleshoot Excel Tabs Not Showing issue:

1: Change the Zoom Settings

2: Check Show Sheet Tabs Setting Is Turned Off

3: Unhide the Worksheet

4:  Check The Show Sheet Tabs Settings Controls

5: Check Excel Windows Arrangement

6: Click the Navigation Arrow in the Excel File

Now it’s time to discuss each of these methods of fixing Excel Worksheet disappeared in detail. So, let’s get started….!

Watch out this interesting video on how to restore missing Excel worksheet tabs and cells.

Method 1: Change the Zoom Settings

Change the zoom settings to some other settings. Then change the zoom settings back to the preferred settings.

Follow these steps to do this:

• Click the zoom out or zoom in on the status bar.

• On the View tab, click zoom in the zoom group, select the settings you want under Magnification, and then click OK.

Hope by changing the zoom settings you are able to see the missing Excel sheet tabs but if not then follow the method 2

Method 2: Check Show Sheet Tabs Setting Is Turned Off

This might be the case that Excel sheet tabs go missing as the sheet tabs setting is turned off. To verify it, follow the steps to do so:

• Click File > Options > Advanced, then under Display options for this workbook.
• Assure that the Show sheet tab checkbox is selected.

This process is the same for all Excel versions.

Method 3: Unhide the Worksheet

In many cases, the Excel sheet disappeared by itself. So to get the missing sheet tab back you must use the unhide worksheet of Excel.

Follow the steps to do so:

• Right-click on any visible tab on the worksheet > click Unhide
• Then in the Unhide dialog box > click sheet you desire to unhide
• Click Ok.

Method 4:  Check The Show Sheet Tabs Settings Controls

In Excel 2010 and former, it is comparatively easy to unintentionally organize a spreadsheet Window. Subsequently, the worksheet tabs aren’t present on the screen, even if the Show Sheet Tabs option is enabled. While this happens, double click on the workbook’s name to maximize the Window and recover workbooks.

In Excel 2013 if you are not able to see the worksheet tabs, simply double-click on the words “Microsoft Excel” at the top of the Windows for maximizing Excel’s application window.

Method 5: Check Excel Windows Arrangement

In some cases, it is found that Excel Windows get arranged in such a way so that the tabs are not visible.  So check for them. Make use of the keyboard shortcut to navigate between worksheets within the workbook. And to do this, press Ctrl – Page Up for activating the adjacent worksheets to the left and or else press Ctrl- Page Down for activating the next worksheet to the right.

In this activate menu Excel 2013 provides helpful improvements since the entire worksheets are displayed in a single dialog box and after that, you can select a worksheet by entering the first letter of the sheet name.

In Excel 2010 or the earlier version, the Activate menu very first displays up to 16 worksheets and requires selecting more sheets for displaying more lists.

Additionally, in Excel 2010 or the earlier version, you should select the desired sheet name by making use of your mouse. Because the menu cannot be accessed by way of keystrokes as it is possible in Excel 2013.

You can also read: 7 Tricks To Fix Missing Gridlines In Excel Issue

Method 6: Click the Navigation Arrow in the Excel File

In many other cases, it happens that the worksheet tabs are available, but a worksheet still appears missing. In Excel 2007 and later versions, right-click on any worksheet tab and select unhide.

Well, if the command is disabled there is most likely no hidden worksheet is present in the workbook. However, there is still a way you can find out this possibility.

Follow the steps to access the unhide sheet command from Excel’s main menu:

• Excel 2007 and later: Go to the home tab > select format > click hide and unhide sheet.

• Excel 2003 and earlier: Select Format > Sheet > and Unhide.
• And Excel 2011 for Mac: From the main menu > select format option > sheet > unhide. The format command on the home tab of the ribbon doesn’t let you unhide the worksheet.

If the unhide sheet is disabled, you can’t necessarily assume that there are no hidden worksheets within a workbook.

Automatic Solution To Recover Missing/Disappeared Tabs In Excel

Well, if none of the above-mentioned methods help you to recover missing sheets in Excel. Then the chances are high that your Excel sheet has caught into some corruption issue. Due to the corruption of the Excel sheet, you may also find that your Excel sheet content disappeared.

In this case, you can make use of the professional recommended MS Excel Repair Tool.  This is the best tool to repair any sort of issues, corruption as well as errors in Excel files. It also restores the entire data in the preferred location. It is too easy to use.

* Free version of the product only previews recoverable data.

Steps to Utilize MS Excel Repair Tool:

Conclusion:

Hope after reading the article you are able to recover your missing sheet tabs in Excel. I tried my best to provide complete information about how to recover the missing or hidden sheet tabs in Microsoft Excel.

So, now it’s your turn to make use of the given methods to fix Excel tabs not showing the issue. Just go for it.

Good Luck!!!  

Hide or unhide a worksheet

Note: The screen shots in this article were taken in Excel 2016. If you have a different version your view might be slightly different, but unless otherwise noted, the functionality is the same.

1. Select the worksheets that you want to hide.

   How to select worksheets

   To select	Do this
   A single sheet	Click the sheet tab. If you don’t see the tab that you want, click the scrolling buttons to the left of the sheet tabs to display the tab, and then click the tab.
   Two or more adjacent sheets	Click the tab for the first sheet. Then hold down Shift while you click the tab for the last sheet that you want to select.
   Two or more nonadjacent sheets	Click the tab for the first sheet. Then hold down Ctrl while you click the tabs of the other sheets that you want to select.
   All sheets in a workbook	Right-click a sheet tab, and then click Select All Sheets on the shortcut menu.

   Tip: When multiple worksheets are selected, [Group] appears in the title bar at the top of the worksheet. To cancel a selection of multiple worksheets in a workbook, click any unselected worksheet. If no unselected sheet is visible, right-click the tab of a selected sheet, and then click Ungroup Sheets on the shortcut menu.

2. On the Home tab, in the Cells group, click Format > Visibility > Hide & Unhide > Hide Sheet.

   

3. To unhide worksheets, follow the same steps, but select Unhide. You’ll be presented with a dialog box listing which sheets are hidden, so select the ones you want to unhide.

   

   Note: Worksheets hidden by VBA code have the property xlSheetVeryHidden; the Unhide command will not display those hidden sheets. If you are using a workbook that contains VBA code and you encounter problems with hidden worksheets, contact the workbook owner for more information.

Hide or unhide a workbook window

• On the View tab, in the Window group, click Hide or Unhide.

  On a Mac, this is under the Window menu in the file menu above the ribbon.

  

Notes: 

• When you Unhide a workbook, select from the list in the Unhide dialog box.

  

• If Unhide is unavailable, the workbook does not contain hidden workbook windows.

• When you exit Excel, you will be asked if you want to save changes to the hidden workbook window. Click Yes if you want the workbook window to be the same as you left it (hidden or unhidden), the next time that you open the workbook.

Hide or display workbook windows on the Windows taskbar

Excel 2013 introduced the Single Document Interface, where each workbook opens in its own window.

1. Click File > Options.

   For Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button , then Excel Options.

2. Then click Advanced > Display > clear or select the Show all windows in the Taskbar check box.

Hide or unhide a worksheet

1. Select the worksheets that you want to hide.

   How to select worksheets

   To select	Do this
   A single sheet	Click the sheet tab. If you don’t see the tab that you want, click the scrolling buttons to the left of the sheet tabs to display the tab, and then click the tab.
   Two or more adjacent sheets	Click the tab for the first sheet. Then hold down Shift while you click the tab for the last sheet that you want to select.
   Two or more nonadjacent sheets	Click the tab for the first sheet. Then hold down Command while you click the tabs of the other sheets that you want to select.
   All sheets in a workbook	Right-click a sheet tab, and then click Select All Sheets on the shortcut menu.

2. On the Home tab, click Format > under Visibility > Hide & Unhide > Hide Sheet.

3. To unhide worksheets, follow the same steps, but select Unhide. The Unhide dialog box displays a list of hidden sheets, so select the ones you want to unhide and then select OK.

   

Hide or unhide a workbook window

• Click the Window menu, click Hide or Unhide.

Notes: 

• When you Unhide a workbook, select from the list of hidden workbooks in the Unhide dialog box.

  

• If Unhide is unavailable, the workbook does not contain hidden workbook windows.

• When you exit Excel, you will be asked if you want to save changes to the hidden workbook window. Click Yes if you want the workbook window to be the same as you left it (hidden or unhidden) the next time that you open the workbook.

Hide a worksheet

1. Right click on the tab you want to hide.
   

2. Select Hide.

Unhide a worksheet

1. Right click on any visible tab.

2. Select Unhide.
   

3. Mark the tabs to unhide.
   

4. Click OK.

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Prof. Stanley Spinka

Score: 4.6/5
(31 votes)

The Show sheet tabs setting is turned off. First ensure that the Show sheet tabs is enabled. To do this, For all other Excel versions, click File > Options > Advanced—in under Display options for this workbook—and then ensure that there is a check in the Show sheet tabs box.

How do I see all sheets in Excel?

Excel: Right Click to Show a Vertical Worksheets List

Why Excel file is open but not visible?

However, sometimes when you open a workbook, you see that it is open but you can’t actually see it. This could be as a result of an intentional or accidental hiding of the workbook (as apposed to a sheet). Under the VIEW tab you will see buttons called Hide and Unhide.

Where did my Excel sheet go?

Step 1 — Open Excel, click «File» and then click «Info.» Click the «Manage Versions» button and then choose «Recover Unsaved Workbooks» from the menu. Step 2 — Select the file to restore and then click «Open» to load the workbook. Step 3 — Click the «Save As» button on the yellow bar to recover the worksheet.

How do I view hidden sheets in Excel?

Unhide Worksheets Using the Ribbon

37 related questions found

One of my customers, faced the following strange problem when he opens several Excel files: The Excel file seem to open normally, but the Excel won’t show the worksheet (Worksheet area is grayed out and the data doesn’t appear at all). As a first try, I repaired the MS Office (2007) installation but the problem still exists. Finally after some research I found the following solution to resolve the «Excel Worksheet data not showing» problem.

How to fix: Excel Data not showing – not visible – data area is grayed out.

1. Go to View Menu and ensure first that the Unhide option is inactive. (otherwise click Unhide and check if you can view the excel data).
2. Select Arrange All.

3. At the menu that comes up, check the «Windows of active workbook» checkbox and click OK.

Now you should see the contents of the Excel Workbook!

4. One last action. Save the Workbook and you ‘re done!

Additional help: If the above tip doesn’t help you, then:

A. Perform a repair at Office installation. To do that:

1. Navigate to Windows Control Panel > Programs and features.
2. Locate and select the MS Office application and then click Change.
3. Then select the Repair option.

B. Disable the Hardware Acceleration at Excel application: To do that:

Notice: The option to disable the graphics acceleration is only available at Excel 2010 and Excel 2013.

1. From Excel’s main menu select Options.

2. At Excel Options window, choose Advanced on the left pane.

3. At the right pane, under Display options, uncheck the «Disable hardware graphics acceleration» checkbox and click OK.

That’s all folks! Did it work for you?

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