How to Unhide Columns in Excel?

How to Unhide Columns in Excel?

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Rashmi
Rashmi Karan
Manager - Content
Updated on Aug 27, 2024 17:48 IST

As you work with large spreadsheets, you may need to hide certain columns temporarily to focus on specific information or create a cleaner view of your data. While hiding columns is handy, knowing how to unhide them when you need to access or work with that hidden information again is equally important. The blog will walk you through the simple and essential steps to unhide columns in Excel.

Unhide columns in excel

While working with spreadsheets, people often hide some information. The reason behind this could be anything, from protecting sensitive data to simplifying the worksheet. Note that hidden cells may be present in the worksheet but are not visible. This means that you can still use them in formulas and calculations. However, knowing hidden cells when working with a worksheet is essential, as you may need to unhide them to view or modify the data. In this blog, we will cover how to unhide columns in Excel. There are two ways to unhide columns in Excel:

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Method 1:

  1. Open your spreadsheet from where you need to access hidden column data.
Unhide columns

 

  1. Select the location between the columns to the left and right of the hidden columns. 
Unhide columns 2
  1. When the cursor is between the letters of the columns adjacent to the hidden columns, it will turn into two parallel lines with one horizontal arrow and one vertical line.
  • You can identify a hidden column because two lines between the column letters exist.
  • The cursor must be to the right of the two lines for this method to work. Placing the cursor to the left will increase the size of the adjacent column.
Unhide columns 3
  1. Click the cursor. You can see that the Hidden columns are unhidden now.
Unhide columns 4
Unhide columns 5

If you are unsure which columns are hidden, you can use the Unhide All command to unhide all hidden columns. To do this, click the Home tab of the ribbon and then click the Show button. In the Show drop-down menu, select Unhide All.

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Method 2

Step 1. Select the neighboring columns of the hidden cells.

Unhide columns 1.0

Step 2. Click Home > Format > Hide and Unhide to show the hidden column or row.

Unhide columns 1.1

You can see that the hidden columns are now visible.

Unhide columns 1.2

Knowing how to unhide columns in Excel is a fundamental skill that can significantly improve your efficiency when working with spreadsheets. Excel’s ability to hide columns allows for better data organization and presentation. Following the straightforward steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently unhide columns whenever necessary, ensuring that your Excel tasks are carried out seamlessly.

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About the Author
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Rashmi Karan
Manager - Content

Rashmi is a postgraduate in Biotechnology with a flair for research-oriented work and has an experience of over 13 years in content creation and social media handling. She has a diversified writing portfolio and aim... Read Full Bio