How to Freeze a Row or Column in Google Sheets

Working with large datasets involves a fair amount of scrolling, and it’s easy to lose track of the cells you’re watching. When you scroll down, you lose the headers; when you scroll right, you lose the row. Fortunately, Google Sheets makes it very easy to freeze rows or columns, so you can always keep the relevant data in view. In fact, you can freeze multiple rows or columns at the same time, both on the web and in the mobile app.

In this guide, you will learn different ways to freeze rows or columns in Google Sheets: using the drag-and-drop shortcut, using the view menu, and using the right-click menu. Additionally, you will learn how to freeze multiple rows or columns using all three methods. Finally, you will learn how to freeze rows or columns in the Google Sheets mobile app using two different methods.

How to Freeze a Row or Column: Drag & Drop Shortcut

The quickest way to freeze rows and columns in Google Sheets is the drag-and-drop method.

1. 1. Hover over the empty square where the row headers and column headers intersect. To freeze a row, hover over the bottom line of the square until it is highlighted. Click and drag down to beyond the row you want to freeze.

1. 2. Grab the outline and drag it just beyond the row or column you want.

1. 3. No matter how far down you scroll, the first row will stay in view.

1. 4. To freeze the first column, repeat step one, but grab the left-hand line of the corner cell rather than the bottom one. Drag it right to just beyond the column you want to freeze.

1. 5. Now, no matter how far down or right you scroll, the first row and the first column are always visible.

How to Freeze a Row or Column in Google’s Sheets: View Menu

Follow the steps below to freeze rows or columns from the ‘View’ menu.

1. 1. Go to View > Freeze and choose the option you prefer.

1. 2. Choose ‘1 row’ to freeze the top row or ‘2 rows’ to freeze the top two. The same options are available for freezing the first or first two columns.

How to Freeze a Row or Column in Google Sheets: Right-Click Menu

Follow the steps below to freeze a row or column using the right-click menu.

1. 1. Select the row you want to freeze.

1. 2. Right-click on the row number to see the menu options. On the menu, go to View more row actions > Freeze up to row 1.

1. 3. To freeze a column, select it and right-click on the column letter to see the menu. Go to View more column actions > Freeze up to column A.

Can You Freeze Multiple Rows in Google Sheets?

You can freeze multiple rows or columns at the same time in Google Sheets using all three of the methods shown above: using the drag-and-drop shortcut, via the ‘View’ menu, and via the right-click menu. All three methods are shown below.

Drag & Drop Shortcut

Follow the steps below to freeze multiple rows or columns using the drag-and-drop method.

1. 1. Hover over the empty square where the row headers and column headers intersect. To freeze a row, hover over the bottom line of the square until it is highlighted.

1. 2. Click and drag down to beyond the row you want to freeze. In this case, I want to freeze the first four rows.

1. 3. To freeze the first three columns, repeat step one but grab the left-hand line of the corner cell rather than the bottom one. Drag it right to just beyond the column you want to freeze.

View Menu

Follow the steps below to freeze multiple rows or columns via the ‘View’ menu.

1. 1. Select a cell in the row up to which you want to freeze.

1. 2. Go to View > Freeze and choose ‘Freeze up to row X’, where X is the row number you have clicked on.

1. 3. To freeze a column, select the column up to which you want to freeze and repeat step 2.

Right-Click Menu

Follow the steps below to freeze multiple rows or columns using the right-click menu.

1. 1. Select the row or column up to which you want to freeze.

1. 2. Right-click on the row number or column letter to get the menu. Go to View more row actions > Freeze up to row X. In this case, I will freeze up to row 3.

1. 3. You can follow the same steps to freeze multiple columns by right-clicking on the column up to which you want to freeze.

How to Freeze a Row in the Google Sheets Mobile App?

Below, you have instructions on how to freeze rows or columns in the Google Sheets mobile app using two different methods.

From Row or Column Header

1. 1. In the Google Sheets mobile app, click on the row or column you want to freeze.

1. 2. Tap on the row or column header to see the menu and select ‘Freeze row’ or ‘Freeze column’.

1. 3. The row, in this case, will remain visible no matter how far down you scroll.

1. 4. You can freeze columns using the same method.

From Tab or Sheet Name

You can use the tab menu to specify the number of rows and columns you want to freeze.

1. 1. In the mobile app, tap on the tab or sheet name to see the menu.

1. 2. Use the arrows to indicate the number of rows and columns you want to freeze.

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Conclusion

Freezing rows or columns in Google Sheets is both easy and useful. When using large datasets, keeping an eye on the cells you want to watch isn’t easy, and you have to keep scrolling back and forth. By freezing the top row or column, you can always keep the headers in view.

You now know three methods for freezing rows and columns in Google Sheets: the drag-and-drop shortcut, the ‘View’ menu, and the right-click menu. Finally, you also know how to freeze multiple rows or columns at the same time, as well as two methods for freezing rows and columns in the Google Sheets mobile app.

To learn how to lock cells in Google Sheets, check out our guide on How to Lock Cells in Google Sheets? (Rows/Columns/Sheets).