We've all been there. Staring at a cluttered spreadsheet, trying to find a piece of information. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, and lead to mistakes. Google Sheets allows you to hide columns and rows, decluttering your workspace and making the experience smoother. This article shows how to go about it, whether you're working on a top-of-the-line Chromebook or Android phone.

How to hide a single column in Google Sheets

Follow these steps to hide one column at a time:

1. Highlight the column by clicking the header (denoted by letters).

   

2. Right-click any part of the selected column.
3. Choose the Hide column option from the drop-down menu.

   

To make the process faster, right-click the column headers (labeled with letters) to open the drop-down menu. You can also hide a single row by doing the same thing with the row numbers on the left side of the sheet.

How to hide multiple columns in Google Sheets

You can perform the above steps for each column separately to hide multiple columns. But that may be time-consuming if you want to prevent more than one column from showing. Here's a more efficient way to do it for consecutive and non-consecutive columns.

1. Click a column header to select the entire column.

   

2. Select the additional columns.
   • To hide side-by-side columns, hold the Shift key and click the headers of the extra columns.
   • To hide columns that are far apart, hold the Ctrl key (Command key on a Mac) and select the additional column headers.

     

3. Right-click any part of the selected columns. A drop-down menu appears
4. Choose Hide columns X–X. X–X represents the range of columns you're hiding (for example, A–D).

   

The selected columns are hidden from the sheet automatically. Follow the same process to hide rows.

How to hide unused columns in Google Sheets

It can be disappointing when you create an awesome spreadsheet, but the excess white space from unused rows and columns takes away from the final appearance. It can even be distracting. To get rid of the blank spaces, hide those empty rows and columns. Here's how.

1. Click the header of the first empty column you want to hide.

   

2. Hold the Ctrl and Shift keys (Command and Shift keys on a Mac) and simultaneously press the right arrow key. All unused columns are automatically selected.

   

3. Right-click a selected column to open the drop-down menu.
4. Select Hide columns X–X from the options.

   

You should now have a neat spreadsheet with only the data containing columns. Follow the same steps to hide the unused rows at the bottom of the sheet.

How to hide rows in Google Sheets

All the steps outlined in the previous sections also apply to hiding rows. The only difference is that you choose the Hide rows option from the drop-down instead of columns. For example, when hiding a single row in Google Sheets:

1. Click the row header to highlight the whole thing automatically.

   

2. Right-click any of the highlighted rows
3. Select Hide row from the options.

   

How to unhide columns in Google Sheets

Say you've hidden a column containing valuable data you wish to display again. Perhaps, you hid some unused columns but later want to use some of those spaces. Whatever the reason, you can easily unhide the columns.

1. Look at the headers. You'll notice two small arrows pointed away from each other. They signify areas with hidden columns.

   

2. Click any of the arrows.
3. The hidden columns are unhidden and displayed in the same location.

How to hide columns in the Google Sheets mobile app

You can also hide columns using the Google Sheets app on your Android or iOS device. Here's how.

1. Launch Google Sheets and open the file you want to work on.
2. Tap the column header to select the whole column.
3. Tap and hold any part of the highlighted column to bring up the options menu. You'll see the cut, copy, and paste buttons.
4. Click the More options (three-dot) button on the right side of the menu. It displays a set of new options.
5. Scroll down and tap Hide Column.

   

   

   Close

The column is hidden from the rest of the sheet, with two arrows pointing away from each other to indicate the position. To reveal the columns on your phone, tap any of the arrows.

Streamline your Google Sheets workflow with a few simple tricks

Hiding columns in Google Sheets is a simple but powerful way to save time and improve productivity. In addition, Google Sheets offers more tips and tricks to help you optimize your work, so don't hesitate to check those out.