Freezing rows and columns in Google Sheets helps keep important data visible while scrolling. This becomes very handy to visualize data when a sheet has the good number of rows and columns. I’ll share 3 easy-to-follow ways to do that.
- Open Google Sheets.
- Click on the row number or column letter you want to freeze.
- Go to the top menu and click View → Freeze.
Select:
- 1 row → Freezes the first row.
- 2 rows → Freezes the first two rows.
- Up to current row (Nth) → Freezes up to the row you selected.
- 1 column → Freezes the first column.
- 2 columns → Freezes the first two columns.
- Up to current column (Nth) → Freezes up to the column you selected.
2. Freeze Cell Using the Drag Method (Quick)
- Look in the top-left corner where the row numbers and column letters meet.
- You’ll see a Gray thick bar at the bottom and right of this corner.
- Click and drag this bar downward to freeze rows or rightward to freeze columns.
- Release the bar when you reach the desired row or column.
3. Freeze Cell Using Keyboard Shortcuts
There’s no direct shortcut, but you can use:
- Alt + V → Freeze (Windows) to open the Freeze menu quickly.
- Option + V → Freeze (Mac) does the same.
How to Unfreeze Rows and Columns
- Click View → Freeze → No rows / No columns.
Now, your Google Sheets will look cleaner and easier to navigate!
Can I Freeze Only the Nth Row in Google Sheets So It Stays at the Top While Scrolling?
No, Google Sheets does not allow freezing only a single row in the middle of the sheet while keeping the rows above it scrollable.
However, you can use these workarounds:
Freeze Up to Row N and Hide Rows Above It
- Go to View → Freeze → Up to row N (e.g., row 5).
- Right-click on rows 1 to X (e.g., row 4) → Hide rows.
- This makes it appear as if only Row N is frozen.
While these methods don’t truly freeze only Row N, they help keep it visible at the top while scrolling.
Learn more about Google Sheets:
