How to freeze rows and columns in Excel

Last updated: · By the DeskHowTo editorial team
Quick answer

Go to the View tab > Freeze Panes and choose Freeze Top Row or Freeze First Column. To freeze several rows and columns, click the cell below and to the right of what you want to keep visible (for example B3 keeps rows 1-2 and column A), then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

To undo it, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.

On this page

Applies to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2016-2024, Excel for Mac and Excel for the web.

Freeze panes step by step

Freeze just the header row

  1. Open the worksheet and click the View tab.
  2. Click Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row.
  3. Scroll down - row 1 stays in place. A thin grey line shows the freeze edge.

Freeze multiple rows and/or columns

  1. Click the cell just below the last row and just right of the last column you want frozen. To freeze rows 1-3 only, select A4. To freeze column A and B only, select C1.
  2. Go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

Unfreeze

  1. Go to View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.

Freeze panes on a Mac

On Excel for Mac, the View tab shows Freeze Panes, Freeze Top Row and Freeze First Column as separate buttons. Select the cell first if you use Freeze Panes.

Why isn't Freeze Panes working?

  • You're in cell editing mode - press Esc.
  • Page Layout view is on - switch to View > Normal.
  • The sheet is protected with the option to change windows disabled - unprotect it.
  • It froze the wrong rows - you selected the wrong cell. Unfreeze, select the cell below and right of your headers, and try again.
  • You wanted to print headers on every page - that's a different feature: Page Layout > Print Titles > Rows to repeat at top.

Freeze vs Split

View > Split divides the window into scrollable panes instead of locking them - useful for comparing two distant parts of the same sheet. You can't use split and freeze at the same time.

Frequently asked questions

Can I freeze a row in the middle of the sheet?

Freeze Panes always locks from the top and left. Scroll so the rows you want are at the top before freezing, or sort your data so the headers are in row 1.

Does freezing panes affect printing?

No. Use Print Titles to repeat header rows on printed pages.

How do I freeze panes in Google Sheets?

Select a row or column and choose View > Freeze, then pick how many rows or columns.

Sources checked: Microsoft Support. Verified October 2026.