# How to unfreeze rows and columns in Google Sheets on Mac: step by step

> Learn how to unfreeze rows and columns in Google Sheets on Mac with View > Freeze, plus what to do when both are frozen and the menu won't respond.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/unfreeze-rows-and-columns-in-google-sheets
Updated: 2026-11-06

To unfreeze rows and columns in Google Sheets on a Mac, select a row or column, then open View > Freeze and choose No rows or No columns. Google's help page gives this path for desktop computers, and it works in Sheets open in Chrome or Safari on your Mac.

## Quick answer

- Select a row or column that is frozen, then open View > Freeze.
- Choose No rows to unfreeze rows, or No columns to unfreeze columns.
- If both are frozen, run the same menu path twice, once for each kind.
- Google's Mac shortcut list has no freeze shortcut. Control, Option and V opens the View menu.
- Use Sheets in Chrome or Safari. The Mac App Store listing looks like the iPhone and iPad app.

Applies to: Google Sheets in Chrome or Safari on macOS. Time: 3 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Google Sheets open in Chrome or Safari on your Mac
- The frozen row or column visible on screen

## How to Unfreeze rows and columns in Google Sheets in Google Sheets on a Mac

1. **Open the sheet in Chrome or Safari.** Open the Google Sheets file in Chrome or Safari on your Mac. Scroll to the part of the sheet that shows the frozen rows or columns, so you can see which ones stay in place.
2. **Select the frozen row or column.** Click the row number on the left to select a row, or the column letter at the top to select a column. Pick a row or column from the frozen area. The steps are the same for both. Tip: Click the header strip, the row numbers or column letters, not a cell in the sheet.
3. **Open the View menu.** (View) Shortcut: ⌃⌥V. Click View in the menu bar at the top of the Sheets window. On a Mac you can also hold Control and Option, then press V, to open the same menu from the keyboard. Tip: Google's list gives this key combination for the View menu, not for freezing.
4. **Hover over Freeze.** (View > Freeze) Move the pointer to Freeze. A submenu opens with freeze options for the row or column you selected.
5. **Choose No rows or No columns.** (View > Freeze > No rows) Click No rows to unfreeze rows, or No columns to unfreeze columns. Pick the option that matches the row or column you selected. Scroll afterward to confirm the change. Tip: If the menu item looks greyed out, reselect the row or column and try again.
6. **Repeat for the other kind.** (View > Freeze > No columns) If the sheet has both frozen rows and frozen columns, select the other kind and run the menu again. Choose No columns for columns, and No rows for rows. Each choice clears only one kind of freeze.
7. **Check the result.** Scroll down, then right. If the rows and columns you unfroze move with the rest of the sheet, the change worked. If they still stay put, use the troubleshooting notes on this page.

## Where Google Sheets runs on a Mac

This guide uses Google Sheets in a browser on your Mac, either Chrome or Safari. Sign in, open the file, and use the menu bar at the top of the Sheets window. Google's freeze help page describes this path for desktop computers. It does not list Mac menu names, so the labels below may shift slightly after an update.

> **Check the App Store listing:** The Mac App Store lists Google Sheets as free, from Google LLC, at version 1.2026.44103. The listing requires iOS 17.0 or later and iPadOS 17.0 or later. It names no macOS requirement, so it appears to be the iPhone and iPad app. That is an inference, not a confirmed fact, so use the browser path unless you check the listing yourself.

![Person at a Mac laptop checking a sheet, the setting for how to unfreeze rows and columns in Google Sheets on Mac](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/howto/unfreeze-rows-and-columns-in-google-sheets/how-to-unfreeze-rows-and-columns-in-1-3bb81a.jpg)

## What freezing does and why rows and columns are separate

Freezing holds rows at the top, or columns at the left, in place while the rest of the sheet scrolls. Rows and columns freeze separately. A sheet can have frozen rows, frozen columns, or both. Unfreezing follows the same split. The Freeze menu gives you No rows and No columns as separate choices.

Here is a simple case. A budget sheet has a header row and a Name column, and both stay visible as you scroll. Say you want the header to stay but the names to scroll away. You unfreeze only the columns, and the header row stays frozen.

## Unfreeze rows and columns on a Mac, step by step

Keep the sheet open while you work through the steps. Each step names the menu you open next. Compare those names with your screen before you click, because menu labels can change between updates.

## Keyboard habits on a Mac

Mac shortcuts use four modifier keys. Command is ⌘, Option is ⌥, Control is ⌃, and Shift is ⇧. Google's shortcut list has no freeze or unfreeze key for Mac. Its only View key is Control, Option and V, which opens the View menu. Learn that one key first, because it gets you to the menu without the pointer.

## Unfreeze columns or rows when both are frozen

Take a sheet where row 1 holds the headers and column A holds customer names, and both are frozen. Click the letter A at the top of the column. Open View > Freeze and choose No columns. Column A now scrolls with the rest of the sheet.

Next, click the number 1 on the left, open View > Freeze again, and choose No rows. The order does not matter, because each menu choice clears only one kind. Run the menu for each kind you froze, and the sheet scrolls freely.

## Worked examples to copy

A client tracker might have a frozen header row and nothing frozen in the columns. Select the row you froze, open View > Freeze, and choose No rows. Scroll down to confirm the header now moves with the data.

A mailing list might have a frozen ID column and a frozen header row. Select the ID column, open View > Freeze, and choose No columns. Then select the header row, open View > Freeze again, and choose No rows. Both freezes are gone after that.

## Common mistakes when you unfreeze rows and columns

- Choosing No columns when the frozen part is a row. That option clears only columns, so the row stays frozen.
- Clicking a cell and expecting the freeze to change. Google's steps start with selecting a whole row or column.
- Searching for a Mac shortcut to unfreeze. Google's official list has none, so the View menu is the dependable route.
- Mixing up hidden rows with frozen rows. A hidden row is missing from view. A frozen row stays on screen while you scroll.

## Hide and freeze look alike, but they are not the same

Hiding a row or column removes it from view until you unhide it. Freezing keeps a row or column on screen while you scroll. The two are easy to mix up, because a missing row can look like a frozen row that has disappeared. The table lists the Mac shortcuts from Google's keyboard shortcut list.

| Action | Mac shortcut | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hide a row | ⌘⌥9 | Removes the selected row from view |
| Hide a column | ⌘⌥0 | Removes the selected column from view |
| Unhide a row | ⌘⇧9 | Brings hidden rows back into view |
| Unhide a column | ⌘⇧0 | Brings hidden columns back into view |
| Open the View menu | ⌃⌥V | Opens the menu that holds Freeze |

_Mac shortcuts from Google's keyboard shortcut list. Freeze has no shortcut in that list._

Freeze is missing from that table because Google's list has no freeze key for Mac. Freeze stays a menu job.

## Freeze rows again with the right count

Sometimes you unfreeze to clear a messy layout, then want a new frozen edge. Google's steps have you select the row or column that should be frozen first. Then open View > Freeze and pick how many rows or columns to freeze from the submenu.

![Person working on a laptop with a long table of data on screen while scrolling through rows](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/howto/unfreeze-rows-and-columns-in-google-sheets/how-to-unfreeze-rows-and-columns-in-2-5d249d.jpg)

## Check which rows and columns are still frozen

Scrolling tells you what is still frozen. Scroll down. If the top rows stay put, rows are still frozen. Scroll right. If the left columns stay put, columns are still frozen. Check after each menu choice, so you know which pass still needs to run.

## When Freeze will not respond

Google's help page does not cover greyed-out options or sheets that refuse to change. The troubleshooting notes on this page follow from its steps, so they are the place to start. Begin with the selection, then check the menu, then check the browser.

## Google Sheets file size and freezing

Google's Drive help page lists the limit for spreadsheets in Google Sheets as up to 20 million cells or 100MB. Connected Sheets has its own limits, with up to 200k rows for pivot tables and up to 500k rows or 5 million cells for extracts.

Freezing controls what stays on screen. It does not change those limits. If your file sits near them, a frozen header row still helps, because the labels stay in view while you scroll.

## Mac App Store version versus the browser

The App Store listing shows version 1.2026.44103 from Google LLC. Its only version note reads Security improvements, bug fixes, and performance improvements. That note does not mention menus, so it cannot tell you whether Freeze changed. This guide sticks to the browser path, because that is what Google's help page covers.

## Where to go next with Google Sheets on Mac

If you clean data and build pivots, the [Google Sheets guide for data analysts](https://www.lazur.app/for/data-analysts/google-sheets) covers those tasks on Mac. Marketers can read the [Google Sheets guide for marketers](https://www.lazur.app/for/marketers/google-sheets) for shortcuts and limits.

- Scroll to the top and the bottom of the sheet.
- Scroll right, then back left, to see whether columns still stay put.
- If a freeze still shows, reload the tab and open View again.

## Shortcuts

- Open the View menu: ⌃⌥V
- Hide a row: ⌘⌥9
- Hide a column: ⌘⌥0
- Unhide a row: ⌘⇧9
- Unhide a column: ⌘⇧0

## If it does not work

- **Clicking Freeze changes nothing.** Select the row or column first. Google's steps begin with that selection. Then open View > Freeze again and pick the matching No option.
- **Frozen rows stay after you choose No columns.** That is expected. No columns clears only columns. Select a row, open View > Freeze, and choose No rows.
- **You cannot find the View menu.** Press Control, Option and V to open it. Google's Mac shortcut list gives that key combination for the View menu.
- **A row seems to have vanished.** It may be hidden, not frozen. Google's list uses ⌘⇧9 to unhide rows and ⌘⇧0 to unhide columns. Select the rows around the gap before you use them.
- **The sheet still looks frozen after you unfreeze.** Scroll to confirm. Then reload the tab and open View again. If the freeze returns, you may be working in a different copy of the file.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where is the View menu, and walk me through Freeze?”: Lazur circles View, then guides you through Freeze one click at a time, waiting for each click. It does not click for you. (Walks you through it)

## FAQ

### Is there a keyboard shortcut to unfreeze rows and columns in Google Sheets on Mac?

Not one that Google lists. Google's keyboard shortcut list has no freeze or unfreeze key for Mac. Press Control, Option and V to open the View menu, then choose Freeze from the menu.

### Why does the menu say No rows and No columns instead of Unfreeze?

The Freeze submenu sets the frozen area, and No rows or No columns clears that kind of freeze. Google's help page describes unfreezing with those choices. If you have both kinds, run the menu once for each.

### Do I have to select a row or column before I unfreeze?

Yes. Google's steps start with selecting the row or column you want to freeze or unfreeze. Then you open View > Freeze and pick the matching No option.

### Can I unfreeze rows in the Google Sheets app from the Mac App Store?

The listing does not confirm a native Mac app. It shows version 1.2026.44103 from Google LLC and requires iOS 17.0 or later and iPadOS 17.0 or later. Use Sheets in Chrome or Safari for the steps in this guide.

### What is the difference between freezing rows and hiding them?

Freezing keeps a row on screen while you scroll. Hiding removes the row from view until you unhide it. Google's list uses Command and Option to hide and Command and Shift to unhide.

### How large can a Google Sheets file get?

Google's Drive help page lists up to 20 million cells or 100MB for spreadsheets in Google Sheets. Connected Sheets has separate limits, so check that page for those figures.

### What do I do if the Freeze option will not respond?

Reselect the row or column first. Then check that you are in Sheets in Chrome or Safari. Google's help page does not cover greyed-out options, so these are general checks, not a confirmed fix.

## Sources

1. [Freeze, group, hide, or merge rows & columns - Google Docs Editors Help](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/9060449?hl=en), Google, checked 2026-11-07
2. [Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts - Google Docs Editors Help](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/181110?hl=en), Google, checked 2026-11-07
3. [Google Sheets on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-sheets/id842849113?platform=mac), Apple App Store, checked 2026-11-07
4. [Google Drive help - file size and limits for Google Sheets](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603?hl=en), Google, checked 2026-11-07