Excel Shortcut Keys to Hide and Unhide Rows and Columns

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+9 to hide selected rows and Ctrl+0 to hide selected columns. To unhide, select the rows or columns on both sides of the hidden area, then press Ctrl+Shift+( for rows or Ctrl+Shift+) for columns; on a US keyboard, those unhide shortcuts are entered as Ctrl+Shift+9 and Ctrl+Shift+0.

The key detail is that Excel needs a selection that includes the hidden rows or columns before it can reveal them. If a shortcut is unavailable or does not work on your keyboard, the Home tab’s Format menu provides the same commands.

Quick reference for Excel hide and unhide keys

These shortcuts affect worksheet rows or columns, not individual cells. Select the target first, then use the matching key combination:

Hide selected rows: Ctrl+9.
Unhide rows: select the row headers above and below the hidden rows, then press Ctrl+Shift+(.
Hide selected columns: Ctrl+0.
Unhide columns: select the column headers to the left and right of the hidden columns, then press Ctrl+Shift+).

For example, if rows 6 through 8 are hidden, select row headers 5 through 9 and use the unhide-rows shortcut. To reveal column C when it is hidden, select columns B and D—or a broader selection that spans the gap—and use the unhide-columns shortcut. The hidden area must be included in the selection; selecting only the visible row or column beyond it will not reveal it.

Why unhide shortcuts need a selection

Hiding a row or column does not delete its contents. Excel changes its displayed size so that the cells are not visible in the worksheet grid. The values and formulas remain in the workbook and can still affect calculations. A shortcut such as Ctrl+Shift+( acts on hidden rows within the selected range; it does not search the whole worksheet and reveal every hidden row at once.

That is why the visible headers around a gap matter. If row numbers jump from 5 to 9, rows 6, 7, and 8 are hidden. Selecting headers 5 and 9, or selecting the range that spans them, gives Excel a range containing the hidden rows. The same logic applies to columns: a jump from B to D indicates that C may be hidden, so select across that gap before using the command.

You can also select a larger range when you are unsure exactly what is hidden. For instance, select the entire worksheet and run Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns to expose hidden rows or columns across the sheet. This does not reveal hidden worksheets, clear filters, or expand collapsed outline groups; those are separate features.

Use the ribbon when a shortcut is inconvenient

The ribbon commands are useful when you do not remember the key combination, use a keyboard layout where punctuation keys differ, or find that Windows intercepts a shortcut. In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the relevant row or column headers, then use the following paths:

Hide rows: Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Hide Rows.
Unhide rows: select the row headers spanning the hidden area, then choose Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows.
Hide columns: Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Hide Columns.
Unhide columns: select the column headers spanning the hidden area, then choose Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

You can also right-click selected row or column headers and choose Hide. After selecting across a hidden gap, right-click the selected headers and choose Unhide. The menu is often the easiest fallback because it makes the intended action explicit.

Reveal a hidden first row or first column

The first row and first column are easy to miss because there is no visible header on one side of them. If row 1 is hidden, the row numbers may begin at 2; if column A is hidden, the column letters may begin at B. You cannot select the missing header by clicking it, so select a range that includes it another way.

Click the Name Box to the left of the formula bar.
For a hidden first row, enter A1:A2 and press Enter. For a hidden first column, enter A:B and press Enter.
Use Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns, as appropriate.

You can use the Name Box with other ranges too. If a hidden area is difficult to select with the mouse, enter a range that crosses it, such as B2:B10, then choose the relevant unhide command. This method is particularly helpful on a sheet with a frozen top row or leftmost column, where scrolling can make the boundary less obvious.

When hide and unhide shortcuts do not work

A shortcut that appears to do nothing does not necessarily mean the data is gone. Check the selection and the source of the hidden appearance first. These are common causes:

The selection misses the hidden area. Select the headers on both sides of the gap or select a larger range that spans it.
The row or column is filtered out. A filter hides records according to criteria; use the filter controls to clear or change the filter instead of the unhide command.
The rows are in a collapsed outline group. Use the outline level buttons or the plus sign beside the rows to expand the group.
The row height or column width is zero or extremely small. Select the affected area and use Home > Cells > Format > Row Height or Column Width to set a visible size.
The worksheet is protected. Protection can restrict formatting changes, including hiding or unhiding rows and columns. Check the Review tab for the sheet protection command and follow the workbook owner’s rules.
The command is being intercepted or the keyboard layout differs. Try the ribbon or right-click menu instead.

In particular, Ctrl+Shift+0 may be blocked by Windows keyboard or language settings on some systems. If Excel does not respond to the column-unhide shortcut, use Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. This avoids changing system settings just to reveal a column.

Hidden rows, filters, groups, and worksheets are different

Excel offers several ways to make information disappear from the grid, and the row and column shortcuts apply only to manually hidden rows or columns. A filter hides rows that do not meet the current criteria. Clear the filter or adjust its selections to bring those records back; pressing Unhide Rows is not the right fix for filtered-out records.

Grouped rows or columns are controlled by the outline tools. A minus sign beside a group collapses it, while a plus sign expands it. You can also use the outline level buttons near the worksheet’s row or column headers. Expanding a group restores its display without changing a manually hidden row elsewhere in the sheet.

A hidden worksheet tab is different again: the sheet itself is not visible among the tabs. To reveal a normally hidden sheet in desktop Excel, use Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Sheet, then select its name in the dialog. Row and column shortcuts do not reveal hidden sheets. Some workbooks may also have sheets marked VeryHidden through VBA; those do not appear in the standard Unhide Sheet dialog and require the workbook’s authorized settings to change.

Differences on Mac and Excel for the web

In Excel for Mac, the corresponding shortcuts generally use Command in place of Ctrl: Command+9 hides rows, Command+Shift+9 unhides rows, Command+0 hides columns, and Command+Shift+0 unhides columns. Select the relevant row or column headers before using an unhide command. Mac keyboard layouts and Excel versions can affect how punctuation-based shortcuts are entered, so the ribbon or context menu is a reliable alternative.

Excel for the web runs in a browser, where keyboard combinations can vary or be intercepted by the browser. If a desktop shortcut does not work there, select the row or column headers and use the available Hide or Unhide command from the context menu or ribbon. The principle remains the same: include the hidden area in the selection, and make sure the rows are not merely filtered or grouped.

Practical tips before hiding worksheet data

Hiding can make a report easier to read, but it is not a security measure. Anyone with access to the workbook may be able to unhide the information, and hidden values can remain part of calculations. Do not use hidden rows or columns to protect confidential data; use appropriate file permissions and remove information that recipients should not receive.

For recurring reports, consider adding a brief note or using consistent formatting so other people can tell that a section is intentionally hidden. Before sending a workbook, check whether important formulas depend on hidden data and whether the recipient will know how to reveal it. If you need to hide several nonadjacent rows, select their row headers while holding Ctrl on Windows, then press Ctrl+9. For columns, select the desired column headers and press Ctrl+0. To unhide several areas, a full-sheet selection followed by the matching unhide command can be quicker than revealing each gap separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to unhide rows in Excel?
Select the row headers that span the hidden rows, then press Ctrl+Shift+( in Excel for Windows. On a US keyboard, that means holding Ctrl and Shift while pressing 9. On Mac, use Command+Shift+9.

What is the shortcut to unhide columns in Excel?
Select the column headers on both sides of the hidden columns, then press Ctrl+Shift+) on Windows. On a US keyboard, this is entered as Ctrl+Shift+0. If Windows intercepts the shortcut, use Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

How do I unhide all rows or columns at once?
Select the entire worksheet using the Select All button at the top-left corner of the grid, then choose Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns from Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide. This reveals manually hidden rows or columns, but does not clear filters or expand outline groups.

Why can I see a row number jump but the unhide shortcut does nothing?
The selected range may not include the hidden rows. Select the row headers immediately above and below the gap, or use the Name Box to select a range spanning it, then try again. Also check whether a filter or collapsed group is causing the rows to be out of view.

Can I use these shortcuts to unhide a worksheet tab?
No. These shortcuts affect rows and columns, not worksheet tabs. Use Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Sheet in desktop Excel to reveal a normally hidden worksheet.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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