How to Remove Split Screen in Excel: Steps and Fixes

To get rid of split screen in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select View > Split once to turn the split off. Excel will return the worksheet to one scrolling pane. If the lines remain, check whether Freeze Panes or a second workbook window is causing the similar-looking layout instead.

Excel’s Split feature lets you scroll different areas of the same worksheet independently. Turning it off removes the divider or dividers; it does not delete cells, change data, or undo worksheet edits. You do not need to select a particular cell before turning Split off.

What You’ll Need

An open Excel workbook with the worksheet that is split.
Access to the View tab. The steps below are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac and Excel for the web notes are included where the controls differ.

Step-by-Step

Check that it is a split worksheet. Look for a horizontal or vertical divider running through the worksheet. With a split, each section can scroll separately, and the two sides or areas show parts of the same sheet. If you see a frozen heading or column that stays in place while the rest scrolls, the sheet may have Freeze Panes turned on instead. If you see two separate Excel windows, the workbook may be displayed in multiple windows. These distinctions matter because each layout has its own control.
Open the View tab. In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, click View on the ribbon. Look for the Window group, which contains the Split command. If the ribbon is collapsed or the Excel window is narrow, maximize the window or expand the ribbon so the command is easier to find. You can also use the ribbon search box to search for Split if the command is not immediately visible.
Turn off Split. Click Split once. It is a toggle: clicking it while the worksheet is split removes the split dividers and restores a single worksheet pane. Do not click repeatedly while waiting for a change; one click switches the feature off. The active cell and the worksheet’s data remain in place.
Confirm that the worksheet scrolls as one area. Use the mouse wheel or scroll bars to move through the sheet. The rows and columns should now move together rather than allowing separate sections to scroll independently. If a top row or left column remains fixed, go to View > Freeze Panes and choose Unfreeze Panes. That is a separate feature, so turning Split off will not remove frozen rows or columns.
Save if you want the workbook to retain its current view. Use File > Save, or press Ctrl+S on Windows. The change affects the view of the worksheet, not its cell contents. If the workbook is shared or read-only, you may need permission to save changes to the original file; you can save a copy instead.

On a Mac: Open the View tab and select Split to toggle the split off. Ribbon placement can vary slightly with the Excel window size, but the command is on the View tab. On Mac, use Command+S to save rather than Ctrl+S.

In Excel for the web: Open the View tab and select Split if the command is available in your current ribbon layout. If you cannot see it, expand the ribbon or look in the tab’s overflow menu. Browser and account layouts can differ, so use Excel’s command search if shown. Do not confuse Split with opening another browser tab or another workbook window.

Common Mistakes

Turning off the wrong feature. Split and Freeze Panes can both leave lines or fixed-looking areas on screen. Split creates independently scrolling sections. Freeze Panes keeps selected rows or columns visible as you scroll. If the divider is gone but a heading remains anchored, use View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.
Trying to remove the divider by moving the active cell. Selecting a different cell does not switch off an existing split. It can affect where a new split is created if you later turn Split on, but to remove the current one, use the Split toggle.
Clicking Split when it is already off. The command toggles the feature. If there is no split now, clicking it may create one at or near the current selection. If that happens, click View > Split again to undo the accidental split.
Assuming a line is a split divider. Worksheet gridlines, page-break indicators, and the border around the active cell can look like dividers. A split is usually a distinct bar that separates areas capable of scrolling independently. Changing gridline display will not remove a real split.
Closing a workbook without saving when the view matters. If you need the worksheet to open without the split later, save after turning it off. When you do not have permission to save, the change may not carry over to the original file.

Tips

Use Split when you need it, rather than treating it as a permanent worksheet change. It is useful for comparing distant rows or columns in one sheet. Turn it off when the separate scrolling areas are no longer helpful.
Remember the difference between Split and Freeze Panes. For example, if you need row 1 to stay visible while you scroll through a long list, Freeze Panes is typically the intended tool. If you want to scroll the top and bottom of the same sheet independently, Split is the relevant tool.
Do not drag the divider unless you want to adjust the layout. Dragging a split bar changes the size of the panes; it does not reliably turn the split off. Use the ribbon toggle to remove it cleanly.
Check every open sheet if the layout seems inconsistent. Split is a worksheet view, so a different sheet in the same workbook may not have the same layout. Click the relevant sheet tab and check its divider before deciding the setting has returned.
Use the command search when the ribbon is hard to navigate. In Microsoft 365, search for Split in the Excel search or Tell Me box if it appears in your version. Choose the Split command under View, and verify the result on the worksheet before saving.

Troubleshooting

The divider is still visible after clicking Split. First confirm that the click registered and that you selected the command in the active workbook window. Click View > Split one more time if the first click created a split instead of removing one. Then inspect the remaining line: a frozen-pane boundary, gridline, page break, or cell border requires a different action. For frozen rows or columns, choose View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.

The top rows or first columns still do not scroll. That behavior points to Freeze Panes rather than Split. Select View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. If you only want to remove some frozen areas but keep others, Excel may require you to unfreeze first and then set the panes again using the row or column you want to keep in view.

The Split command is missing or unavailable. Make sure a worksheet is active rather than a dialog box or another application window. Expand the ribbon, maximize Excel, or search the ribbon for Split. In Excel for the web, some commands can be tucked into an overflow menu depending on the screen width. If the workbook is protected or opened in a restricted mode, try making an editable copy and check whether the command is available there.

The split comes back after reopening the file. Turn it off in the workbook and save the file. If the file is read-only, stored in a shared location, or opened from an email preview, your change may not have been saved to the version you reopen. Use File > Save As to save an editable copy in a location you can access, then reopen that copy to check the view. Also confirm you are opening the same workbook and worksheet, not another copy with a similar name.

You see two worksheet windows rather than split panes. A workbook can have multiple windows open, and each window can show the same sheet. Close the extra workbook window using its own close button, taking care not to close Excel if you still need it. In Excel for Windows, the View tab’s Switch Windows command can help identify which workbook window is active. Turning Split off will not close duplicate windows.

The sheet looks divided only when printing. Page breaks and print layout are not the Split feature. Return to View > Normal if you are in Page Break Preview or Page Layout view. To adjust printed pages, use the page layout or print settings rather than the Split toggle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove only one split line?
Excel’s Split command toggles the split layout off; it is simplest to remove all split panes and then create a new split if you still need one divider. Select the appropriate cell before choosing View > Split to create the layout you want.

Will turning off Split delete or change my data?
No. It changes how the worksheet is divided for viewing. Your cell values, formulas, formatting, and worksheet structure are not removed by switching Split off.

Why can I still see a line after turning Split off?
The line may mark frozen panes, a page break, a gridline, or a cell border. Check whether rows or columns remain fixed while scrolling; if they do, use View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. Page-break lines can be addressed by returning to Normal view.

Is there a keyboard shortcut to toggle Split?
Excel does not provide a standard dedicated keyboard shortcut for turning Split on or off. Use the View > Split ribbon command, or find it with Excel’s command search if available. Save with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac.

Does this work in Excel for Mac and Excel for the web?
Yes, where the Split command is available. On both, look on the View tab and select Split to toggle the panes. Ribbon placement or availability can vary with the app layout and version, so expand the ribbon or check its overflow menu.

Can I turn off Split in just one worksheet?
Split is part of the worksheet’s view, so you can switch it off on the sheet where it appears without changing the data on other sheets. Select that sheet first, then use the View tab’s Split command and save the workbook if you want the view change to persist.

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

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