How to freeze panes in mac
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To freeze panes in Microsoft Excel for Mac, navigate to the View tab in the ribbon and select your preferred freeze option from the Freeze Panes dropdown menu.
Where to find freeze panes in Excel for Mac
The freeze panes feature is located in the View tab of the ribbon. This menu location remains consistent across Microsoft 365, Excel 2021, and Excel 2019 versions. The View tab contains buttons for Freeze Top Row, Freeze First Column, and Freeze Panes (for custom freezing) either displayed directly or within a dropdown menu.
How to freeze the top row in Excel for Mac
To freeze the top row in Excel for Mac:
- Open your spreadsheet in Excel for Mac.
- Click the View tab in the ribbon.
- Click Freeze Top Row.
Row 1 locks in place and remains visible while scrolling vertically through the spreadsheet.
How to freeze the first column in Excel for Mac
To freeze the first column in Excel for Mac:
- Open your spreadsheet in Excel for Mac.
- Click the View tab in the ribbon.
- Click Freeze First Column.
Column A stays visible during horizontal scrolling.
How to freeze both top row and first column in Excel for Mac
To freeze both the top row and first column simultaneously:
- Click cell B2 in your spreadsheet.
- Click the View tab in the ribbon.
- Click Freeze Panes.
The top row and first column lock together, allowing independent scrolling of the remaining data.
How to freeze custom panes in Excel for Mac
To freeze multiple rows, columns, or a custom combination:
- Select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to freeze.
- Click the View tab in the ribbon.
- Click Freeze Panes.
Selecting cell D5 freezes rows 1 through 4 and columns A through C.
Keyboard shortcuts for freezing panes in Excel for Mac
Excel for Mac provides limited keyboard shortcuts for freezing panes.
The shortcut Cmd + Option + R freezes the top row directly in recent Excel for Mac versions, including Microsoft 365.
The ribbon access key sequence Fn + Control + Option + F2 opens the View tab. Pressing F opens the Freeze Panes dropdown, followed by R for top row, C for first column, or F for custom panes.
No native single-key shortcuts exist for freezing the first column or custom panes. Users can create personal shortcuts through Tools > Customize Keyboard.
How to identify frozen panes in Excel for Mac
Excel for Mac displays a thicker, darker gray line at the edge of frozen areas to distinguish them from regular gridlines.
Freezing the top row places a darker border directly below row 1. Freezing the first column shows a thicker line to the right of column A. Freezing both or using custom freeze options displays thick gray lines below the last frozen row and to the right of the last frozen column.
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