Freezing rows and columns in Google Sheets helps keep important data visible while scrolling. This becomes very handy to visualize data when a sheet has the good number of rows and columns. I’ll share 3 easy-to-follow ways to do that.

1. Lock Cell Using the “View” Menu

  1. Open Google Sheets.
  2. Click on the row number or column letter you want to freeze.
  3. Go to the top menu and click View → Freeze.
freeze rows and columns in google sheets using view menu.

Select:

  • 1 row → Freezes the first row.
  • 2 rows → Freezes the first two rows.
  • Up to current row (Nth) → Freezes up to the row you selected.
  • 1 column → Freezes the first column.
  • 2 columns → Freezes the first two columns.
  • Up to current column (Nth) → Freezes up to the column you selected.

2. Freeze Cell Using the Drag Method (Quick)

using the drag method
  1. Look in the top-left corner where the row numbers and column letters meet.
  2. You’ll see a Gray thick bar at the bottom and right of this corner.
  3. Click and drag this bar downward to freeze rows or rightward to freeze columns.
  4. Release the bar when you reach the desired row or column.

3. Freeze Cell Using Keyboard Shortcuts

There’s no direct shortcut, but you can use:

  • Alt + V → Freeze (Windows) to open the Freeze menu quickly.
  • Option + V → Freeze (Mac) does the same.

How to Unfreeze Rows and Columns

  1. Click View → Freeze → No rows / No columns.
how to unfreeze rows and columns

Now, your Google Sheets will look cleaner and easier to navigate!

Can I Freeze Only the Nth Row in Google Sheets So It Stays at the Top While Scrolling?

No, Google Sheets does not allow freezing only a single row in the middle of the sheet while keeping the rows above it scrollable.

However, you can use these workarounds:

Freeze Up to Row N and Hide Rows Above It

  • Go to View → Freeze → Up to row N (e.g., row 5).
  • Right-click on rows 1 to X (e.g., row 4) → Hide rows.
  • This makes it appear as if only Row N is frozen.
freeze only the Nth row in google sheets

While these methods don’t truly freeze only Row N, they help keep it visible at the top while scrolling.

Learn more about Google Sheets: