Freeze panes in Excel keeps your header rows and label columns on screen while you scroll. Below are the steps for Windows, Mac, iPad and iPhone, plus how to unfreeze and what to do when the button is grayed out on a Mac.
Almost every "I froze the wrong thing" problem comes from one detail: the cell you select before you click decides what freezes.
The one rule: Excel freezes above and to the left of your selection
Microsoft's desktop help article states it plainly: Freeze Panes freezes the rows above and the columns to the left of the selected cell. The selected cell itself does not freeze.
So before you open any menu, ask: which rows do I want locked, and which columns? Then click the first cell that is below those rows and to the right of those columns.
- Want only header rows locked? Select a cell in column A, in the first row under your headers. Nothing is left of column A, so no columns freeze.
- Want only label columns locked? Select a cell in row 1, in the first column after your labels. Nothing is above row 1, so no rows freeze.
- Want both? Select the cell diagonally below and right of the area you want to keep.
Freeze panes on Windows (Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019, 2016)
Microsoft's Windows article covers Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016, and the controls live on the View tab.
Freeze rows and columns together
- Select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible.
- Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Freeze the first two columns
Microsoft's own example:
- Select the third column.
- Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
The same idea works for any number of columns: select the column just after the last one you want frozen.
Freeze multiple rows
Apply the rule: select the row just below the last row you want frozen, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Selecting a whole row means there is nothing to its left, so only the rows above lock.
Unfreeze panes
Select View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. If you froze the wrong area, unfreeze first, select the correct cell, and freeze again.
Freeze vs. Split
The View tab also has Split, which Microsoft describes as creating separate windows of the same worksheet. Use Split when you want to scroll two parts of a sheet independently; use Freeze Panes when you just want headers to stay put.
About the Alt+W+F+F shortcut
The shortcut still uses your current selection, so the cell rule applies.
Freeze panes on a Mac, and the grayed-out button fix
On Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel 2024 and Excel 2021 for Mac), Microsoft's Mac page puts the freeze buttons on the View tab.
- Select the cell below and to the right of the block you want locked. Microsoft's Mac example freezes the top four rows and leftmost three columns.
- Choose View > Freeze Panes.
To undo it, go to the View tab and click Unfreeze Panes.
If Freeze Panes is grayed out: the Mac page says to select Normal on the View tab. Switch to Normal, then try again.
Freeze panes on iPad
Microsoft's iOS article covers both iPad and iPhone.
- Top row only: select row 2 (the row below the row you want frozen), then tap View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
- First column only: select column B (the column to the right of the one you want frozen), then tap View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
- Multiple rows: select the row below the last row you want to freeze, then tap View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
- Multiple columns starting at column A: select the column to the right of the last one you want frozen, then tap View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Freeze panes on iPhone: it's hidden behind the ellipsis
The iPhone doesn't show the ribbon by default, which is why people can't find the option. Per the same iOS article:
- Tap the ellipsis (...) button to bring up the ribbon.
- Tap Home, then switch to View.
- Scroll down and tap Freeze Panes.
- Tap the option you want.
The selection rule for multiple rows is the same as on iPad: select the row below the last one you want frozen first.
To unfreeze on iPad or iPhone: tap View > Freeze Panes, then clear all the selected options.
What isn't covered here
The Microsoft pages used for this guide cover Windows desktop, Mac, iPad and iPhone. They don't cover Excel for the web or Android, so check Microsoft's help for those before assuming the same menus. None of the Microsoft pages read for this article mention a maximum number of rows or columns you can freeze.
