How to Freeze Rows and Columns in Excel on Mac (5 Methods)

Long spreadsheets are easy to lose your place in: scroll down and the headers vanish; scroll right and the names or account codes disappear. Freeze Panes keeps selected rows and columns on screen while the rest of the worksheet scrolls.

Quick answer: To freeze the top row, choose View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row. To freeze both rows and columns, click the cell immediately below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible, then choose View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes. To undo it, choose View → Freeze Panes → Unfreeze Panes.

What Freeze Panes does—and when to use it

Freeze Panes changes only how the current worksheet is viewed. It does not lock cells, protect the sheet, alter formulas, or change what prints. Excel creates a stationary area at the top, left, or both; the rest of the sheet moves beneath it.

Use it when a worksheet has labels that need to remain in view, such as:

• a header row in a transaction, budget, or export table;

• an ID, date, customer, or product column at the left of a wide report; or

• multiple title rows and lookup columns in a model.

The key rule explains most confusion: when you choose Freeze Panes, Excel freezes everything above and to the left of the active cell. It does not freeze the active cell itself.

Before you start: save any important work, make sure you are in the worksheet you want to change, and select a single cell—not an entire row or column—when freezing a custom combination. These steps apply to current Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021 for Mac; labels can vary slightly between versions.

At a glance: choose the right method

Method 1: Freeze panes from the Ribbon

The Ribbon is the clearest way to see the three built-in choices.

Freeze the top row

1. Open the worksheet.

2. Choose the View tab.

3. Click Freeze Panes.

4. Choose Freeze Top Row.

Row 1 stays visible as you scroll down. This is the best choice for a table whose labels are all in the first row.

Freeze the first column

1. Choose View → Freeze Panes.

2. Select Freeze First Column.

Column A stays visible as you scroll horizontally. It is useful when the first column contains names, IDs, or dates.

Freeze several rows, columns, or both

1. Click the cell below the last row and to the right of the last column you want to keep visible.

2. Choose View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes.

For example, to keep rows 1–2 and columns A–B visible, select C3 first. Excel freezes rows 1–2 and columns A–B, leaving C3 in the scrollable area.

Method 2: Use the macOS menu bar

If you prefer commands from the macOS menu bar, click View at the top of the screen and choose Freeze Panes. Then select Freeze Panes, Freeze Top Row, or Freeze First Column.

Choose the generic Freeze Panes command only after selecting the correct anchor cell. Use the named top-row or first-column choices when those are exactly what you need; they remove the need to calculate an anchor cell.

If your version does not show the full submenu in the menu bar, the equivalent controls are available on Excel's View tab in the Ribbon.

Method 3: Use a keyboard-led workflow

Excel for Mac does not provide a consistent built-in single-keystroke shortcut for Freeze Panes across versions. The reliable keyboard-first approach is to select the anchor cell with the arrow keys, then invoke the command from the Ribbon or menu bar.

For frequent use, Microsoft 365 for Mac lets you assign a custom keyboard shortcut to the Freeze Panes command through Office's keyboard-shortcut settings. Choose a combination that does not conflict with a macOS shortcut or a command you already use.

The selection still matters. For example, press the arrow keys to move to B2, then run Freeze Panes to lock row 1 and column A. If you select A2, Excel freezes only row 1 because there are no columns to the left of column A.

Method 4: Mouse-first workflow

1. Scroll to a place where you can see the headers and left-hand fields you want to retain.

2. Click the anchor cell. For two header rows and one identifier column, click B3.

3. Click View in the Ribbon.

4. Click the Freeze Panes drop-down and choose Freeze Panes.

5. Scroll down and right to confirm the headers and identifier column remain stationary.

This route is especially helpful when you are looking at a real report and can visually count the rows and columns. Look for the subtle line below the frozen rows and to the right of frozen columns; it marks the boundary between the stationary and scrollable areas.

Method 5: Use MacCove for the Windows-style sequence

MacCove's Mac Excel Shortcuts lets people who know Windows Excel use familiar Ribbon sequences on a Mac. After selecting the anchor cell, press the following keys in order:

MacCove is most useful when you routinely switch from Windows Excel or use keyboard-led spreadsheet workflows. Set up its required Accessibility and Input Monitoring permissions before relying on these sequences.

Real-world example: keep report labels visible

Imagine a monthly sales report where rows 1–2 hold the report title and column headings, while columns A–B hold region and account manager. The actual figures run from column C through column Z and from row 3 through row 2,000.

1. Click C3.

2. Choose View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes.

3. Scroll down to row 500 and right to column P.

Rows 1–2 and columns A–B should remain visible, so every number still has its heading, region, and manager beside it. The worksheet data itself is unchanged—only the view is easier to navigate.

Common mistakes when freezing panes on Mac

Selecting the wrong cell

Excel freezes rows above and columns left of the active cell. To freeze row 1 and column A, select B2, not A1 or B1.

Choosing Freeze Top Row when you need two header rows

Freeze Top Row always freezes only row 1. Select the cell below all required header rows, then use the generic Freeze Panes command.

Trying to add another frozen area

Excel supports one continuous frozen area at the top and one at the left. If panes are already frozen, choose Unfreeze Panes first, select the new anchor cell, and freeze again.

Expecting frozen panes to print on every page

Freeze Panes affects on-screen navigation, not printing. For repeated printed headers, use Page Layout → Print Titles and set Rows to repeat at top or Columns to repeat at left.

Confusing Freeze Panes with Protect Sheet

Freeze Panes keeps labels visible; it does not stop anyone editing cells. Use Review → Protect Sheet when you need editing restrictions.

Windows equivalent

FAQs

How do I freeze the first two rows in Excel for Mac?

Click any cell in row 3—for example, A3—then choose View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes. Excel freezes rows 1 and 2.

How do I freeze the top row and first column at the same time?

Click B2, then choose View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Panes. Row 1 and column A will stay visible.

How do I unfreeze rows and columns?

Choose View → Freeze Panes → Unfreeze Panes. Then select a new anchor cell and freeze again if needed.

Why is Freeze Panes unavailable in Excel for Mac?

Make sure you are editing a normal worksheet and not in cell-edit mode; press Return or Esc to leave the cell, click a single cell, and try again. If the sheet is protected or a shared-workbook restriction applies, check its protection and collaboration settings.

Can I freeze a row in the middle of a worksheet?

Not as an isolated row. Freeze Panes always preserves a continuous block from the top and/or left edge. To keep a middle row visible while comparing data, consider Split on the View tab instead.

Related guides

• Complete Mac Excel shortcut cheat sheet

• How to paste values in Excel for Mac

Sources

• Microsoft: Freeze panes to lock rows and columns

• Microsoft: Keyboard shortcuts in Excel