To freeze the top row in Excel, go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row. The keyboard shortcut is Alt, W, F, R (press the keys one after another, not together). Row 1 now stays on screen as you scroll down.
Need more than one row, a column, or both? The trick is the same every time: select the cell just below and to the right of what you want to keep visible, then choose Freeze Panes. Everything above and to the left of that cell is frozen.
Quick Reference: Which Freeze Do You Need?
| I want to freeze… | Select this cell first | Then click (View > Freeze Panes >) | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top row only | Any cell | Freeze Top Row | Alt, W, F, R |
| First column only | Any cell | Freeze First Column | Alt, W, F, C |
| Top 2 rows | A3 | Freeze Panes | Alt, W, F, F |
| Top 5 rows | A6 | Freeze Panes | Alt, W, F, F |
| First 2 columns | C1 | Freeze Panes | Alt, W, F, F |
| Top row and first column | B2 | Freeze Panes | Alt, W, F, F |
| Rows and columns of your choice | The cell below the last row and right of the last column | Freeze Panes | Alt, W, F, F |
| Undo any freeze | Any cell | Unfreeze Panes | Alt, W, F, F |
The shortcuts are the Windows keyboard sequences. Once something is frozen, the first item in the menu changes to Unfreeze Panes, so the same Alt, W, F, F sequence switches the freeze off.
How to Freeze the Top Row in Excel
- Open your worksheet.
- Click the View tab.
- Click Freeze Panes, then choose Freeze Top Row.
A thin grey line appears between row 1 and row 2. Scroll down and your column headings stay put.
You do not need to select a cell first. Freeze Top Row always locks row 1, wherever your cursor is.
How to Freeze the First Column in Excel
- Click the View tab.
- Click Freeze Panes, then choose Freeze First Column.
The grey line now sits between column A and column B. Scroll right and column A (often a name or product code) stays in view.
If column A seems to be missing, it may be hidden. Here is how to show a hidden first column in Excel.
How to Freeze Multiple Rows in Excel
Freeze Top Row only handles row 1. For two or more rows, use the general Freeze Panes command.
- Decide how many rows to freeze, for example 2.
- Click the cell in column A of the next row down (A3 for two rows).
- Go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes, or press Alt, W, F, F.
The grey line now sits below row 2. The same logic works for any number: to freeze the top 5 rows select A6, and to freeze the top 10 rows select A11.
How to Freeze a Specific Row (Not the Top One)
Excel can only freeze a block that starts at the top of the window. So “freeze row 5” really means “freeze rows 1 to 5”: select A6 and use Freeze Panes.
If you want only row 5 to stay and not rows 1 to 4, scroll down until row 5 is the first row you can see, select the row below it, and then freeze. Rows 1 to 4 will be scrolled out of view while the freeze is on.
This works, but it hides the rows above. If you need both, consider an Excel Table (see the tip further down) or splitting the window instead.
How to Freeze the First Two Columns in Excel
- Click cell C1 (the first cell of the third column).
- Go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
The grey line appears between columns B and C, and columns A and B stay put as you scroll right.
How to Freeze Rows and Columns Together
Select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible, then choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Microsoft describes it this way: Freeze Panes freezes the rows above and the columns left of the selected cell.
For the most common case, the top row plus the first column, click B2 and freeze. Row 1 and column A stay locked, while everything else scrolls.
Don’t try to get this by running Freeze Top Row and then Freeze First Column. The second command replaces the first instead of adding to it.
How to Unfreeze Panes in Excel
- Click the View tab.
- Click Freeze Panes, then Unfreeze Panes.
This releases the top row, the first column or any other freeze at once. You cannot unfreeze just one of them. Unfreeze, then freeze again with the new selection.
Freeze Panes on Mac, Excel for the Web and Mobile
Excel for Mac
Microsoft lists Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac as supporting Freeze Panes. Open the View tab and use Freeze Top Row or Freeze First Column. For anything else, select your cell and choose Freeze Panes. Microsoft’s own Mac steps for the top row read “View > Freeze Top Row”, so if you do not see it in the ribbon, check the View menu in the menu bar. The Alt-key sequences above are for Windows.
Excel for the Web
Excel for the web uses the same route: select a cell if needed, then View > Freeze Panes and pick Freeze Top Row, Freeze First Column or Freeze Panes. Unfreeze from the same menu.
Excel on iPhone and iPad
- Select the row below the last row you want frozen (or the column to the right of the last column).
- On an iPad, tap View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
- On an iPhone, tap the … button to show the ribbon, tap Home and choose View, scroll down and tap Freeze Panes.
To unfreeze, tap View > Freeze Panes and clear all the selected options.
Excel on Android
Microsoft’s published steps cover iPhone and iPad, not Android. On the Android app, look for Freeze Panes in the View options of the ribbon, and expect the menu layout to vary by app version.
Freeze Panes Not Working or Greyed Out?
If the Freeze Panes button is greyed out or does nothing, try these in order:
- You are editing a cell. Press Enter or Esc to leave edit mode, then try again.
- You are in Page Layout view. Go to View > Normal and freeze again.
- A split is active. Click View > Split to switch it off, then freeze.
- You froze while scrolled down. The frozen area starts at the top of what you can see, so rows can seem to vanish. Unfreeze, press Ctrl+Home, and freeze again.
- You are using Excel Starter. If there is no View tab, Microsoft notes that not all features are supported there.
Fixes 1 to 4 are the causes Excel users most often report, rather than Microsoft documentation, but they cover most cases.
Freeze Panes vs Split: What’s the Difference?
Freeze Panes locks rows or columns so they never scroll. Split (View > Window > Split) divides the sheet into separate panes that each scroll independently, which is handy for comparing two distant parts of the same sheet. To remove a split, click Split again. If you only want headers to stay visible, Freeze Panes is the simpler choice.
Freeze vs Print Titles: Repeat Headers on Every Printed Page
Freezing only affects your screen. To print the header row on every page:
- Go to Page Layout > Print Titles.
- On the Sheet tab, click in Rows to repeat at top and enter
$1:$1for row 1 (or select the row on the sheet). - Use Columns to repeat at left for a label column, then print.
This works in Excel for Windows and Mac. Excel for the web cannot repeat headers when printing, so open the file in the desktop app. Print Titles is greyed out if you are editing a cell, if a chart is selected on the sheet, or if no printer is installed.
TIP: If you format your data as an Excel Table (Ctrl+T), the column headings replace the column letters as you scroll (while a cell inside the Table is selected), so the headers stay visible without freezing anything. Freeze Panes is still better when you also need a locked first column.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I freeze the top row in Excel?
Click View, then Freeze Panes, then Freeze Top Row. On Windows you can press Alt, W, F, R in sequence. A thin grey line under row 1 shows it is locked.
How do I freeze the top 2 rows in Excel?
Click cell A3, then go to View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Excel freezes every row above the selected cell, so rows 1 and 2 stay visible. For the top 3 rows, select A4.
How do I freeze the top row and first column at the same time?
Select cell B2 and choose View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes. Row 1 and column A are locked together. Running Freeze Top Row and then Freeze First Column will not work, because the second replaces the first.
What is the shortcut to freeze the top row in Excel?
On Windows, press Alt, then W, then F, then R, one key at a time. Use Alt, W, F, C for the first column and Alt, W, F, F for Freeze Panes at the selected cell, which also unfreezes when something is already frozen. There is no equivalent Alt-key sequence on Mac.
How do I unfreeze the top row in Excel?
Go to View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes. This removes every freeze on the sheet, including any frozen columns.
Why can’t I freeze panes in Excel?
Freeze Panes is unavailable while you are editing a cell or in Page Layout view. Press Esc, switch to View > Normal, and check that no split is active (View > Split).
Can I freeze a row that is not at the top?
Not directly, because Excel freezes from the top of the window. Select the row below the one you want and freeze, which locks everything above it. Or scroll so your row is at the top of the window before you freeze, knowing the rows above will be hidden.
How is Freeze Panes different from Print Titles?
Freeze Panes keeps headers on screen while you scroll. Print Titles (Page Layout > Print Titles) repeats them on every printed page. They are separate settings, and you may want both.
New to Excel? Learn the everyday skills behind tips like this in our step-by-step course, Excel for Beginners.
Want more time-savers like this? Try our Microsoft Excel shortcuts list, the top 10 time-saving tips for Excel, or start from A Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Excel.
New to Excel? This ExcelChamp tutorial for absolute beginners walks through the basics step by step:
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Vinai Prakash
Founder, ExcelChamp.Net
