How to freeze more than 5 rows in Numbers

Here’s a super-quick and easy tip for those who are relatively new to Numbers for the Mac, or the web-based iCloud Numbers beta version of the software. If you want to keep the names of your spreadsheet’s columns (or rows) visible while scrolling, here’s what you need to do.

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1. Make header rows and columns
Freeze panes to lock rows and columns
Freeze rows or columns
Unfreeze rows or columns
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Read: Tips for using Numbers

1. Make header rows and columns

When you create a new spreadsheet in Numbers for the Mac, the software will by default assume that the first row is a header row, and the first column is a header column. You can see that these are grey to make this clear.

But you can change this. Make sure you have a cell selected (otherwise the formatting menu will be blank) and then select the Table pane (it’s the blue option at the top-right of the screenshot below) and then using the dropdown menus below Headers & Footer. You can have up to 5 rows and columns designated as headers.

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Here’s what the process looks like in iCloud Numbers (we’re viewing it in the Chrome web browser, but it’s the same in other browsers).

If you’re interested in my bookmarks, ‘S-O-D’ stands for ‘Spreadsheet of Destiny’

If you want to create an entirely new header column or row rather than designating the existing second row as a header (for example), you can click the downward-pointing arrow by the name of the row or column (the B at the top of the column, in other words, or the number by the row) and select ‘Add Header Column Before’ or ‘Add Header Column After’. (You’ll see that this menu also allows you to convert a row or column into a header, provided it’s next to an existing header.)

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Once we’ve assigned the rows and columns as headers, we can choose to have them stay fixed in place and visible while we scroll through the rest of the spreadsheet – this can be useful in large and complex spreadsheets where you need to be able to see at a glance what each row is for.

It’s very easy. Simply use the dropdown menus under Headers & Footers and select ‘Freeze Header Columns’ and/or ‘Freeze Header Rows’. Alternatively you can use the downward-arrow menu by a header name and make sure the same option is ticked.

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Keep Numbers column and row names in view while scrolling

Freeze panes to lock rows and columns

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To keep an area of a worksheet visible while you scroll to another area of the worksheet, go to the View tab, where you can Freeze Panes to lock specific rows and columns in place, or you can Split panes to create separate windows of the same worksheet.

Freeze rows or columns

Freeze the first column

Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze First Column.

The faint line that appears between Column A and B shows that the first column is frozen.

Freeze the first two columns

Select the third column.
Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

Freeze columns and rows

Select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible when you scroll.
Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

Unfreeze rows or columns

On the View tab > Window > Unfreeze Panes.

Note: If you don’t see the View tab, it’s likely that you are using Excel Starter. Not all features are supported in Excel Starter.