Google Sheets, the cloud-based spreadsheet by Google, is packed with robust tools that provide the opportunity for users to create, edit, and share spreadsheets with ease. Among its many functions, the capability to merge and unmerge cells is a fundamental yet invaluable feature. This tutorial will guide you through the process of unmerging cells in Google Sheets, step by step.
How to unmerge cells in Google Sheets
Follow the below steps to unmerge all cells in Google Sheets
Step 1: Open Your Google Sheet
First things first, you need to open your Google Sheets. If you have a Google account, navigate to the Google Sheets homepage (sheets.google.com) and then sign in. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see an overview of all your spreadsheets. Select the spreadsheet that contains the merged cells you wish to unmerge.
Step 2: Locate All The Merged Cells
In your opened Google Sheet, identify the merged cells that you wish to unmerge. Note that the merged cells will show as one larger cell spanning across the area where multiple cells have been combined. See the below screenshot.
Step 3: Select All the Merged Cells
Click on the merged cell or cells that you want to unmerge. If you have multiple merged cells to unmerge, then in that case, you should select them all at once by clicking and dragging your mouse over that specific area. See the below image.
Step 4: Unmerge All The Cells
The cells will immediately be unmerged, and you’ll see them revert back to individual cells.
There are two approaches to unmerging the cells.
With the merged cells selected, go to the toolbar at the top of the screen and look for the ‘Merge cells’ button. This button is identifiable by an icon that depicts two cells merging into one. When cells are merged, the icon will display a blue background. To unmerge the cells, simply click this button. Check out the below image for your reference.
Now, you can able to see in the below screenshot that the merge cells are unmerged successfully.
With the merged cells selected, click on the Format menu –> Select Merge Cells option –> Choose the Unmerge option.
The merged cells are unmerged successfully. Check out the below image.
Potential Issues and Solutions
Issue With the Merged Cell Content
One potential issue you might encounter when unmerging cells is related to cell content. When cells are merged, the content of all selected cells is combined, with the final merged cell displaying the content from the upper left cell. At the moment, you unmerge these cells, the content from that merged cell will remain only in the upper left cell. The remaining cells will be empty or blank. To distribute content across the newly unmerged cells, you will have to manually input the data.
Issue With Formatting
Another potential problem is differences in formatting. When cells are merged, they adopt a uniform formatting style. However, once unmerging, individual cell formatting might not revert to its original style. In that case, you will have to reapply the formatting manually to each unmerged cell.
Unmerging Multiple Cells at Once
If you’re unmerging multiple merged cells at once, it’s possible that you might encounter some formatting or alignment inconsistencies. To avoid this, the best practice is unmerging cells one at a time or ensuring that all cells being unmerged share the same formatting.
FAQs
Q1: Why can’t I unmerge cells in Google Sheets?
Answer: If you’re unable to unmerge cells, it could be due to one of several reasons. You might not have the necessary permissions to modify that specific Google Sheet document. Alternatively, there could be a temporary glitch with Google Sheets. Try reloading the page or signing out and back into your Google account.
Q2: What happens to the data in merged cells when they are unmerged?
Answer: When you unmerge cells in Google Sheets, only the content from the top left cell of the merged group will remain as it is, while the rest of the cells will be empty. This is something to keep in mind if your merged cells contain different data originally.
Q3: Can I unmerge cells in bulk?
Answer: Yes, you can unmerge cells in bulk. Just select all the merged cells you wish to unmerge, then click on the ‘Merge cells’ button to unmerge them all at once. However, this might lead to alignment or formatting issues, so consider this carefully.
Q4: How do I ensure the unmerged cells retain the same format as the merged cell?
Answer: After unmerging the cells, you may need to manually apply the same formatting to the unmerged cells as the original merged cell had. To do this, click on the ‘Format’ menu, and select the formatting you wish to apply it to the unmerged cells.
Q5: Can I unmerge cells that were merged using the ‘Merge all’ or ‘Merge horizontally/vertically’ options?
Answer: Yes, regardless of the method used to merge the cells, you can unmerge them by selecting Merge vertically or Merge horizontally option from the Merge Cells dropdown with the merged cells selected.
Q6: How do I avoid losing data when unmerging cells?
Answer: If you’ve entered different data in the cells before they were merged, remember that unmerging will retain only the data from the top-left cell. Before unmerging, try copying the contents of the merged cell to a notepad to ensure no data loss.
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Conclusion
Unmerging cells in Google Sheets is a straightforward process. However, it’s essential to pay attention to the issues of how cell content and formatting are affected during the process. With these steps, you can confidently navigate the process of unmerging cells.