Learn how to freeze rows in Google Sheets on desktop and mobile, plus how to freeze columns, unfreeze, and fix misaligned headers in your order tracker.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

To freeze rows in Google Sheets on desktop, select the row you want to keep visible, click View, choose Freeze, and pick the number of rows. On a phone, touch and hold the row number and tap Freeze. Frozen rows stay on screen while you scroll, so your headers don't disappear when a sheet runs to hundreds of lines. If you're wondering how far a sheet can grow, see the 10 million cell limit in Google Sheets.

This guide covers the fastest desktop methods for how to freeze rows in Google Sheets, how to freeze rows and columns together, the mobile steps for Android and iPhone or iPad, a practical order-tracking example, and the fixes for a frozen layout that looks wrong.

How to freeze the top row on desktop

Freezing your header row is the most common job, and Google Sheets gives you three ways to do it. For the full desktop steps, see Google's Docs Editors Help page for desktop.

Option 1: Use the View menu

1. Click the number 1 on the left side of the grid to select the top row.
2. Click View in the top menu bar.
3. Hover over Freeze and choose 1 row.

If your headers take up two rows, choose 2 rows instead. Those rows will stay put as you scroll down.

Option 2: Drag the gray bar

Look for the thin gray divider at the top-left of the grid, just under the column letters and to the right of the row numbers. Drag it downward until it sits below the last row you want frozen. Release it, and the rows above stay visible.

Option 3: Right-click a row number

Right-click the row number you want to freeze. In the menu, choose the freeze option that matches how many rows you need. This is the quickest route if your mouse is already on the sheet.

How to freeze rows and columns together

Many sheets need both: a header row at the top and an ID or name column on the left. To set that up, freeze the first row using View > Freeze > 1 row. Then open the same menu, choose Freeze again, and select 1 column.

Keep in mind that frozen sections always start from the top-left corner. You can't freeze a single row in the middle of the sheet. If you select row 5 and freeze it, rows 1 through 5 all stay visible. Columns work the same way. If you need a row in the middle to stay visible, move it to the top first.

How to freeze rows on mobile

Mobile is where layouts vary most, so learning how to freeze rows in Google Sheets on a phone takes a little more checking. Menu options differ between the Android app and the iPhone and iPad app, and they can change between app versions, so check what your screen shows.

Android

1. Open the file in the Google Sheets app.
2. Touch and hold the row number you want to freeze.
3. Tap Freeze in the menu.

Some Android versions also let you pick a number of rows. According to Android Police, you scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap the up arrow to choose how many rows or columns to freeze. For Google's own Android instructions, see the Docs Editors Help page for Android.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open the file in the Google Sheets app.
2. Tap the row number or column letter.
3. Tap the right arrow in the menu, then tap Freeze.

Google documents the same steps in its iPhone and iPad help page.

If you can't freeze multiple rows on your phone

Some guides report that the mobile app is more limited and can't freeze several rows or columns. If you need more than one frozen row on your phone, set up the layout on a computer first. The app respects freeze settings you apply on desktop, so the layout carries over when you open the file on your phone.

Example: freezing headers in an order-tracking sheet

Say you track orders in one sheet with five columns: Order ID, Customer, Item, Order Date, and Status. The top of your sheet might look like this:

Order ID	Customer	Item	Order Date	Status
ORD-1001	Maria Lopez	Desk lamp	Mar 2	Shipped
ORD-1002	James Carter	Notebook set	Mar 2	Processing
ORD-1003	Priya Patel	Wireless mouse	Mar 3	Delivered
ORD-1004	Tom Nguyen	Plant stand	Mar 4	Pending

If your tracker grows to hundreds of orders, you want the header row and the Order ID column to stay visible at all times. Here's how to set it up:

1. Click the number 1 to select the header row, then go to View > Freeze > 1 row.
2. Click the letter A to select the Order ID column, then go to View > Freeze > 1 column.

Now scroll down and the headers stay at the top. Scroll right to reach the Status column, and the Order ID stays on the left, so you always know which order you're looking at. If duplicate order IDs slip in as the list grows, remove duplicates in Google Sheets before you rely on the tracker. To keep the Status entries consistent, a dropdown list is a simple addition.

How to unfreeze rows

To remove frozen rows on desktop, click View, then Freeze, then choose No rows. To remove frozen columns, choose No columns. On the Android app, touch and hold the row number and tap Unfreeze. On iPhone and iPad, tap the row number or column letter, tap the right arrow, and tap Unfreeze.

Why frozen rows look wrong, and how to fix it

Most problems come from changing the layout after you froze it. Frozen rows don't adjust on their own. Use this table to find the fix quickly.

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Frozen rows are misaligned after you add or remove columns	Freeze settings don't update with layout changes	Choose View > Freeze > No rows, then freeze again in the right position
You want a row in the middle to stay visible	Freezing always starts at the top of the sheet	Freeze through that row, or move it to the top
The frozen area fills the screen and you can't scroll	Too many frozen rows for your window	Freeze fewer rows, zoom out, or use a larger window
The freeze option is missing on your phone	Menu options vary by app and version	Set the freeze on a computer; the app will respect it
Frozen rows are still editable by others	Freezing doesn't lock cells	Use Data > Protect sheets and ranges

Freezing doesn't lock cells

Freezing only keeps rows and columns visible while you scroll. It doesn't stop anyone from typing in them. If you need to limit edits, use Data > Protect sheets and ranges to set who can edit a specific range. Changing freeze settings requires Editor access to the sheet, so viewers can't adjust the layout.

If you're coming from Excel, the same feature is called Freeze Panes, under View. In Sheets, the menu item is simply Freeze.

Frequently asked questions

Can I freeze rows in the Google Sheets app on my phone?

Yes. The Android and iPhone or iPad apps both offer freeze options from the row number or column letter menu. Options can vary by app version, and multiple-row freezing can be limited on mobile, so desktop is the more reliable choice for complex layouts.

Can I freeze an entire sheet at once?

No. Google Sheets doesn't let you freeze a whole sheet in one step. You can freeze rows at the top and columns on the left, which covers most needs.

Why did my frozen rows move after I added a column?

Frozen rows don't reposition automatically when the layout changes. Remove the freeze with View > Freeze > No rows, then freeze the correct rows again.

How do I freeze a row that isn't at the top?

You can't freeze a single row in the middle without freezing every row above it. Move the row to the top of the sheet, or freeze through it.

Takeaway

Knowing how to freeze rows in Google Sheets takes seconds: use View > Freeze on desktop, or touch and hold the row number on mobile. Freeze your header row first, add the key column if you need it, and remember that freezing only keeps things visible. For editing controls, use Protect sheets and ranges. More quick Sheets how-tos are on 3minread.