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Excel · Freeze the top rows or first columns

View

Windows · Linux

Not on this system

Mac

Not on this system

Both systems use the same combination.

Pins the header rows so only the body scrolls; neither platform has a default combination, so you use the View menu, and the line is drawn above and to the left of the selected cell — pick the cell just below the headers first.

Group
View
Keys held
0

Excel diverges most on the Mac. F4 for absolute references is Cmd+T there, and a few Ctrl combinations stay Ctrl rather than becoming Cmd.

Reading the key names

  • Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
  • On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
  • Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
  • With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
  • When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.

Common questions

Q. What is the shortcut for Freeze the top rows or first columns in Excel?

Pins the header rows so only the body scrolls; neither platform has a default combination, so you use the View menu, and the line is drawn above and to the left of the selected cell — pick the cell just below the headers first. It is — on Windows and — on a Mac.

Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?

Yes, — on both.

Q. How many keys is that?

0 pressed together. The combination sits under View in Excel.

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