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.
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.)
2. Freeze header rows and columns so they stay visible while scrolling
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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Author: David Price, Editor
David has loved the iPhone since covering the original 2007 launch; later his obsession expanded to include iPad and Apple Watch. He offers advice to owners (and prospective owners) of these devices.