Splitting screens, either vertically or horizontally, is a great way to streamline your workflow when using Excel. This feature allows you to view different sections of a table at the same time, allowing you to quickly compare data. Here’s how.
Using the split screen feature
When you have a spreadsheet full of data, navigation can be quite cumbersome, especially when you want to compare data from several different sections of the spreadsheet. Taking advantage of Excel’s split screen feature can simplify this process. Excel also lets you customize the screen layout, giving you full control over your specific needs.
Finding the split screen feature is pretty easy. Just go to the “View” tab and click on the “Share” option.
However, there are several ways to use this screen sharing feature.
Create four equal quadrants
Excel lets you divide the screen into four equal quadrants. This gives you four copies of your current spreadsheet, all on the same screen! To do this, first make sure you have cell A1 selected.
Next, go back to the “View” tab and click the “Share” button. This will divide your screen into four equal worksheets.
You can also change the split position by clicking and dragging on one of the sides of one of the worksheets or the middle section.
Vertical and horizontal distribution
If you don’t need four copies of the table, you can split the screen in two instead. You can split the screen horizontally or vertically according to your needs.
To split the screen horizontally, select a cell in column A in any row (except cell A1). Then click the “Share” button on the “View” tab. The division is displayed above the selected line. For example, if we select cell A5, the split will look like this:
Splitting the screen vertically is just as easy. Select a cell from any column (except column A) in row 1 and click the “Split” button.
You don’t have to follow these rules exactly. Selecting a cell in any row splits the worksheet. The only thing to remember is that unless you select a cell from the first row or column A, the screen will split into four instead of two.
Once you’ve completed the feature and are ready to reset the screen to a single worksheet, just click the Split option again to turn it off. You can also drag the sides of the split screen bars to the edge of the window to disable the feature.
