Some tools of Excel are used more often than others. You can merge or unmerge cells in Excel as per your choice and needs. Do you know how to unmerge cells in Excel? If not let’s find it out in our post here.
Basically, when you merge cells the content in the worksheet splits into several rows and columns. It will be useful when you need to present the particular data. If you ever need to change the format or design of the spreadsheet, or sometimes you need to run different functions on the data, you can utilize the unmerge and merge cells function successfully.
Let’s go through some easy steps to follow for unmerging the cells in Excel Spreadsheet.
How to Unmerge Cells in Excel
Generally, three main approaches are available when you need to unmerge the cells in Excel.
- Using Excel Ribbon option to unmerge cells
- Using Format Menu to unmerge cells
- Using Copy the Original Value to unmerge cells
Let’s dig out each method one by one.
How to Use the Excel Ribbon to Unmerge Cells
Excel ribbon is the point where you will find most of the features available for different functioning. Among them is the option that will help you to unmerge the cells in Excel spreadsheet. These commands are easy to use.
Below are steps to follow:
- Select the cells you need to unmerge.
- Click on the Home tab
- Click on the Alignment option and choose the Merge and Center down arrow.
- Now, select the option Unmerge Cells.
Bonus Tip: Merging or unmerging cells with the Merge & Center option requires selecting the cells you want to merge, then choosing Merge & Center. The highlighted cells will be merged if they are not already merged. If the cells have already been merged, they will be unmerged.
How to Use the Format Menu to Unmerge Cells
The feature format menu used in Excel is helpful to execute multiple functions including the way numbers and text are shown in the spreadsheet. Using this option, you can merge and unmerge the cells.
Just follow the steps carefully.
- Highlighting the cells needed to unmerge is the first thing.
- Choose “Format Cells” option after right-clicking on the highlighted cells.
- Choose the Alignment option.
- Now, uncheck the Merge Cells option and all the selected cells will get unmerged.
Unmerge Cells and Copy the Original Value to Each Unmerged Cell
Sometimes, you have to do multiple functions in one attempt. It might be due to a shortage of time or any other reason. You may have to unmerge the cells while filling each one of them with the original value from the earlier cell at the same time.
What do you think; it would be easy to run this function?
Let’s find it out using an example and follow the steps carefully.
Below steps will allow you to unmerge cells as well as fill them with the original values.
- Choose the merged cells and click on the Home tab. Now, select the “Merge & Center” option given under the section of Alignment.
- By clicking on the drop-down menu, you will see a list of items given under the Unmerge Cells option.
- Doing this will unmerge each cell.
- Select the whole table and click on the Home tab. Select the “Find & Select” option given under the Edition section. It will open a drop-down menu from which you have to choose the Go To Special option.
- The Go-To Special menu will open up.
- Now, click on the Blanks radio button and click OK.
- Now, type the = equal sign and hit the UP arrow key on the keyboard.
- You will see a simple formula that allows you to fill the blank cells with the original value. By pressing the CTRL + ENTER key from the keyboard, you can fill all the unmerged blank cells. By pressing this command, the formula is put in the cells and it will fill them with the original value.
Shortcut for Unmerging Cells
If you are the type of person who searches for a shortcut to unmerge cells, we have you covered. In Excel, you will find a range of shortcut keys that help you execute any function. When it comes to unmerging the cells, Excel has shortcuts for it as well.
For unmerging cells, you can use the ALT + H + M + U command keys. Follow the steps given below to unmerge the cells using shortcut keys.
- Choose the cells to merge.
- Press the ALT key from the keyboard.
- Press the H key to have access to the Home tab on the ribbon.
- Press the M key to open up the option Merge Cells in the menu.
- Now, press the U key to Unmerge the cells.
Important Notice: When you try merging cells, remember that only the top-left cell of the selected cell range will be filled with content in the new cell. After merging, all the data in additional cells will get vanished. That’s why you have to be careful enough if you have any data in those cells to save. You must save that data somewhere else before merging the cells.
Things to Remember
- You must notice vigilantly whether the merged cells are fully highlighted or not before unmerging the cells.
- Select the cells carefully in the worksheet to make sure.
- You can confirm it in the Alignment section on the Home tab by checking if the “Merge & Center” option is highlighted or not. If it is not highlighted, it simply means that no merged cells are there in the area.
Bonus Tip: If you want to know about the existence of merged cells in a particular range, you may select that range and check on the Merge & Center option. If it is highlighted, it presents that at least one merged cell is there in the range.
To Sum Up
That’s how to unmerge cells in Excel by using multiple ways and easy steps. I hope it will be a helpful post for you. Keep practicing and keep sharing.
