Why can I not Unmerge cells in Excel?

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Do you want to unmerge cells in Microsoft Excel? When merging cells, data from adjacent cells combine into a single cell. When you unmerge cells, the data is retained in the top-left cell while the cells split. You can easily unmerge cells by selecting your merged cells and selecting "Unmerge Cells" in the "Merge & Center" drop-down menu. This wikiHow will show you how to change a merged cell back into two or more standard cells in Microsoft Excel using your Windows or Mac computer.

• You can only unmerge a cell that has been previously merged.
• Select all the cells you want to unmerge. Go to Home, then click the drop-down menu next to Merge & Center.
• Click Unmerge Cells in the drop-down menu to unmerge the cells.

1. Select the data you want to unmerge. To select an entire spreadsheet, click the A1 cell, hold down the Shift key, and then click the bottom value in the last column. This will select all of your data.

   • You can also hold Shift (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click individual cells to add them to the selection.
   • Merged cells take up two or more columns' worth of space. For example, merging a cell range in the A and B columns would leave you with a cell that spans the A and B columns.
     • You can only unmerge a cell that has been previously merged.

2. Click the Home tab. It's at the top of the Excel window. Doing so opens the Home toolbar.

   • If you're already on the Home tab, you can skip this step.

3. Open the "Merge & Center" menu. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Merge & Center button in the "Alignment" section of the toolbar. This will prompt a drop-down menu to appear.

4. Click Unmerge Cells. It's in the drop-down menu. Your cells will be unmerged, and the cells' value will be added to the left-most cell.

   • For example, if your merged cell had the word "Hello" in it, unmerging the cells would place the word "Hello" in the left-most unmerged cell.
   • If you want to merge cells again, select the cells you want to merge. Click Merge & Center in the Home tab. You can also click the arrow to select Merge Across or Merge Cells.

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• If you use Excel in a language which reads from right to left, the unmerged value will always go to the right-most cell.

  This article explains how to merge and unmerge cells in Excel, as well as how to find a group of merged cells in a spreadsheet. The instructions in this article apply to Microsoft Excel 2019, 2016, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

  How to Merge and Unmerge Cells in Excel

  Merging cells in Excel allows you to create a larger cell that can be seen across multiple rows and columns. This function is useful when you need to create a text box or a larger area for presenting your data. However, you may also need to unmerge your cells to change the design of your spreadsheet or perform certain data functions.

  There are three separate methods for unmerging cells in Microsoft Excel. These methods are using the Excel Ribbon, using the Merge Cells menu, and making use of keyboard shortcuts. Each method is simple to use and makes formatting cells easy to do.

  When you merge cells, only the upper-left cell of your select range of cells will have its content placed in the new cell. All other data in additional cells that are merged will be deleted after the merge. So, if there is data in those cells you want to keep, you should copy it to a new location before creating the cell merge.

  How to Use the Excel Ribbon to Merge and Unmerge Cells

  In Microsoft Excel, the Ribbon is where you'll find most of the commands that you use. Using the commands on this ribbon, you can easily merge and unmerge cells anywhere in an Excel spreadsheet.

  1. Select the cells you want to merge or unmerge.

  2. Select Home.

     
     

  3. Go to the Alignment section and select the Merge and Center down arrow.

     
     

  4. Select one of the merge options or Unmerge Cells.

     
     

     A fast way to merge or unmerge cells using the Merge & Center option is to select the cells you want to merge, or that are already merged, and select Merge & Center. If the highlighted cells are not merged, they will be. If they are merged, the cells will be unmerged.

  How to Use 'Format Cells' to Merge and Unmerge Cells

  The format menu in Excel controls many options for the way numbers and text appear in your spreadsheet. You can use this menu to control how you merge and unmerge cells, too.

  1. Highlight the cells you want to merge or unmerge.

  2. Right-click the selected cells and select Format Cells.

     
     

  3. Select Alignment.

     
     

  4. Select or deselect the Merge Cells option.

     
     

  How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Merge and Unmerge Cells

  If you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts in Excel, you're in luck, because you can merge and unmerge cells using a combination of keyboard shortcuts.

  1. Select the cells you want to merge.

  2. Press the Alt key on the keyboard to reveal shortcuts.

     
     

  3. Tap the H key to access the Home ribbon.

     
     

  4. Tap the M key to open the Merge Cells menu.

     
     

  5. Press the U key to Unmerge the cells.

     
     

  How to Find Merged Cells in Excel

  Depending on the size of your spreadsheet, you may have difficulty locating merged cells when you need to unmerge them. For example, any column or row with a merged cell will make it difficult for you to select a range of cells or filter and sort the data they contain. In order to find merged cells with ease, follow these simple steps.

  1. From the Home tab, select Find & Select > Find.

     
     

  2. In the Find and Replace dialog box that opens, select Options.

     
     

  3. The Find and Replace dialog box expands. Select the Format drop-down menu, then select Format.

     
     

  4. Select Alignment > Merge Cells > OK.

     
     

  5. Select Find All to view all of the merged cells in your spreadsheet.

     
     

  6. You can select each item in the list in order to select each merged cell. Once selected, you can unmerge each cell as needed.

     Why is merge disabled in Excel?

     The answer is actually quite simple: the Merge and Center option is only available when you have more than one cell selected. So, if you're trying to merge and center a single cell, you won't see the option because it simply doesn't apply.

     How do you unlock merge cells in Excel?

     On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click Merge & Center..

     Or, click the drop-down arrow next to the Merge & Center button and select Unmerge Cells..

     Either way, Excel will unmerge all the merged cells in the selection..

     Why is merge cells greyed out?

     If you are using Track Changes and have deleted rows in the table, the deleted cells may not be merged and will be "greyed out". This is because cell-merging is not tracked, so Word would have no way of recording the deleted rows if it allowed you to merge the cells that are above and below them.

     How do I Unmerge cells in Excel and keep all data?

     Unmerge cells and fill with duplicate data with Go To Special command.

     Select the columns that have merged cells..

     Click Home > Merge & Center > Unmerge Cells. ... .

     And the merged cells have been unmerged and only the first cell will be filled with the original values. ... .

     Then click Home > Find & Select > Go To Special..