Table of Contents
*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
The merge tool in Excel is quite useful, but it can sometimes lead to an accidental merging that can make your spreadsheet a mess. If you need to unmerge cells, there are a few different options available. This article will explain how to unmerge cells in Excel in two different situations.
How to Unmerge Single Cells in Excel in 5 Easy Steps
This process works when you have a group of merged cells that you wish to split back up into their previous configuration.
- Open the document and find the cells that you would like to unmerge.
- Highlight the merged cells you want to unmerge.
- Go to the “Home” tab in Excel if that tab is not already loaded.
- Locate the “Merge and Center” button found in the “Alignment” section. This button will be orange, to show that it has been used to merge cells.
- Unselect this button by clicking it to unmerge the cells. All data in the merged cells will move to the upper left cell in the group of merged cells, and the rest will become blank.
How to Unmerge All Cells in Excel in 5 Easy Steps
If there are many different merged cells scattered throughout your Excel document, you can use these steps to unmerge them.
- Open the Excel sheet that contains the cells you want to unmerge.
- Click the triangle found in the upper left corner, at the intersection of the column and row headers, to select all the cells in the worksheet.
- Select the “Home” tab to reveal a toolbar of options.
- Click the small arrow next to the “Merge and Center” button that is located in the Alignment group.
- Choose the “Unmerge Cells” option to unmerge all selected cells.
These steps will return your cells to the standard layout. Keep in mind that these steps will only work if multiple cells have already been merged. You cannot split a single cell. If you are still encountering other issues on how to unmerge cells in Excel, contact Microsoft Excel support for help.