How to Unhide Column A in Excel

To unhide Column A in Excel, click the Name Box (the small box to the left of the formula bar), type A1, and press Enter — then go to Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. For any other hidden column, simply select the columns on both sides of the gap, right-click, and choose Unhide. Column A is the one tricky case because there is no column to its left to grab, so the steps below walk through every reliable method on both Windows and Mac.

The fastest way to unhide Column A

Because Column A sits at the very edge of the worksheet, you cannot drag-select across it the way you would for a column in the middle. Use this method instead — it works every time.

1. Click inside the Name Box (left of the formula bar, where the active cell address appears).
2. Type A1 and press Enter. The active cell is now in the hidden Column A, even though you can’t see it.
3. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
4. In the Cells group, click Format.
5. Hover over Hide & Unhide, then click Unhide Columns.

Column A reappears instantly. This approach works in every desktop version of Excel (2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365).

Why did Column A disappear in the first place?

Knowing the cause helps you pick the right fix. A column usually vanishes for one of three reasons:

• It was manually hidden. Someone right-clicked the column header and chose Hide, or pressed the hide shortcut. The column width is set to zero but the data is still there.
• The panes are frozen. Freeze Panes locks the leftmost columns in place. If you scrolled right before noticing, Column A may simply be off-screen rather than truly hidden. See our guide on how to unfreeze panes in Excel.
• The column width was dragged to zero. This looks identical to hiding but is fixed slightly differently — by resetting the width rather than using the Unhide command.

A quick tell: look at the column header row. If you see the sequence jump from B straight to C (no A), the first column is hidden. If a thin double line appears between the row numbers and column B, a column is collapsed to zero width.

Method 1: Unhide from the ribbon menu (any column)

This is the standard method for any hidden column except Column A, because it relies on selecting the columns on either side.

1. Click the header of the column before the hidden one and drag to the column after it. For example, to unhide Column D, select columns C through E.
2. Right-click anywhere on the highlighted headers.
3. Choose Unhide from the context menu.

If you prefer the ribbon, select the surrounding columns and go to Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. The same logic applies when you need to unhide a row in Excel — just select the rows above and below instead.

Method 2: Unhide the first column with the Name Box and Go To

This is the most reliable route for Column A and covers the how to unhide column A in Excel and unhide first column excel searches directly.

Using the Name Box (fastest):

1. Type A1 into the Name Box and press Enter.
2. Use Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

Using Go To (works the same way):

1. Press Ctrl + G (Windows) or Ctrl + G / F5 (Mac) to open the Go To dialog.
2. Type A1 in the Reference field and click OK.
3. With the cursor now in Column A, open Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

Method 3: Select the whole sheet and unhide everything

If several columns are hidden and you don’t care which, unhide them all at once.

1. Click the Select All button — the gray triangle at the top-left corner where the row numbers and column letters meet (or press Ctrl + A).
2. Right-click any visible column header and choose Unhide, or use Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

Every hidden column in the sheet, including Column A, comes back. This is handy when a file arrives from someone else with hidden columns you didn’t create. Just note that it also reveals columns that were intentionally hidden. If you want to learn how to select multiple columns in Excel precisely before unhiding, that guide covers the selection shortcuts.

Method 4: Fix a column with zero width

If the Unhide command does nothing, the column wasn’t hidden — its width was dragged to 0. The fix is to reset the width.

1. Select the column (or the whole sheet with Ctrl + A).
2. Go to Home > Format > Column Width.
3. Type a value such as 8.43 (the Excel default) and click OK.

The column springs back to a normal size. Our guide on how to adjust column width in Excel covers AutoFit and custom widths in more depth.

Keyboard shortcuts for unhiding columns

Shortcuts differ between Windows and Mac, and the column shortcut is notoriously finicky. Here is the accurate breakdown:

Action	Windows	Mac
Unhide selected columns	Ctrl + Shift + 0 (see note)	Ctrl + Shift + 0 or ⌘ + Shift + 0
Unhide selected rows	Ctrl + Shift + 9	Ctrl + Shift + 9
Hide columns	Ctrl + 0	⌘ + 0
Hide rows	Ctrl + 9	⌘ + 9
Open Go To dialog	Ctrl + G	F5 or Ctrl + G
Select entire sheet	Ctrl + A	⌘ + A

Important note about Ctrl + Shift + 0: On most Windows installations this shortcut is disabled by default because it conflicts with a system keyboard-language toggle. If pressing it does nothing, use the ribbon method instead, or re-enable it in Windows Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings. To select an entire column before applying a shortcut, see how to select an entire column in Excel and our roundup of the best Excel keyboard shortcuts.

Unhiding columns on a Mac

The ribbon path is identical on Mac: Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. The right-click method also works the same — select the columns on either side of the gap, Control-click (or right-click) the headers, and choose Unhide. For Column A specifically, use the Name Box: type A1, press Return, then run the Unhide command from the ribbon. If you frequently hide and reveal columns on macOS, our guide to hiding columns in Excel for Mac pairs well with this article.

Troubleshooting: when columns still won’t unhide

If you’ve tried the methods above and the column refuses to appear, work through these causes in order:

• The sheet is protected. A protected worksheet can block formatting changes, including unhiding. Go to Review > Unprotect Sheet (you may need the password), then unhide.
• The panes are frozen, not hidden. Go to View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes and scroll fully left with Ctrl + Home. Our unfreeze panes guide and the note on freezing the top row and first column explain how these interact.
• The column width is zero, not hidden. Reset the width with Home > Format > Column Width as in Method 4.
• Grouped (outlined) columns are collapsed. If you see a small + button above the headers, the columns are grouped. Click the + to expand them rather than unhiding.
• You’re looking at the wrong sheet or a filtered view. Confirm you’re on the right tab; a filter hides rows, not columns, but it can make data look missing.

If entire worksheets are missing rather than columns, you’ll want how to unhide a sheet in Excel instead.

Recovering data from a hidden column

A hidden column still contains its data — hiding only sets the width to zero, it never deletes anything. The moment you unhide the column, every value, formula, and format returns exactly as it was. If you accidentally hid a column while trying to hide rows in Excel or insert one, nothing is lost. And if you ever need to add a fresh column back into the layout, see how to insert a column in Excel.

Tips to avoid hidden-column headaches

1. Keep a backup before bulk edits. Save a copy before hiding columns across a large workbook so you can revert quickly.
2. Use grouping instead of hiding for sections you toggle often. Grouped columns show a clickable +/− control, making them obvious and easy to reopen.
3. Note what you froze. Before using Freeze Panes, remember which row and column you locked so unfreezing is straightforward.
4. Watch the header letters. A quick glance at the column-letter row tells you instantly if a column is hidden — the lettering will skip.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I unhide column A in Excel?

Click the Name Box to the left of the formula bar, type A1, and press Enter. Then go to Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. Because nothing sits to the left of Column A, you can’t use the usual drag-and-right-click trick — the Name Box or Go To (Ctrl + G) is the dependable way to land your cursor inside the hidden first column.

How do I unhide the first column in Excel?

The first column is Column A, so use the same Name Box method above. Alternatively, press Ctrl + A to select the whole sheet, right-click any column header, and choose Unhide — this reveals Column A along with any other hidden columns in one step.

How do I unhide columns in Excel?

For any column in the middle of the sheet, select the columns immediately on either side of the gap, right-click the highlighted headers, and choose Unhide (or use Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns). To unhide every hidden column at once, press Ctrl + A first, then run the Unhide command.

Why won’t my hidden column unhide?

The three most common causes are a protected sheet (unprotect it via Review > Unprotect Sheet), a column width set to zero (reset it with Home > Format > Column Width), or frozen panes making the column scroll off-screen (use View > Unfreeze Panes). Grouped/outlined columns are a fourth cause — click the + button to expand them.

What is the keyboard shortcut to unhide columns?

The shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + 0 on Windows and Ctrl + Shift + 0 (or ⌘ + Shift + 0) on Mac, applied after selecting the columns surrounding the hidden one. On many Windows PCs this shortcut is disabled by default because of a language-toggle conflict, so if nothing happens, use the ribbon method or re-enable it in Windows keyboard settings.

Can I unhide columns in Excel on iPhone, iPad, or Android?

Yes. In the Excel mobile app, tap the header of a column next to the hidden one, drag the selection handle across the gap to include the columns on both sides, then tap the selection and choose Unhide from the pop-up menu.