How do you merge two cells while keeping all data Google Sheets?

Learn three methods to merge cells in Google Sheets in a few clicks. Screen recordings included to help you!

How to Merge Cells in Google Sheets (Method 1)

Step 1: Select the cells to merge.

Cells Selected

Step 2: Click Format in the main toolbar 

Step 3: Select Merge cells on the drop-down list 

Step 4:  Select Merge all. 

"Merge all" option

Step 5: If the cells you merge have content, a box will appear, telling you that only the content of the upper leftmost box will remain. Click Ok. 

Cell merge warning

The cells are now merged:

Merged cells

You can reference the screen recording below to make the steps to merge cells google sheets crystal-clear to you:

You can use these same steps to merge cells in the same column:

How to Merge Cells in Google Sheets (Method 2)

You can also merge cells in just a single click, and that is through the merge cells icon in the main toolbar. 

Merge cells button on toolbar

You can check the screen recording below:

Merge Cells Animation

Additional options to merge cells Google Sheets

Google Sheets also allows you to merge cells of a selected range vertically or horizontally, thus creating long columns or long rows, respectively, instead of a single cell. To do so, here are the steps:

Step 1: Select the cells to merge.

Cells selected

Step 2: Click Format in the main toolbar, select Merge cells on the drop-down list, then select Merge vertically or Merge horizontally, depending on what you need.

"Merge vertically" option

Step 3: If the cells you merge have content, a box will appear, telling you that only the content of the upper leftmost box will remain. Click Ok. 

Merge Cells Warning

The cells are now merged:

Cells merged vertically

You can check the screen recording below to make the steps to merge cells google sheets crystal-clear to you:

Merge vertically animation

Merging them horizontally is just as easy:

Merge horizontally animation

Keyboard shortcut to merge cells Google Sheets (Method 3)

You can merge cells through the following keyboard shortcuts:

Alt+O then Alt+M

This will open the merge options in the Format menu. You can then select the option you want to apply:

Merge cells with keyboard shortcuts animation

How to unmerge cells in Google Sheets

Step 1: Select the merged cell or cells to unmerge. 

Step 2: Click Format in the main toolbar 

Step 3: Select Merge cells on the drop-down list

Step 4: Select Unmerge. 

Unmerge option

The cells are now unmerged:

Unmerged cells

You can also reference the screen recording below:

Unmerge cells in Google Sheets Animation

Final note for merge cells Google Sheets

One disadvantage of merge cells Google Sheets is that it removes the data that is not from the upper-leftmost cell of the range of cells you want to merge. You can use functions designed to combine strings of text to merge cells while keeping all of the content.

You can also do so much more using these commands. You can check our other relevant tutorials below:

• ‍How to Convert Numbers to Strings in Google Sheets‍
• How to Format Phone Number Data on Google Sheets‍
  

Can you merge cells in Google Sheets and keep all data?

How do you merge without losing data sheets?

How do you merge cells but keep all data?