To hide gridlines in Excel on Windows or the web, select your worksheet, open View > Show, and uncheck Gridlines. On Mac, open Page Layout and uncheck View under Gridlines. These settings control worksheet gridlines on your screen; printed gridlines, cell borders, and chart gridlines have separate controls.
The short version
- Windows and web: Open View > Show and uncheck Gridlines.
- Mac: Open Page Layout and uncheck View under Gridlines.
- Selected cells: Apply a solid fill color to hide gridlines within that area.
- Printed pages: Uncheck Print under Gridlines on the desktop Page Layout tab.
- Lines that remain: Check for cell borders or chart gridlines, which use different settings.
| Method or location | Control to use |
|---|---|
| Windows ribbon | View > Show > Gridlines |
| Windows page layout | Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines > View |
| Windows options | File > Options > Advanced > Show gridlines |
| Mac worksheet | Page Layout > Gridlines > View |
| Browser worksheet | View > Show > Gridlines |
| iPhone or iPad worksheet | Expand the ribbon and open View |
| Android worksheet | Expand the ribbon and open View |
| Several Windows worksheets | Select the sheet tabs, then uncheck View > Show > Gridlines |
| Selected cells using the ribbon | Home > Fill Color |
| Selected cells using the Windows dialog | Ctrl + Shift + F, then Fill |
| Windows printing using the ribbon | Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines > Print |
| Windows printing using Page Setup | File > Print > Page Setup > Sheet |
| Mac printing | Page Layout > Gridlines > Print |
| Cell borders | Home > Borders > No Border or Erase Border |
| Desktop chart gridlines | Add Chart Element > Gridlines, or select the lines and press Delete |
| Browser chart gridlines | Chart task pane > Format > Series |
| Mobile chart gridlines | Chart > Elements > Gridlines |
| Windows keyboard navigation | Alt + W, then navigate to Gridlines |
| Quick Access Toolbar | Right-click Gridlines and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar |
| New Windows workbooks | Save a default workbook template with gridlines hidden |
| Windows gridline color | File > Options > Advanced > Gridline color |
| Saved Windows display settings | View > Workbook Views > Custom Views |
Hide worksheet gridlines on Windows
In Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024 for Windows, select the worksheet tab you want to change. Open View and uncheck Gridlines in the Show group. To bring the lines back later, return to the same control and check it.
You can also open Page Layout > Sheet Options and find Gridlines. Uncheck View to hide the lines on your screen. The nearby Print checkbox controls printed output separately.
For another route to the display setting, open File > Options > Advanced. Under Display options for this worksheet, select the intended worksheet. Uncheck Show gridlines, then select OK.
Hide gridlines on Mac or the web
In Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024 for Mac, select your worksheet and open Page Layout. Under Gridlines, uncheck View. Check that box again whenever you want the worksheet gridlines visible.
Excel for the web uses the same main route as Windows. Open your workbook, select the worksheet, and open View > Show. Uncheck Gridlines to hide them on that sheet.
Hide gridlines on a phone or tablet
On an iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or Android tablet, open the worksheet and expand the ribbon. Select View, then turn off the worksheet gridline display control. Gridlines inside a selected chart use separate controls.
If you use VoiceOver on an iPhone or iPad, navigate to Show ribbon and double-tap. Select View, navigate to the worksheet gridline control, and deactivate it. With TalkBack on Android, navigate to More options and double-tap, then select View and deactivate the worksheet gridline control.
Change several worksheets together
On Windows, hold Ctrl while clicking the worksheet tabs you want to change. To select every sheet instead, right-click a worksheet tab and choose Select All Sheets. With those sheets selected, open View > Show and uncheck Gridlines. Finish by right-clicking a selected worksheet tab and choosing Ungroup Sheets.
Hide gridlines only in selected cells
For a specific area, select the cells and open the arrow beside Fill Color on the Home tab. Choose a solid color, such as white, to hide gridlines within that selection. This changes the cells' formatting while leaving the surrounding worksheet grid visible.
If you want a separate worksheet before changing its formatting, copy a worksheet in Excel first. For an entire sheet, use the worksheet gridline toggle unless you also want to apply a background color. To fill every cell, click the Select All button before choosing your fill.
Windows also offers a fill dialog. Select the cells, press Ctrl + Shift + F, and select Fill. Under Background Color, choose a solid color and select OK.
Remove gridlines from printed pages and PDFs
On Windows, select your worksheet and open Page Layout > Sheet Options. Under Gridlines, uncheck Print. Open File > Print to review the preview before printing or producing a PDF.
On Mac, select your worksheet, open Page Layout, and uncheck Print under Gridlines. Open File > Print to preview the result. If you also need to limit which cells appear on the pages, set the print area in Excel.
Another Windows route is File > Print > Page Setup > Sheet. Under Print, uncheck Gridlines and select OK. Excel for the web does not support printing worksheet gridlines, but cell borders can still appear in printed output.
Remove cell borders when lines remain
Lines that remain after you turn off worksheet gridlines may be cell borders. Select the affected cells, open the arrow beside Borders on the Home tab, and choose No Border. This removes the selected cells' borders, which the worksheet gridline checkbox does not control.
Choose the affected area carefully when some borders are part of your intended formatting. On desktop Excel, you can instead select Home > Borders > Erase Border, then click the individual borders you want to erase.
Hide gridlines inside a chart
Chart gridlines use their own controls, so hiding worksheet gridlines will not remove them. On Windows or Mac, select the chart, select Add Chart Element on the ribbon, and point to Gridlines. Deactivate the displayed gridline types, or select the horizontal or vertical chart gridlines and press Delete.
In Excel for the web, double-click the chart to open the chart task pane, then open Format > Series. Use the Major and Minor gridline controls to remove the corresponding lines. If you are also creating the chart or adjusting its labels, follow the steps to make a graph in Excel.
On mobile, select the chart and open Chart > Elements > Gridlines. Turn off the unwanted horizontal or vertical gridlines. The available major and minor gridline options depend on the chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hide gridlines in Excel with the keyboard?
On Windows desktop, press Alt + W to open View, then use Tab and the Arrow keys to focus Gridlines. If it is checked, press Spacebar to uncheck it. In Excel for the web with a Windows keyboard, press Alt + Windows logo key, then W, and navigate to the same control. Microsoft documents these keyboard instructions for US keyboard layouts.
How do you put the gridline toggle on the Quick Access Toolbar?
On Windows, open View, right-click Gridlines, and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar. Use the added control whenever you want to hide worksheet gridlines. If the toolbar is hidden, right-click the ribbon and select Show Quick Access Toolbar.
Can new Excel workbooks start with gridlines hidden?
Yes, on Windows, create a workbook with gridlines hidden on its sheets, then select File > Save As. Choose Excel Template under Save as type and save it with the name Book in the XLStart folder. To locate that folder, open File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Locations. Press Ctrl + N to create a workbook based on Book.xltx; the template does not change existing workbooks.
Can you change the gridline color instead of hiding them?
On Windows, open File > Options > Advanced and select the intended worksheet under Display options for this worksheet. Choose a Gridline color, then select OK. Choosing a color that matches the worksheet background can camouflage the lines, but the effect depends on those colors matching.
Can you save a gridline display setting as a custom view?
On Windows, hide the gridlines, then open View > Workbook Views > Custom Views > Add. Enter a name in Name and select OK. To restore it later, open View > Workbook Views > Custom Views, select the saved entry under Views, and select Show. Custom Views is unavailable when any worksheet in the workbook contains an Excel table.