How to Hide Gridlines in Google Sheets

To remove gridlines in Google Sheets, open your spreadsheet in a desktop browser, select View > Show, then uncheck Gridlines. This hides the default cell lines on the selected sheet tab while leaving manually applied borders intact.

Hide gridlines on your sheet tab

Open the spreadsheet and select the sheet tab you want to change. Click View, open Show, then uncheck Gridlines. Repeat those steps on any other tabs where you want the default lines hidden.

You need edit access to change this setting, and it applies to the entire selected sheet. You do not need to select its cells first. To bring the lines back, return to View > Show and check Gridlines.

Use search or keyboard controls

Select your sheet tab and click Search in the toolbar, or open Help > Search the menus. Type gridlines, then activate Gridlines. This command toggles the setting, so use it when the default lines are visible to hide them.

You can open search with Alt + / on Windows or ChromeOS, or Option + / on Mac. Google does not document a dedicated native shortcut that directly hides gridlines.

To navigate the menu instead, open View with Alt + V in Chrome on Windows or ChromeOS, or Alt + Shift + V in other Windows browsers. On Mac, press Ctrl + Option + V. Use the arrow keys to open Show and reach Gridlines, then press Enter to clear its check mark. Shortcuts can vary with your keyboard language and browser.

If you want the optional ShortieCuts command, open the publisher’s Google Sheets ALT Keys and Trace Formulas product page in the Chrome Web Store using desktop Chrome. Select Add to Chrome and, if the permissions dialog appears, select Add extension. The extension offers a trial and paid access; you do not need it for the built-in methods.

With the extension enabled, open your spreadsheet and press Alt, then W, then V, then G. The publisher describes this as a gridline toggle, so use it when gridlines are visible to hide them.

Turn off gridlines on Android

In the Google Sheets Android app, open your spreadsheet and select the sheet tab. Tap the tab’s Down arrow to open its menu, then scroll down and turn off Gridlines.

Repeat the change for other tabs as needed. To restore the lines on a tab, reopen the same menu and turn on Gridlines.

Hide lines in selected cells

To hide gridlines in only part of a sheet, select the cells you want to change. Click Borders > Border color and choose the cells’ background color, such as white. Reopen Borders and choose All borders to apply that color throughout the selection.

This changes cell formatting and masks the gridlines without disabling the sheet’s gridline setting. Match the border color to the actual background of your selection. On Android or iPhone and iPad, select the cells and open Format > Cell > Borders, then use Border color and Cell border to apply matching borders throughout the selection.

For the opposite layout, hide the sheet’s gridlines first, then select the data that should keep visible cell divisions. Open Borders and apply All borders or individual borders around that range. For text formatting within the range, you can also wrap text in Google Sheets.

Remove lines that remain in tables and charts

If lines remain after you disable sheet gridlines, check whether they are manually applied borders, native table gridlines, or chart gridlines. Each has a separate control. Changing the worksheet setting leaves these other lines intact.

For a native Google Sheets table, click Table menu beside its name at the top of the table. Open Table formatting and turn off Show gridlines. You can also reach the formatting controls through Format > Table formatting, with additional settings under View advanced options.

The table control applies to the table itself; use the sheet’s Gridlines setting for surrounding cells. If you want to organize an ordinary range this way, make a table in Google Sheets before adjusting its table formatting.

For a chart, double-click it, open Customize, and find Gridlines; the section can also be labeled Gridlines and ticks. Where Apply to is available, choose the axis before setting the gridline color to match the chart’s background. Repeat for other axes or gridline sets that remain visible. Available controls depend on the chart type and axis.

Remove gridlines from printing and PDFs

For a paper copy, open File > Print, expand Formatting, and uncheck Show gridlines. Click Next, then complete printing. These output settings are separate from the editing view, so check them even when your on-screen sheet already looks right.

You can also open print settings with the Print toolbar icon, Ctrl + P on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + P on Mac. When only part of the spreadsheet belongs on the page, set the print area in Sheets before completing the print job. In Firefox or Safari, Sheets downloads a PDF for printing.

To download a PDF directly, open File > Download > PDF (.pdf). Expand Formatting, uncheck Show gridlines, then click Export. This changes the exported document without changing gridlines in the spreadsheet editor.

For automated PDF generation, use the spreadsheet’s PDF export endpoint with the query parameters format=pdf, gid=SHEET_ID, and gridlines=false. Supply your spreadsheet identifier in the export address and replace SHEET_ID with the sheet identifier. Open the export address in an authenticated browser or fetch it from an authorized script. The gridline parameter affects the PDF only.

Automate gridlines with Apps Script

To hide gridlines with a script, open Extensions > Apps Script. Add and save the function below, select hideGridlines, then click Run. You need Apps Script access and the necessary authorization.

function hideGridlines() { SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet().setHiddenGridlines(true); }

To hide gridlines across every sheet tab, use the following version instead. Save it, select hideGridlines, and click Run.

function hideGridlines() { SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheets().forEach(s => s.setHiddenGridlines(true)); }

You can also control visibility by editing an unused A1 cell. Open Extensions > Apps Script and add and save the following function. If the project already has an onEdit function, merge this logic into it.

function onEdit(e) { const r = e.range; if (r.getA1Notation() === 'A1' && ['TRUE', 'FALSE'].includes(e.value)) r.getSheet().setHiddenGridlines(e.value === 'TRUE'); }

Return to the sheet and type TRUE in A1 to hide gridlines, or FALSE to show them. The trigger runs when you edit that cell and changes the sheet containing it. Do not manually run onEdit, because it needs the event supplied by the cell edit.

Create a macro or an on-sheet button

To make a macro, first save the hideGridlines function for either one sheet or every tab. Return to Sheets and open Extensions > Macros > Import macro. Beside hideGridlines, click Add function, then close the dialog.

Open Extensions > Macros > Manage macros, assign an unused shortcut, and click Update. Google documents macro shortcuts in the form Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Number. Run your function from Extensions > Macros or use its assigned shortcut. The macro belongs to that spreadsheet.

For an on-sheet button, save the same hideGridlines function and return to Sheets. Choose Insert > Drawing to create a button, select the drawing, open its small menu, and choose Assign script. Enter hideGridlines without parentheses, then click OK.

Click the drawing to run the function in a desktop browser. Google says assigned images and drawings do not execute scripts when tapped on mobile, so use the Android sheet menu or supported cell formatting there.

Change gridlines through the Sheets API

For an integration, use an authorized Sheets API v4 client to send a batchUpdate request for your spreadsheet identifier. Use the following request body, replacing SHEET_ID with the target sheet’s identifier. The value true hides gridlines.

{"requests":[{"updateSheetProperties":{"properties":{"sheetId":SHEET_ID,"gridProperties":{"hideGridlines":true}},"fields":"gridProperties.hideGridlines"}}]}

Include an additional updateSheetProperties request for each other tab you want to change. Your client needs authorization and access to the spreadsheet. This changes individual sheets rather than setting an organization-wide policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hidden gridlines a private viewing preference?

No, gridline visibility is saved as a property of each sheet tab. It is not a private viewing preference attached to your Google account.

Does clearing borders remove gridlines?

Clearing borders removes borders you added to cells, not the default gridlines. If matching borders were masking gridlines, removing those borders exposes the lines again.

Can you make hidden gridlines the default for your Google account?

Google does not document an account-wide gridline default or an Admin console gridline policy. Gridlines are a setting of each sheet, which Apps Script and the Sheets API can change one sheet at a time, so administrators can apply that to individual files.

Can Gemini hide gridlines with a prompt or spoken command?

Google does not document a Gemini gridline command or a spoken command for this setting. Use the sheet controls or an automation method instead.