Table of Contents
Introduction
Microsoft Excel allows users to hide worksheet tabs to keep certain data or sheets private while still keeping them accessible if needed. However, sometimes tabs get hidden accidentally or you need to unhide tabs that someone else hid. Fortunately, unhiding tabs is easy to do.
Here is a guide to unhiding tabs in Excel as well as showing tabs that are very hidden.
Reasons Why Tabs Get Hidden
There are a few reasons why tabs may become hidden in Excel:
- Accidental hiding: Users may unintentionally hide a tab by right-clicking and selecting “Hide” or using a keyboard shortcut.
- Intentional hiding: Tabs are often hidden intentionally to keep certain data or sheets private.
- Very hidden sheets: Tabs can be made “Very Hidden” through VBA code which makes them not show up in the regular Unhide dialog box.
- Workbook protection: If a workbook is protected, the sheet tabs may be hidden from view for users without edit access.
So whether a sheet was hidden accidentally or intentionally, it is usually straightforward to unhide it.
Unhiding Tabs in Excel
Here are the steps to unhide tabs in Excel:
1. Right-click on Any Visible Sheet Tab
Right-click on any visible sheet tab at the bottom of the Excel workbook.
2. Select “Unhide”
From the right-click menu, select “Unhide”.
3. Check Boxes to Unhide Desired Tabs
In the Unhide dialog box, check the boxes for the tabs you want to unhide.
4. Click “OK”
Click the “OK” button to unhide the selected sheet tabs.
And that’s it! The hidden tabs should now be visible again at the bottom of the Excel workbook.
Unhiding Multiple Tabs at Once
To select and unhide multiple tabs at the same time:
- Ctrl-Click: Hold down Ctrl while clicking tabs to select multiple tabs
- Shift-Click: Click the first and last tab while holding Shift to select a range
Then click “OK” to unhide all selected tabs in one step.
Unhiding Very Hidden Sheets
If a sheet is “Very Hidden” it will not show up in the regular Unhide dialog box. To unhide very hidden sheets:
1. Open Visual Basic Editor
Open the Visual Basic Editor by going to Developer > Visual Basic or pressing Alt+F11.
2. View Sheet Properties
In the Project Explorer pane, click on the hidden sheet. Then in the Properties pane check the value for the “Visible” property.
3. Change Visible Property to Unhide
If Visible is set to “2 – xlSheetVeryHidden”, change it to “-1 – xlSheetVisible” to unhide that sheet.
Now the very hidden sheet will be visible again in Excel!
Checking for Protected Sheets
If the Unhide option is grayed out, the workbook or specific sheets may be protected. To check or unprotect sheets:
1. Review Tab > Unprotect Sheet
Go to the Review tab and click “Unprotect Sheet” if available.
2. Unprotect Workbook
Or go to Review > Unprotect Workbook to unprotect the entire workbook.
After unprotecting you should be able to unhide any hidden sheets.
Preventing Accidental Hiding
To prevent users from accidentally hiding important sheets:
Protect Important Sheets
Right-click sheets and select “Protect Sheet” to prevent hiding.
Hide Unimportant Tabs
Hide tabs users don’t need access to so they can’t accidentally hide important ones.
Use Tab Colors
Format tabs with colors so important tabs stand out.
Conclusion
- Tabs can be hidden accidentally or intentionally in Excel
- Unhide tabs through the right-click menu and Unhide dialog box
- Unhide very hidden sheets in the Visual Basic Editor
- Check for protected sheets if Unhide is grayed out
- Prevent accidental hiding by protecting, hiding unused tabs, and formatting tabs
Following these steps will allow you to easily find, unhide, and show any hidden Excel sheet tabs as needed.
