The “Ribbon” in Microsoft Excel is the large, horizontal toolbar positioned at the top of the window, housing every command, formula, and formatting option available in the software. While incredibly useful, this ribbon takes up a significant amount of vertical screen real estate. If you are working on a smaller laptop screen or need to view as much data as possible within a massive, complex spreadsheet, hiding the ribbon allows you to see several more rows of data simultaneously.
How to Hide the Ribbon
Hiding the ribbon is a built-in feature designed to help you quickly toggle between editing mode and full-screen data analysis.
- Open your spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
- Look at the very top-right corner of the Excel window, just to the left of the standard minimize/maximize/close buttons.
- You will see an icon that looks like a small box with an upward-pointing arrow inside it (this is the Ribbon Display Options button).
- Click the Ribbon Display Options button.
- A drop-down menu will appear with three distinct choices. Click on Auto-hide Ribbon.
Immediately, the entire toolbar, including the file tabs (Home, Insert, Formulas), will slide up and disappear off the screen, expanding your spreadsheet to fill the entire window.
How to Use Excel While the Ribbon is Hidden
You do not need to permanently restore the ribbon just to make a quick formatting change.
When the ribbon is hidden, move your mouse pointer to the absolute top edge of the screen. You will see a thin green bar appear. Click that green bar, and the ribbon will temporarily slide back down over your spreadsheet. You can select your tool (such as bolding text or changing a cell colour), and as soon as you click back into your spreadsheet, the ribbon will automatically hide itself again.
How to Restore the Ribbon Permanently
If you prefer having the tools visible at all times, restoring the ribbon is just as easy.
- Click the top edge of the screen to temporarily reveal the ribbon.
- Click the Ribbon Display Options button (the box with the arrow) in the top right corner again.
- Select Show Tabs and Commands from the menu. The ribbon will instantly pin itself back to the top of your workspace permanently.