In Numbers on Mac, use the table’s row-number and column-letter menus to insert, delete, or hide items within the table; use the controls at the table edges for quick additions. To reorder items, drag the selected row numbers or column letters. Hiding keeps the data in the table, while deleting removes it.
These steps follow Apple’s Numbers User Guide for Mac, which identifies Numbers 15.4. Your installed version may differ.
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Select rows or columns before changing them
Click the table, then click a row number or column letter to select that row or column. To select a consecutive group, drag across the row numbers or column letters. To select separate items, Command-click their labels. You need a selection before using commands to modify or hide the selected items, as described in Apple’s instructions for selecting rows and columns.
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Add rows or columns
Add at the table edge
For a quick addition at the edge, click the Add Row button at the bottom-left of the table or the Add Column button at the top-right. Drag the relevant button to add multiple rows or columns at once.
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Insert within the table
- Move the pointer over the row number or column letter where you want to insert items.
- Click the arrow that appears beside the label.
- Choose the relevant command to add rows above or below, or columns before or after.
To add several items in one operation, first select the same number of existing rows or columns as you want to add. Open the arrow menu and choose Add Rows Above or Add Rows Below, or Add Columns Before or Add Columns After. Apple documents these options in its guide to adding and removing rows and columns.
Add header or footer rows and columns
When you add headers or footers, Numbers may convert existing rows or columns into headers or footers. A table can have up to five header rows, five header columns, and five footer rows. You can also freeze headers so they remain visible while you scroll. Consider whether a change to header or footer status could affect the table’s layout before applying it.
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Delete rows or columns
Delete from the row or column menu
For an interior row or column, move the pointer over its row number or column letter, click the arrow, and choose the deletion command. To delete multiple selected rows or columns, Command-click their labels as needed, open the menu, and choose Delete Selected Rows or Delete Selected Columns.
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Remove items at the table edge
The edge controls can remove rows or columns when the cells being removed are empty. If edge rows or columns contain data, hold Option while dragging the combined Add or Remove Rows and Columns control. Check which cells will be removed before completing the drag: deleting a row or column is a structural change, not a way to temporarily conceal its contents.
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Hide rows or columns without deleting their data
- Select the rows or columns you want to conceal.
- Move the pointer over a selected row number or column letter and click its down arrow.
- Choose Hide Selected Rows or Hide Selected Columns.
A gray bar indicates the hidden area. The contents remain in the table and can still be used in formulas, so hide items when you want to change what is visible without removing the underlying data.
Unhide items
To reveal a hidden area, select a neighboring row or column, open its arrow menu, and choose the relevant Unhide option. To reveal every hidden row or column in the table, use Table > Unhide All Rows or Table > Unhide All Columns.
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When hiding is unavailable
Numbers does not support hiding rows or columns in a pivot table; Apple recommends using filters to limit which pivot-table data is visible. Merged cells can also prevent hiding particular rows or columns.
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Move rows
- Select the rows you want to move.
- Click and hold one of the selected row numbers until the selection appears to lift off the table.
- Drag it above or below the destination row, then release.
Move columns
- Select the columns you want to move.
- Click and hold one of the selected column letters until the selection appears to lift off the table.
- Drag it to the left or right of the destination column, then release.
Moving rows between the header or footer areas and the table body can change their formatting. If you drag rows or columns outside the existing table, Numbers creates a new table. Apple describes these behaviors in its instructions for rearranging rows and columns.
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- It features an extended layout, with document navigation controls for quick scrolling and full-size arrow keys, which are great for gaming.
- The numeric keypad is also ideal for spreadsheets and finance applications.
- It’s wireless and features a rechargeable battery that will power your keyboard for about a month or more between charges.
Moving items is different from transposing the table
Dragging selected rows or columns changes their order within a table. Table > Transpose Rows and Columns is a separate command that switches the table’s row and column orientation. Apple notes that transpose is unavailable when the table supplies a pivot table or the spreadsheet is shared; it can also discard sort or filter rules, or unlink a form in some circumstances. Use it only when you intend to change the table’s overall orientation, rather than repositioning a few rows or columns.
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