Formatting Issues

How to Merge and Unmerge Cells in Excel for iPad

Huma Ashraf Ch Sep 29, 2026 873 views

Question details

The user needs instructions on how to merge and unmerge cells in the Excel app for iPad, and how to resolve situations where the merge command is unavailable.

How to Merge and Unmerge Cells in Excel for iPad

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: iPadOS
Scenario: Formatting and organizing a spreadsheet layout by combining multiple cells into one, or separating previously merged cells on a mobile device.
Observed behavior: The user is looking for the correct menu options to merge/unmerge cells and needs to know why the Merge & Center option is sometimes grayed out or unclickable.

Before you start

Verify that you have accurately selected the range of cells you wish to merge, and remember that merging cells will only retain the data from the upper-left cell while discarding the rest.

Solution 1Recommended

Merge and Unmerge Cells Using the Home Tab

The standard method for combining or separating cells using the built-in ribbon menu in the iPad app.

Select the target cells

Tap and drag the circular selection handles to highlight the adjacent cells you want to merge, or tap an existing merged cell you wish to unmerge.

Navigate to the Home tab

Tap on the 'Home' tab located in the top ribbon menu. If the ribbon is minimized, tap the ellipsis or tab header to expand it.

Toggle Merge & Center

Tap the 'Merge & Center' button to merge the selected cells. To unmerge, simply tap the 'Merge & Center' button again, or tap the adjacent dropdown arrow and select 'Unmerge Cells'.

Merge and Unmerge Cells Using the Home Tab

Content Placement After Unmerging: When you unmerge a cell, all previously retained content will automatically be placed into the upper-left cell of the newly separated range.

Solution 2

Fixing an Unavailable Merge Command

Troubleshooting steps for when the Merge & Center button is grayed out or cannot be tapped.

Merge Cells Effortlessly on iPad

Use WPS Office to Merge and Format Spreadsheets on iPad

WPS Office offers a fully featured mobile spreadsheet editor for iPad. You can easily merge, unmerge, and format cells with a highly intuitive touch interface that natively supports all your existing spreadsheet files.

1. Install WPS Office: Download WPS Office from the App Store and open your existing spreadsheet.
2. Select your cells: Tap and drag the selection handles on your iPad screen to highlight the cells you wish to merge or unmerge.
3. Access the Tools menu: Tap the 'Tools' icon at the bottom left (or the top ribbon, depending on your layout), go to the 'Home' tab, and tap 'Merge' or 'Unmerge'.
4. Save or sync your file: Save your newly formatted document locally on your iPad or sync it to WPS Cloud for seamless access on other devices.

Perfectly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsIntuitive touch controls for easy cell formatting and mergingFree, lightweight, and fast mobile office suiteSeamless cross-platform cloud sync for iPad, iPhone, and PC

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Merge & Center button grayed out on my iPad?

The button is typically disabled if the selected cells are part of a formatted Excel Table, or if the worksheet has been protected. To restore the function, convert the table to a normal range or unprotect the sheet via the Review tab.

Do I lose data when I merge cells in Excel for iPad?

Yes. If multiple selected cells contain data, merging them will only retain the text or values from the upper-left cell. The data in all other selected cells will be deleted.

Can I merge cells without centering the text on iPad?

Yes. After using the Merge & Center command, you can keep the cell merged and use the standard text alignment buttons in the Home tab to align your text to the left or right.

What happens to my data when I unmerge a cell?

When you unmerge a cell, the existing content remains intact but is automatically relocated entirely to the upper-left cell of the newly separated range. The surrounding unmerged cells will be blank.

Document & File Issues