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How to Hide and Unhide Sheets in Excel

Tap through each step to hide or unhide a sheet in Excel.

  1. Right-click the sheet tab you want to hide

    At the bottom of the screen, right-click the name of the sheet you want to hide.

  2. Click "Hide"

    Clicking "Hide" in the menu removes that sheet from the tab list.

  3. To bring it back, right-click any remaining sheet tab

    Right-click on any of the remaining visible sheet tabs, then click "Unhide."

  4. Select the hidden sheet from the list and click OK

    A list of hidden sheets appears β€” pick the one you want to reveal and click OK.

  5. Why this is useful

    You can hide helper sheets used only for calculations or sensitive reference data from other viewers, while still keeping the sheet in the file.

Hiding isn't the same as protecting

Hiding a sheet only removes it from the visible tab list β€” anyone who opens the file can unhide it in a few clicks, or reference its data indirectly through formulas on other sheets. For genuinely sensitive data, combine hiding with sheet or workbook protection (a password), or remove the data entirely before sharing the file.

"Very Hidden": a stronger option

Excel actually has a deeper hidden state, sometimes called "Very Hidden," that can only be set or cleared through the VBA editor (Alt+F11). A sheet in that state doesn't even appear in the normal right-click Unhide list, which makes it useful for helper sheets you don't want casual users stumbling into.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I hide a sheet, are the formulas in it still active?

Yes β€” hiding only affects visibility. Any formulas on that sheet, and any formulas elsewhere referencing it, keep working exactly as before.

Can someone still access a hidden sheet's data without unhiding it?

Yes, indirectly β€” formulas on visible sheets can still reference and display values from a hidden sheet, so hiding alone doesn't fully block access to the data behind those numbers.