How to merge and unmerge cells in iPad Excel

Dear @John Fones,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand that you’re looking to unmerge cells in Excel on an iPad. Please try the steps below and see if they help:

1. Select the merged cell you want to revert. A single tap on the large, merged cell is sufficient.
2. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
3. Tap the Merge & Center icon again. Since this button works as a toggle, tapping it a second time will unmerge the cells and return them to their original individual state.
4. Alternatively, tap the arrow next to the Merge & Center icon and select Unmerge Cells from the dropdown menu.

Once unmerged, the content will be placed in the top-left cell of the original merged range.
If you don’t see the merge/unmerge options, this usually happens for one of the following reasons:

• Active Table: Cells cannot be merged or unmerged if they are part of an Excel table. To resolve this, tap the table, go to the Table tab, and select Convert to Range.
• Ribbon is minimized: If you only see tab names (Home, Insert, etc.), tap the Home tab again or expand the ribbon to access all commands.
• Sheet protection: If the worksheet is protected, merge and unmerge options will be disabled. Go to the Review tab and tap Unprotect Sheet (if you have permission).

Alternatively, you can use the Numbers app to do this:

• Open the Numbers app on your iPad.
• Open the spreadsheet, then tap the merged cell.
• Tap the Format icon in the bottom‑right corner of the screen, then tap Unmerge Cells.

All of the content and formatting from the previously merged cell will appears in the first unmerged cell.

For reference: Merge or unmerge cells in Numbers on iPad (Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link) 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you. I'm looking forward to your reply.

Wishing you and your family a joyful and prosperous New Year.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.