How to Merge Cells in Excel – Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re asking how to merge cells in Excel, the answer is straightforward: select the cells you want to combine, then use the Merge & Center button or keyboard shortcuts based on your operating system. Whether you’re working on Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu (LibreOffice Calc), merging cells allows you to create clean, organized headings, labels, and forms within your spreadsheet.

🔗 What Does Merging Cells Do in Excel?

Merging cells in Excel combines two or more adjacent cells into one larger cell. This is commonly used for:

Creating centered titles across multiple columns
Structuring forms or dashboards
Formatting headers in reports

However, keep in mind that only the upper-left cell’s content is preserved — all other data in the selected range will be deleted during the merge.

🔧 How to Merge Cells in Excel (All Platforms)

🪟 Windows Excel Shortcut

Select the cells you want to merge.
Press: Alt → H → M → C
- This opens the Home tab (H), selects Merge (M), and applies Merge & Center (C).

You can also access variations like:

Alt → H → M → A = Merge Across
Alt → H → M → M = Merge Cells
Alt → H → M → U = Unmerge

🍏 macOS Excel Shortcut

Highlight the cells you want to merge.
Press: Cmd + Option + M
- If this shortcut doesn’t work, use the Home > Merge & Center button on the Ribbon.

Note: macOS Excel does not offer as many keyboard shortcut variations as Windows, but customization is possible via System Preferences > Keyboard > App Shortcuts.

🐧 Ubuntu (LibreOffice Calc)

Select the range of cells.
Use the menu: Format > Merge Cells > Merge and Center Cells
Or press: Ctrl + Shift + M
- This toggles merge/unmerge mode in LibreOffice Calc.

Calc also provides:

Merge and Keep Data
Merge and Center
Merge and Delete Contents

🧠 Pro Tips for Merging Cells

Avoid merging in data tables, especially if you need to sort or filter.
Use Center Across Selection for alignment without merging (Format Cells > Alignment).
Only merge headers or titles, not data-heavy rows/columns.
Unmerge carefully to avoid losing layout or formatting.

📌 When to Use “Merge Cells” vs. “Center Across Selection”

Feature	Merge Cells	Center Across Selection
Combines cells	✅ Yes	❌ No
Text centering	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Affects sorting/filtering	❌ Often problematic	✅ Works well with data tables
Best for	Headers, titles	Aligning text without losing cell structure

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcut Recap

Action	Windows	macOS	Ubuntu (LibreOffice Calc)
Merge & Center	Alt + H + M + C	Cmd + Option + M (or use Ribbon)	Ctrl + Shift + M
Merge Across	Alt + H + M + A	—	Format > Merge Cells > Across
Merge Cells	Alt + H + M + M	—	Format > Merge Cells > Merge
Unmerge Cells	Alt + H + M + U	—	Ctrl + Shift + M (toggle off)

🚫 What Happens If You Try to Merge Cells with Multiple Data Points?

If you attempt to merge several cells containing data, Excel will display a warning. Only the content of the top-left cell will be preserved; everything else will be deleted.

To avoid data loss:

Use concatenation functions like =A1 & " " & B1 before merging.
Or copy the contents into a new single cell manually before merging.

❓ FAQ – Merging Cells in Excel

Can I merge non-adjacent cells in Excel?
No, only adjacent cells can be merged. For visual grouping, consider borders or formatting instead.

Will merging cells affect formulas?
Yes, especially for sorting, filtering, and referencing in large datasets.

Can I unmerge cells without losing the original layout?
You can unmerge cells, but only the upper-left cell’s data will remain. Structure may shift depending on formatting.

Is there a shortcut to merge cells in Excel Online?
No keyboard shortcut is available in the web version. Use the Ribbon > Merge & Center manually.

✅ Conclusion

Learning how to merge cells in Excel is essential for formatting clean and organized spreadsheets. Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu, the process is simple with the right shortcuts. Just remember to use this feature wisely—mainly for headers, not data-heavy sections—to maintain functionality and avoid future formatting issues.

Complete List of Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

If you need help for Windows, you can find a whole list of all keyboard shortcuts here.

https://keyboard-shortcuts.org/

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