As someone who's spent a fair share of my life in front of computer screens, I know how frustrating it can be working in spreadsheets. You're trying to get things done quickly, but it feels like every time you do something, it takes twice as long as it should. If you're anything like me, you probably use Google Sheets to make your life easier, but sometimes even Sheets can feel like a chore.
Today, I'm going to show you something that'll save you a few seconds each time you need to adjust the size of a cell. Doesn't sound like much, but trust me - when you're working on a big sheet, those seconds add up!
Let's start by acknowledging that adjusting cell size in Sheets isn't hard. It's a pretty straightforward process that you might be familiar with already. Just hover your mouse over the line between two rows or columns, and when the cursor changes to a double-sided arrow, click and drag the line to make the cell bigger or smaller.
So if it's so easy, why bother reading this article?
The thing is, if you're like most people, you probably rely on your mouse for just about everything in Sheets. But when it comes to adjusting cell size, dragging can be a real pain. You need to make sure you're aiming for the right line, and if you're not careful, you can accidentally move cells around and mess up your formatting.
Luckily, there's an easier way!
Yep, that's right - Google Sheets has a keyboard shortcut that makes adjusting cell size a breeze. And once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Okay, enough build-up. Here's the shortcut:
Alt + (hold the Alt key and then press the bracket key that matches the direction you want to adjust the cell)
Let me break that down a bit.
The bracket keys are the "[" and "]" keys that you'll find right beside your Enter key. And the direction you want to adjust the cell is indicated by which bracket key you use:
And that's it! Just hold down the Alt key and press the bracket key matching the direction you want to adjust the cell. Easy, right?
Of course, if you're a visual learner like me, it might take a bit of practice before you get the hang of it. But once you do, you'll find yourself zipping through your Sheets with lightning speed.
Did you think we were done? Not yet!
There are actually a slew of other keyboard shortcuts you can use to make working in Sheets even easier. Here are just a few:
Ctrl + C: Copy selected cellsCtrl + V: Paste copied cellsCtrl + Z: Undo last actionCtrl + Shift + V: Paste values onlyCtrl + ;: Insert current dateCtrl + Shift + :: Insert current timeAnd there are dozens more! If you're interested in learning them all, just head to the Google Sheets Help Center and search for "keyboard shortcuts."
So there you have it - a simple keyboard shortcut that'll make adjusting cell size in Google Sheets a breeze. Hopefully, this'll save you a few precious seconds each time you need to resize something.
And if you're interested in even more ways to make your Sheets experience even better, take some time to explore all the other keyboard shortcuts available. You might be surprised how much faster you can get things done!
Happy spreadsheet-ing!
