How To Restore Missing/Disappeared Sheet Tabs In Microsoft Excel?

Ever stuck into such an issue where you can’t see tabs in Excel or sheets not visible in Excel? Looking for some easy tricks to fix Excel tabs not showing issue?

Leave all you worry because, for easy restoration of missing worksheet tabs, this tutorial is surely going to help you a lot. Here you will get the best tricks to overcome the Excel spreadsheets disappeared issue in an easy way.

Apart from that, you will also get an easy idea of how to find hidden worksheets in Excel 2010/2013/2016/2019.

Why Did My Excel Worksheet Disappeared?

Why My Worksheets Tabs are Missing

 

Normally, within the Excel workbook, you will get several tabs along with the bottom of the screen. The missing Excel worksheet tab issue mainly generates when sheets may get hidden in plain sight due to some changes in the Excel setting.

In order to solve the mystery of Excel tabs not showing problems let’s first find the answer to why are tabs not showing in Excel? After then follow the workarounds to fix the Excel missing sheet tabs issue.

There are numerous things that will make your Excel sheet disappeared.

Here we have listed some most common causes of Excel sheet tabs missing. Have a Look…

  • When you inadvertently disconnect the workbook Windows from Excel. Mainly while using the trio of restore windows buttons on the title bar and moving the Windows under the status bar.
  • The screen resolution is done too high and the tab gets vanished from the bottom of the screen.
  • You may have turned off the Display options for this workbook.
  • The workbook window is sized in a way that the tabs are hidden.
  • The tabs get obscure due to the horizontal scroll bar.
  • The worksheet itself is hidden.

How To Fix Excel Tabs Not Showing Issue?

recover tabs missing in excel

Follow the given methods to troubleshoot Excel Tabs Not Showing issue:

1: Change the Zoom Settings

2: Check Show Sheet Tabs Setting Is Turned Off

3: Unhide the Worksheet

4:  Check The Show Sheet Tabs Settings Controls

5: Check Excel Windows Arrangement

6: Click the Navigation Arrow in the Excel File

Now it’s time to discuss each of these methods of fixing Excel Worksheet disappeared in detail. So, let’s get started….!

Watch out this interesting video on how to restore missing Excel worksheet tabs and cells.

Method 1: Change the Zoom Settings

Change the zoom settings to some other settings. Then change the zoom settings back to the preferred settings.

Follow these steps to do this:

  • Click the zoom out or zoom in on the status bar.

Change the Zoom Settings

  • On the View tab, click zoom in the zoom group, select the settings you want under Magnification, and then click OK.

Change the Zoom Settings 1

Hope by changing the zoom settings you are able to see the missing Excel sheet tabs but if not then follow the method 2

Method 2: Check Show Sheet Tabs Setting Is Turned Off

This might be the case that Excel sheet tabs go missing as the sheet tabs setting is turned off. To verify it, follow the steps to do so:

  • Click File > Options > Advanced, then under Display options for this workbook.
  • Assure that the Show sheet tab checkbox is selected.

show sheet tab

This process is the same for all Excel versions.

Method 3: Unhide the Worksheet

In many cases, the Excel sheet disappeared by itself. So to get the missing sheet tab back you must use the unhide worksheet of Excel.

Follow the steps to do so:

  • Right-click on any visible tab on the worksheet > click Unhide
  • Then in the Unhide dialog box > click sheet you desire to unhide
  • Click Ok.

unhide a sheet

Method 4:  Check The Show Sheet Tabs Settings Controls

In Excel 2010 and former, it is comparatively easy to unintentionally organize a spreadsheet Window. Subsequently, the worksheet tabs aren’t present on the screen, even if the Show Sheet Tabs option is enabled. While this happens, double click on the workbook’s name to maximize the Window and recover workbooks.

In Excel 2013 if you are not able to see the worksheet tabs, simply double-click on the words “Microsoft Excel” at the top of the Windows for maximizing Excel’s application window.


Method 5: Check Excel Windows Arrangement

In some cases, it is found that Excel Windows get arranged in such a way so that the tabs are not visible.  So check for them. Make use of the keyboard shortcut to navigate between worksheets within the workbook. And to do this, press Ctrl – Page Up for activating the adjacent worksheets to the left and or else press Ctrl- Page Down for activating the next worksheet to the right.

figure-3

In this activate menu Excel 2013 provides helpful improvements since the entire worksheets are displayed in a single dialog box and after that, you can select a worksheet by entering the first letter of the sheet name.

In Excel 2010 or the earlier version, the Activate menu very first displays up to 16 worksheets and requires selecting more sheets for displaying more lists.

Additionally, in Excel 2010 or the earlier version, you should select the desired sheet name by making use of your mouse. Because the menu cannot be accessed by way of keystrokes as it is possible in Excel 2013.

You can also read: 7 Tricks To Fix Missing Gridlines In Excel Issue

Method 6: Click the Navigation Arrow in the Excel File

missing-worksheet-tabs-figure-4-copy

In many other cases, it happens that the worksheet tabs are available, but a worksheet still appears missing. In Excel 2007 and later versions, right-click on any worksheet tab and select unhide.

Well, if the command is disabled there is most likely no hidden worksheet is present in the workbook. However, there is still a way you can find out this possibility.

Follow the steps to access the unhide sheet command from Excel’s main menu:

  • Excel 2007 and later: Go to the home tab > select format > click hide and unhide sheet.

hide-unhide-figure-1-copy

  • Excel 2003 and earlier: Select Format > Sheet > and Unhide.
  • And Excel 2011 for Mac: From the main menu > select format option > sheet > unhide. The format command on the home tab of the ribbon doesn’t let you unhide the worksheet.

If the unhide sheet is disabled, you can’t necessarily assume that there are no hidden worksheets within a workbook.

Automatic Solution To Recover Missing/Disappeared Tabs In Excel

Well, if none of the above-mentioned methods help you to recover missing sheets in Excel. Then the chances are high that your Excel sheet has caught into some corruption issue. Due to the corruption of the Excel sheet, you may also find that your Excel sheet content disappeared.

In this case, you can make use of the professional recommended MS Excel Repair Tool.  This is the best tool to repair any sort of issues, corruption as well as errors in Excel files. It also restores the entire data in the preferred location. It is too easy to use.

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* Free version of the product only previews recoverable data.

Steps to Utilize MS Excel Repair Tool:

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Conclusion:

Hope after reading the article you are able to recover your missing sheet tabs in Excel. I tried my best to provide complete information about how to recover the missing or hidden sheet tabs in Microsoft Excel.

So, now it’s your turn to make use of the given methods to fix Excel tabs not showing the issue. Just go for it.

Good Luck!!!  



Priyanka is a content marketing expert. She writes tech blogs and has expertise in MS Office, Excel, and other tech subjects. Her distinctive art of presenting tech information in the easy-to-understand language is very impressive. When not writing, she loves unplanned travels.