Google Sheets affords users the convenience and flexibility of managing data in whatever way suits their individual needs. There are occasional moments when users may require more than one line of text within a cell; fortunately, creating a new line within the same cell is quite achievable. Inserting multiple lines manually and through formulaic manipulation are both valid solutions to this problem, and with this tutorial, you will have all the information needed to expertly pass over any roadblocks in your Google Sheets journey.
How to Start a New Line in a Cell in Google Sheets?
You can add a new line to any cell either manually or using a formula. Everything depends on the needs. The option with manual editing is convenient for cases when it comes to one or more cells. Speaking of a large dataset, it’s better to automate adding rows to cells with a formula.
Method 1: Manually
To transfer data to a new cell line or simply create one, you need to do a few simple steps.
How to add a new line in a cell:
- We proceed to edit the cell by double-clicking on it with the left mouse button.
- Set the cursor at the place where we want to make a break.
- Hold down the Alt key and press Enter. On a Mac, press Control + Option + Enter.
Method 2: Formula
When working with large datasets, a simple formula can make the repetitive task of going through each line to get to the desired outcome a lot faster. To illustrate this, consider a dataset that contains addresses with commas separating each part of the address. If you want to put each part of the address on a new line, simply inserting a line break is not always effective as it has its own set of limits. However, if you go with adding a formula to your data, then all it takes is just a few minutes and the task is accomplished seamlessly. The use of certain keyboard shortcuts can also help alleviate this task, but when time and efficiency matter, formulas are the way to go when dealing with large datasets.
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,”, “,CHAR(10))
- Let’s take a closer look at this formula:
- A2 – cell with raw data set;
- “, ” – the character that we replace with a line break;
- CHAR(10) – line break character in the cell.
In conclusion, inserting a new line in a cell in Google Sheets is quite an achievable task. Whether it be by manual editing or formulaic manipulation, with the help of this tutorial you can be sure to correctly format your data and get to the desired outcome faster and more efficiently.
