How to merge cells in Google sheets without losing data

You can watch a video tutorial here.

When formatting tables in Google Sheets, you may need to merge cells to properly label the data and to make it look neater. When cells are merged in Google Sheets, only the data in the top left cell is retained and the data in the other cells are lost. If you need only the top left data, then it is okay to proceed with merging. This solution looks at how to retain the data when merging cells. 

Step 1 – Copy the values

– Select the cells to be merged
– Press Ctl+C 

Step 2 – Paste the data into the top cell

– Double-click on the top cell or place the cursor on the cell and click F2
– Delete the data in the cell
– Press Ctrl+V
– Press Enter

Step 3 – Navigate to the merge button

– Select the cells to be merged
– Go to the Merge cells button on the ribbon
– Expand Select merge type 
– Choose Merge vertically

Step 4 – Acknowledge the warning

– A warning be displayed
– Click OK

Step 5 – Check the result

– The cells are merged and the data is retained