Google Sheets – How to Hide Dropdown Arrows from Data Validation

data validationgoogle sheetsuser interface

I use Data Validation with List from a range set up on all my rows in a column to be able to choose a "Category"

The arrows however, are annoying to see – especially on cells I haven't yet filled.

Is there a way I can hide those arrows and just be able to either start typing or double click in the box to see the options – without ever showing the arrows)

Best Answer

Yes you can, just un-check the "Show dropdown list in cell" checkbox on the data validation dialog.

Related Solutions

Google Sheets – Show Data Validation Dropdown Based on Another Cell

Using a custom formula for validation never creates a dropdown. Dropdowns are available only for lists of values that are either entered directly into the validation rule, or are contained elsewhere in a sheet ("list from a range").

Possible workaround: use "list from a range" validation rule, referring to a range in which you use some formulas to compute the available options.

Example: cell B3 has validation rule saying "list from the range P3:R3". Cell P3 has the formula =if(isblank(A3), "", {"aa", "bb", "cc"}). So, if A3 is nonempty, than the range P3-R3 contains "aa", "bb", "cc", and these values appear in the dropdown in B3. Otherwise the range is blank, and so is the dropdown.

Google-sheets – Google Sheets Dropdown using Multiple Sets of Data

This used not to be possible, and I suspect still isn't. A workaround of sorts may be to enter:

 ={A3:A14;A19:A23}

in a spare area, and then apply whatever range that occupies to the list range for your dropdown.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Google Sheets – Show Data Validation Dropdown Based on Another Cell

Google-sheets – Google Sheets Dropdown using Multiple Sets of Data

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