Do you sometimes share spreadsheets with colleagues and work on them simultaneously? During collaborations, the temporary view feature in Microsoft Excel can help prevent confusion.

Collaborating in Microsoft Office is the easiest and most convenient way to share documents, but it can also be distracting. The constant changes can be misleading when trying to concentrate.

You can solve this problem by creating a temporary view using the Sheet Views feature in Excel. In this way, you can concentrate on the data you wish to examine while collaborating.

The Basics of the Temporary View Feature and Its Availability

The feature is accessible and is hosted by Microsoft Excel 365. You can access it from Windows 10 and even older versions such as the 2007 model; Excel web access also offers access. Here's an overview of how Sheet Views work in Excel:

  • To access Sheet Views from the desktop application for Excel, you must first save the log to OneDrive, Sharepoint, or OneDrive for Business. Otherwise, it will not be accessible.
  • You can make changes to any cell regardless of which view you are using.
  • The feature is available only for an active spreadsheet.
  • Even when not collaborating, the same feature can still be used to create custom views for you and other users.

How Can You Make Temporary Views?

Once you've understood the basics and accessibility of the feature, it's time to learn how to create a temporary sheet view. To use this feature, you require a shared worksheet.

  1. First, open your shared workbook on Excel and select the sheet in which you want to create a temporary view.
  2. Look for the tab View on the top bar, and on the left side of this row, you'll spot a section labeled Sheet View. Click on New.
  3. Once you've clicked, you will instantly notice a difference in your sheet's formation as the dropdown menu on the Sheet View section will indicate Temporary View.
    Opened sharable excel sheet in temporary view

How to Use Temporary Views During Collaborations

Once you have created a temporary view sheet, the functions and changes involved in the feature will include the following:

  1. The background of the headers on the rows and columns of your sheet will turn black.
  2. The drop-down ribbon on the sheet view bar will display Temporary View.
  3. When you place the cursor over the eye icon next to your sheets, the name of the current sheet will be displayed.
    Excel-spreedsheet-temporary-view-showing-icon-of-an-eye-besides-the-current-sheet-tab

When in temporary view mode, you can work on the sheet with no disruptions from the rest of the users and can make edits and evaluations as you would if you were the only one working on the sheet

Related: How to Create Multiple Dependent Drop-Down Lists in Excel

What Can You Do with Sheet View?

Here are a number of actions featured in the Sheet View that are convenient for users:

Saving Your Temporary View

Sheet View allows you to save your temporary sheet; not only one sheet but multiple sheets. To save your temporary sheet, you need to:

  1. Move your cursor to the ribbon and on the Sheet view section, click Keep.
  2. The view will be saved as View1 for the first sheet, then click Exit to save the initial sheet view.
  3. You can click New on the eye icon to create another temporary view, which you can again save by clicking Exit. This sheet will be saved as View2, and you can go on for as many as you want to save.
  4. If you prefer to name your Sheet Views, you can click Options in the sheet view ribbon > Rename > View1 and replace its name.
    Rename-Excel-spreadsheet-temporary-view1

Leave or Switch a Sheet View

You can use the Sheet View section to change the view format to a different view. You can also use the drop-down menu to change back to default by just clicking the Exit icon.

Excel Spreadsheet temporary Sheetview section view2 dropdown menu

Other Users Viewing the Sheet View

You can save and use any view you want on the sheet, which anyone can view. They can also create their own views, which you can also access and use. On the Sheet View section of the ribbon, you can select the views you created.

The use of this feature can be both positive and negative depending on the users accessing the views. You are able to utilize the views saved by others, but it's still risky as other users may alter a view willingly or by accident.

Management of Sheet Views

You can manage your views to your liking. You can delete, duplicate or rename a sheet view by simply moving to the Sheet View section and clicking Options. You can as well organize other users' sheet views using the same window.

Renaming-Excel-spreadsheet-temporary-view2-sheetview-options

Using a temporary sheet view allows you to save your changes while others use the worksheet at the same time.

What Are the Benefits Presented by the Sheet View Feature in Excel

By using a temporary sheet view, you can create and manage your sheets faster and easier. There are also additional advantages to using it:

  • You can make as many as 256 temporary sheets.
  • Changes made to a single cell in the sheet view can be viewed by everyone the moment they are made.
  • The dropdown menu for the sheet view only displays the sheet views opened on the active sheet.
  • This feature also allows you to make custom views for yourself and others when not collaborating.
  • You can move back and forth easily through the sheets once you save the custom view data.

Related: How to Filter in Excel to Display the Data You Want

This Is the Most Convenient Feature for Collaborations

With Sheet Views, you can customize your views during collaborations on a worksheet without interruptions from other users.

Further, the Sheet View feature allows you to filter out all the data you do not need and display only the important information. Others can do the same without affecting each other's actions on the sheet.

When you are done with a view, you can choose to delete it under the Options tab. Alternatively, you can click Shift/Ctrl + left click in that order if you want to remove multiple views at once.