How to Change Cell Border Color in Google Sheets

Colored cell borders make tables easier to read, highlight totals, and help sections of a spreadsheet stand out. In Google Sheets, border color is hidden inside the Borders menu, and the order of steps matters: you pick the color first, then apply the border. This guide shows how to change border color on a computer and in the mobile app, how to change the color of existing borders, and how to remove them.

Quick Answer

Select the cells, click the Borders button in the toolbar, click the Border color (pencil) icon and choose a color, then click the border type you want, such as All borders or Outer borders. The border appears in the new color.

Step-by-Step on a Computer

1. Select the cells you want to add colored borders to.
2. Click the Borders icon (a square divided into four) in the toolbar. If you do not see it, click the three-dot More button at the end of the toolbar.
3. Click the Border color pencil icon on the right side of the menu.
4. Choose a color, or click Custom (the plus sign) to enter a hex code.
5. Click the border type you want to apply.

Optionally, click the Border style icon (below the pencil) to choose a thicker line, dashed line, dotted line, or double line before applying.

Border Types Explained

Option	What it does
All borders	Lines around every cell in the selection
Inner borders	Lines between cells only
Horizontal / Vertical borders	Only inner horizontal or vertical lines
Outer borders	A box around the whole selection
Left / Top / Right / Bottom border	A line on one side of the selection
Clear borders	Removes all borders from the selection

Change the Color of Existing Borders

Google Sheets does not recolor borders that are already there when you change the pencil color. You need to reapply them:

1. Select the cells with the existing borders.
2. Open Borders, pick the new color with the pencil.
3. Click the same border type again, such as All borders.

If some borders keep their old color, click Clear borders first, then apply the new color and border type.

Change Border Color in the Mobile App

1. Open the spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app and select the cells.
2. Tap the Format button (the letter A with lines).
3. Tap the Cell tab, then Borders.
4. Tap Border color and choose a color, and optionally Border style.
5. Tap a border type to apply it.

Tips

• Use Paint format (the paint roller icon) to copy borders and colors from one range to another.
• Use alternating colors (Format > Alternating colors) for easy-to-read tables without many borders.
• Gridlines are separate from borders. Turn them off in View > Show > Gridlines to make your colored borders stand out. Gridlines do not print by default; borders do.
• Conditional formatting cannot add borders in Google Sheets. It can change text and fill colors instead.

Troubleshooting

The border is still black

You applied the border before choosing a color. Choose the color first, then click the border type again.

The Borders button is missing

Your window may be too narrow. Click the three-dot More button in the toolbar, or widen the window.

Borders disappear when I sort or paste

Pasting can overwrite formatting. Use Paste special > Values only (Ctrl + Shift + V) to keep existing borders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the default border color in Google Sheets?

No. You choose the color each time you apply borders, though Paint format helps reuse styles.

Can I make thicker colored borders?

Yes. Choose a thicker line in Border style before applying.

How do I remove borders?

Select the cells, open Borders, and click Clear borders.

Summary

1. Select cells and click Borders.
2. Choose a color with the Border color pencil.
3. Optionally choose a Border style.
4. Click the border type to apply it, reapplying to recolor existing borders.