How to Remove Cell Shading in Google Sheets

Cell shading (fill color) is useful for highlighting headers and important rows, but when you copy data from somewhere else or inherit someone’s spreadsheet, you often end up with colors you don’t want. Removing shading in Google Sheets takes a click, but if the color keeps coming back, it may be coming from alternating colors, conditional formatting or a table style instead. This guide covers each case on a computer and in the mobile app.

Quick Answer

Select the cells, click the Fill color (paint bucket) button on the toolbar, and click Reset. To remove all formatting at once, press Ctrl + \ (Command + \ on a Mac) or choose Format > Clear formatting.

Remove Fill Color From Cells

1. Select the shaded cells. Click a column letter or row number to select the whole column or row, or press Ctrl + A to select the whole sheet.
2. Click the Fill color button (the paint bucket) on the toolbar.
3. Click Reset at the top of the menu.

This removes only the background color; bold text, borders and number formats stay the same.

Clear All Formatting

If you want to strip everything, including fonts, colors, borders and number formats, select the cells and press Ctrl + \, or click Format > Clear formatting. Data and formulas aren’t affected.

Shading Still There? Check These

Alternating Colors

Banded rows come from the Alternating colors feature, which Reset doesn’t remove.

1. Click any cell in the banded range.
2. Choose Format > Alternating colors.
3. Click Remove alternating colors at the bottom of the side panel.

Conditional Formatting

If cells change color based on their values, a conditional formatting rule is responsible.

1. Select the cells and choose Format > Conditional formatting.
2. In the side panel, hover over a rule and click the trash can to delete it.

Tables

If your data was converted to a table (Format > Convert to table), the table style adds colors. Click the table, open the table menu (the arrow next to the table name), choose Table settings, and pick a plain color theme, or choose Revert to un-formatted data if available.

Protected Ranges

If you can’t change the color at all, the range may be protected or you may have view-only access. Ask the owner for edit access.

Remove Shading on iPhone, iPad or Android

1. Open the spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app and select the cells.
2. Tap the Format (A with lines) icon.
3. On the Cell tab, tap Fill color and choose Reset (or white).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is choosing white the same as Reset?

Not quite. White is an actual fill color that hides gridlines in some views. Reset removes the fill entirely.

Can I remove shading from only some colors?

Google Sheets doesn’t have a “find by color” tool. Filter by color instead: add a filter (Data > Create a filter), click the filter icon, choose Filter by color > Fill color, then select the visible rows and reset their fill.

Does Undo remove shading?

Yes, if you just added it. Press Ctrl + Z.

Summary

1. Select the cells.
2. Click Fill color > Reset.
3. Use Ctrl + \ to clear all formatting.
4. Remove alternating colors or conditional formatting if the color remains.