Google Sheets has three text-wrapping modes. Overflow lets long text spill into empty neighboring cells, Clip hides text beyond the cell edge, and Wrap makes the row taller so the full text appears on multiple lines inside the cell.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Google Sheets on the web and the Google Sheets mobile app on iPhone, iPad, or Android when long cell text is cut off or spills across the sheet.
Wrap text in selected cells
Use this for one cell, a range, or one column.
- Select the cell, range, or column.
- Click the text wrapping icon in the toolbar.
- Choose Wrap.
- If the icon is hidden, use Format > Text wrapping > Wrap.
The selected cells wrap long text onto multiple lines, and row height usually adjusts automatically.
Apply wrapping to a column or whole sheet
Use this when future entries in the same area should wrap too.
- Click a column letter to select the whole column, or drag across several column letters.
- Choose Format > Text wrapping > Wrap.
- To apply wrapping everywhere, click the top-left sheet selector square and then apply Wrap.
More control
Resize rows to fit
If text still looks cut off, the row height may be fixed. Right-click the row number, choose Resize row, and select Fit to data.
Choose Clip or Overflow instead
Clip is useful for short code columns that must stay narrow. Overflow is fine when neighboring cells are empty, but it stops as soon as the next cell contains content.
Turn wrapping off
Select the same cells and choose Overflow or Clip from Format > Text wrapping. There is no separate unwrap command.
Use the mobile app
Select the cell or range, tap the formatting A icon, open the Cell tab, and turn on Wrap text.
Sources
- Google Docs Editors Help – Wrap, clip, or overflow text in a cell (2025)
- Google Docs Editors Help – Resize rows, columns & cells (2025)
- Google Docs Editors Help – Format text and numbers in a spreadsheet (2025)