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How to sort in Google Sheets
Google Sheets packs many convenient features, one of the more vital ones being the ability to sort your data in alphabetical and numerical order to make sense of it all. Here’s how to sort in Google Sheets to save you time.
See also: How to find, highlight, and remove duplicates in Google Sheets
QUICK ANSWER
To sort in Google Sheets:
- Highlight the rows and columns you want to sort.
- Select Data > Sort range.
- Pick one of the default sorting options or Advanced range sorting options.
KEY SECTIONS
How to sort in Google Sheets on a computer
One everyday use for a spreadsheet is keeping track of your contacts, so for this example, we’ll demonstrate how to alphabetize a contact list. Before you can begin sorting, you’ll have to decide which data is important. Start by selecting all of the rows and columns you plan to use.
![sort in google sheets 1 1200x564 1 sort in google sheets 1 1200x564 1](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sort-in-google-sheets-1-1200x564-1.jpg)
Now head up to the Data tab. This is where you’ll manage your sorting, whether you choose to sort your Google Sheet by column or other criteria.
![sort in google sheets 2 1200x562 1 sort in google sheets 2 1200x562 1](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sort-in-google-sheets-2-1200x562-1.jpg)
Scroll down to the option that says Sort range, then click Advanced range sorting options. This should open a menu box. In our case, we’ve chosen not to highlight the header line, but if your data has a header, select the checkbox.
![sort in google sheets 3 1200x561 1 sort in google sheets 3 1200x561 1](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sort-in-google-sheets-3-1200x561-1.jpg)
The line that says Sort by is your opportunity to decide how to organize your data. As we’re using a contact list, we’ll sort by last name (Column B). Open the dropdown list to select the column and choose between the A → Z or Z → A buttons. Then click Sort.
![sort in google sheets 4 1200x564 1 sort in google sheets 4 1200x564 1](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sort-in-google-sheets-4-1200x564-1.jpg)
You should now see all of your contacts organized alphabetically by last name, making locating clients or staff easy. You can follow the same steps if you’re looking to sort by date too.
How to sort in Google Sheets on Android or iOS
To select a column, tap a letter at the top. Then tap the column again to open the menu. From there, tap More, represented by the triple-dot icon.
![more mobile sheets more mobile sheets](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/more-mobile-sheets.jpg)
Scroll down and tap Sort A-Z or Sort Z-A.
![sort Sheets mobile sort A-Z mobile](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sort-Sheets-mobile.jpg)
As you can see, Google will then sort the data accordingly.
![sorted column Sheets sorted column](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sorted-column-Sheets.jpg)
A quick sort can help you save plenty of time finding specific information in spreadsheets.
FAQs
Yes, a basic example of the sort function would be =SORT(range, column_index, ascending_order).
Make sure all of your date values are valid. One easy way to do this is to use the DATEVALUE function.