WPS Highlight Rows and Columns on iOS: Introduction

WPS Highlight Rows and Columns is a spreadsheet viewing aid on iOS; this guide covers 1 core task, with 1 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	1	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	1	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

Highlight Rows and Columns helps you highlight the row and column of the currently selected cell in WPS Spreadsheets on iOS, making it easier to locate data in large sheets on a phone or tablet.

Key capabilities include:

Turn on row and column highlighting from the View tab.
Switch between preset highlight colors after the feature is enabled.
Follow the current selection automatically when you tap a different cell.
Turn the display mode off when you no longer need it.

This feature is useful for reviewing long tables, checking figures, taking notes in class or meetings, and locating cells more quickly on a mobile screen.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	An iPhone or iPad that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for local highlighting; internet access is needed for download and updates
Other	You need to open a spreadsheet file and access the View area in the app

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Installation	Download and install WPS Office on your device, then sign in and open a spreadsheet file
Check after installation	Open any spreadsheet, go to View, and confirm that the Highlight Rows and Columns entry is available

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	On iOS, WPS lets you turn on Highlight Rows and Columns directly in spreadsheet view. After you select a cell, its row and column are highlighted automatically, and you can switch preset colors.	Microsoft’s official Excel page here explains changing the highlight color for selected cells through system settings on Mac, focusing on selection visibility rather than automatic row-and-column tracking for the active cell.	Google Sheets officially supports conditional formatting for cells, rows, or columns, which is useful for rule-based highlighting rather than instant tracking of the current selection.	Notion officially supports conditional color in database views and can apply color to an entire row or to a property in table view.	Adobe Acrobat officially supports highlighting related content objects in the Content panel, which is aimed at PDF structure review rather than spreadsheet row-and-column tracking.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: the feature is available directly from the View tab on iOS. Distinct: after you select a cell, the related row and column update immediately, which fits mobile spreadsheet navigation.	Compared with WPS: the official guidance here is centered on selected-cell highlight color and system-level appearance, not a dedicated spreadsheet row-and-column follow mode.	Compared with WPS: Google’s official method is more suitable for condition-based formatting rules than for live selection-based row and column guidance.	Compared with WPS: Notion’s color behavior is tied to database view rules and information management workflows instead of spreadsheet selection tracking.	Compared with WPS: Adobe’s highlighting is designed for PDF content structure and accessibility workflows, not spreadsheet browsing and cell-position reference.
Official Source	—	Change the highlight color of selected cells	Use conditional formatting rules in Google Sheets	Database properties	Edit document structure with the Content and Tags panels

Overall Conclusion
WPS is more focused on immediate spreadsheet navigation on mobile devices, because the highlighted row and column follow the active cell as you move through a sheet. The other official solutions above provide color or highlight features as well, but they are mainly designed for conditional formatting, database views, or PDF structure workflows.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable Users	Main Pain Point	How It Helps
1	Locate the current data position in a long sheet	Students and office users	It is easy to lose track of the current row and column in large tables	Turn on row and column highlighting so the current position is shown automatically
2	Check figures on a mobile screen	Finance, sales, and operations users	A smaller screen makes cross-cell reading less intuitive	Highlight the current row and column to confirm the data intersection more quickly
3	Take notes in class or meetings	Teachers and note takers	It is easy to move to the wrong cell while entering data	The selected cell keeps its row and column visible during input
4	Switch colors for clearer viewing	Users who want different visual contrast	One display color may not be clear enough in every sheet	Switch among preset highlight colors
5	Turn off the aid when it is no longer needed	All users	Continuous highlighting may not be necessary all the time	Turn off Highlight Rows and Columns to exit the display mode

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
Highlight Rows and Columns	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic spreadsheet viewing and editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Additional advanced office and extended benefits	Some features may be limited	More advanced benefits are available

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended Plan	Why
You only need to highlight rows and columns in spreadsheets	Free	This feature can be used without membership
You also need broader advanced office features	WPS Premium	Suitable if you want additional premium tools and membership benefits in the same account

WPS membership page: Subscribe now