Google recently introduced the new smart chips feature in Google Sheets that allows you to add dynamic information to your documents with relative ease. You can add locations, events, people, documents, and more to your documents using smart chips. Smart chips also introduced the ability to add and use “Dropdowns” smart chips in Google Sheets. Dropdowns smart chips allow you to create choices for any particular cell and then accept the required data accordingly.
You can create different rules depending on the data you wish to accept and even assign different colors to easily identify the choices. So if you want to make the most of this new Dropdowns smart chip in Google Sheets, we have the perfect guide for you. Let’s get started.
Related: How to Add a Drop-down List in Google Sheets [2023]
How to use Google Sheets Dropdowns chip
You can add and use the Dropdowns smart chip in Google Sheets using various methods. You can use a keyboard shortcut or various menu options to insert your smart chip. Once inserted, you can then use the next step to customize and finalize the smart chip according to your needs and requirements. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Add your Dropdowns smart chip in Google Sheets
Here are all the ways in which you can add a Dropdowns smart chip to your sheet in Google Sheets. Follow either section below, depending on the method you prefer.
Method 1: Using the “@” symbol
This is by far the easiest and most efficient way to insert smart chips in Google Sheets. Follow the steps below to help you along with the process.
Visit docs.google.com/spreadsheets in your browser and open the concerned sheet where you wish to add a Dropdowns smart chip.
Click and select the cell where you wish to add the Dropdowns smart chip. You can also select multiple cells or columns if you wish.
Now press the @ symbol on your keyboard.
A new context menu will now be available to you. Click and select Dropdowns from the context menu.
And that’s how you can use the “@” symbol to insert a Dropdowns smart chip in Google Sheets.
You can also use the Insert option in the menu bar to add a “Dropdowns” smart chip to your sheet. Follow the steps below to help you along with the process.
Visit docs.google.com/spreadsheets in your browser and open the concerned sheet where you wish to add a Dropdowns smart chip.
Click and select the cell where you wish to insert the smart chip. You can also select multiple cells, rows, and columns depending on your requirements.
Click Insert in the menu bar at the top.
Select Dropdown.
And that’s it! You will now have added a Dropdowns smart chip in your sheet in Google Sheets.
Method 3: Using Data validation
You can also add a Dropdowns smart chip using the Data validation option. This is the old way of inserting drop-down menus in Google Sheets. Follow the steps below to help you along with the process.
Visit docs.google.com/spreadsheets in your browser and open the concerned sheet where you wish to add a Dropdowns smart chip.
Click and select the concerned cell, row, column, or multiple cells, depending on your needs.
Click Data in the menu bar at the top.
Select Data validation.
And that’s it! A Dropdowns smart chip will be automatically inserted in the selected cell.
Lastly, you can also use the right-click context menu to insert a Dropdowns smart chip. Follow the steps below to help you along with the process.
Visit docs.google.com/spreadsheets in your browser and open the concerned sheet where you wish to add a Dropdowns smart chip.
Right-click on the cell where you wish to insert the smart chip. You can also select a range, a row, or a column and then right-click on it.
Select Dropdown.
And that’s it! A Dropdowns smart chip will now be inserted in the selected cell.
Step 2: Customize and finalize your Dropdowns smart chip
We can now customize and finalize your smart chip according to your needs. Let’s create a status drop-down menu for tasks with different choices for this example. Follow the steps below to help you along with the process.
The range where the Dropdowns smart chip will be available will be shown on your right under Apply to range.
Let’s start by selecting the preferred requirements for your smart chip. Click the drop-down menu for Criteria and select your preferred choice. You can choose Dropdown to create custom choices for the drop-down menu.
Select Dropdown (from a range) if the choices you wish to include exist in the sheet. This will allow you to select the range and automatically add them as your preferred choices.
You also get other parameters that will restrict the data selected and entered into the smart chip. You can choose the data to be entered based on Text, Date, Value, Checkbox, or a Custom formula.
As we wish to create a status drop-down menu, we will select Dropdown for this example.
Click the first text box and type in your preferred choice.
Click the icon beside the text box.
Now choose your preferred color for the choice.
Click Add another item once you’re done.
Now customize and add the text for your second option, as we did above.
Repeat the steps above to add any more choices that might be required in your smart chip.
Click Advanced options.
Now choose the preferred behavior for the smart chip when invalid data is entered or selected.
Choose your preferred smart chip look under Display style. We have included a preview for each style below.
- Chip
- Arrow
- Plain text
Click Done.
And that’s how you can add and use the Dropdowns smart chip in Google Sheets.
How to edit or remove the Dropdowns smart chip
Here’s how you can edit or remove the Dropdowns smart chip from your sheet in Google Sheets.
Open docs.google.com/spreadsheets in your browser. Click the concerned sheet to open it in your browser.
Now click and select a cell, range, row, or column where you wish to edit or remove the Dropdowns smart chip.
Click Remove all on your right to remove the smart chip.
Click the rule at the top.
You can now edit the various parameters for the smart chip as needed.
And that’s how you can edit or remove the Dropdowns smart chip from your sheet in Google Sheets.
Can you add and use the Dropdowns smart chip in the Google Sheets mobile app?
Unfortunately, smart chips aren’t available in the Google Sheets mobile app. If you wish to use the Dropdowns smart chip or any other smart chip for that matter, then you will need to use the web app version of Google Sheets available on desktop devices.
We hope this post helped you easily add and use the Dropdowns smart chip in a sheet in Google Sheets. If you face any issues or have any more questions, feel free to reach out to us using the comments below.
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