I am unable to delete rectangular shape covering formulas in Numbers

I have a column of formulas that I want to protect from being altered by other users. I tried to use a rectangular shape positioned over the column. That sort of works, however, when I try to turn off/delete the shape so I can edit the formulas, there appears to be no way to do that. I am not able to move or reduce the size of the shape. I am stuck with the shape, and it seems my only choice is to start from scratch and re-build the spreadsheet. It is a complex sheet so hopefully there is a way to delete the shape. My recommendation: don't ever use shapes for this purpose. Unfortunate, because apparently there is no straightforward way to protect cells in Numbers.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Deleting Shapes in Numbers


MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Aug 12, 2025 3:15 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 12, 2025 6:28 PM

That sounds strange. If the shape is locked, try going to Arrange > Unlock in the menu, then click it and press Delete. If you still can’t select it, zoom out a bit and click near the border of the shape rather than the center. This usually makes it easier to grab.

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I am unable to delete rectangular shape covering formulas in Numbers

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