Multiple Choice Grid in Google Forms on iPhone (2026)
Which Grid, and When
| You are asking… | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rate each item on one scale | Multiple choice grid | Satisfaction with venue / food / speakers |
| Pick several per item | Checkbox grid | Which days each volunteer can work |
| Rank items uniquely | Multiple choice grid + limit one per column | Rank 5 features, 1st–5th |
Building one from iPhone is the same flow as any question: add a question, change its type to the grid you need, then type rows (the items) and columns (the choices). Both grid types support the full option set in mobile Safari.
The Two Settings That Change Everything
Both live in the grid question’s ⋮ menu:
- Require a response in each row — submission blocks until every row is answered. Distinct from the card-level Required toggle (which only requires some interaction with the question). Powerful, and on long grids the top abandonment driver — require rows only when every row genuinely matters.
- Limit to one response per column — each column becomes single-use across rows, converting the grid into a ranking or unique-assignment matrix. For a clean full ranking, keep row and column counts equal.
The Mobile Reality: Grids Don’t Stay Grids
On a phone, Google renders each grid row as its own stacked option group — a 6×5 grid becomes six consecutive mini-questions and a lot of thumb travel. The matrix-at-a-glance effect your desktop preview shows simply does not survive the small screen. Practical consequences:
- Keep grids compact: up to ~5 rows and 3–5 columns holds up; beyond that, fatigue wins.
- Split big matrices into two grids across sections, or replace them with individual linear-scale questions — same data, same response-sheet columns, far less scrolling.
- Always preview on your actual phone before sending; the eye-icon preview in Safari shows exactly what respondents get.
In the response sheet, each row lands as its own spreadsheet column (“Question [Row]”) — short row labels now save you column-renaming during Excel export later.
Grid editing is also the single fiddliest question type in mobile Safari — long row/column lists in a cramped card. It all works, but if matrices are a regular part of your forms, the same editing in our Forms for Google Drive iOS app happens in a native interface built for a phone screen in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a multiple choice grid and a checkbox grid?
One answer per row versus many. In a multiple choice grid, each row accepts exactly one column choice — the classic rate-each-item matrix. In a checkbox grid, each row can take several columns — pick all days you are available, for example. Choose by asking: per row, is the answer one thing or possibly several?
How does a grid look for respondents on a phone?
Not like a grid. Small screens get each row expanded into its own group of options, so a 6-row grid becomes six stacked mini-questions and a long scroll. It works, but the at-a-glance matrix effect is gone — which is why compact grids (a handful of rows, 3–5 columns) hold up on mobile and sprawling ones get abandoned.
Can I force respondents to answer every row?
Yes — the grid's ⋮ menu has 'Require a response in each row', separate from the question-level Required toggle. With it on, the form blocks submission until every row has an answer. Use it deliberately: on a long grid it is the single biggest abandonment driver on phones.
What does 'Limit to one response per column' do?
It makes columns single-use across rows — once a column is chosen in any row, no other row can pick it. That turns the grid into a ranking or assignment tool: rank these 5 features 1st to 5th, or assign each person to a distinct shift. Rows and columns must be the same count for a full ranking.
How do grid answers appear in the response sheet?
Each row becomes its own column in the linked spreadsheet, labeled 'Question [Row]' — a 5-row grid produces five spreadsheet columns. Nothing is lost, but plan column naming: short row labels keep the sheet readable, and exports to Excel inherit whatever you wrote.
Is there a better mobile alternative to a big grid?
Often, yes. A 10-row grid on a phone performs worse than ten linear scale questions or a shorter form with branching. If the matrix look is not essential, separate scale questions produce the same data with less scrolling fatigue — and identical columns in the response sheet.