Google Sheets automatically formats the data you type into cells. For example, if you type "1/2" and press "Enter," Google picks the date format and changes the data in the cell. If you type "1:2," Google selects the time format. To prevent Google Sheets from changing the text in your cells, use "Plain text" formatting instead of "Automatic" formatting. Choose any of the other formatting options if you want to apply a specific format to your cells.
Change Formatting Options
Select the cells you want to edit in your Google Sheets spreadsheet. To select adjacent cells, click and drag over them. To select several separate cells, hold "Ctrl" and click each cell. Click the "123" button in the toolbar at the top of the spreadsheet and select a different format for the cells. Google Sheets doesn't change the contents of the cells if you choose the "Plain text" format.
If the "Automatic" option is selected, Google picks a format automatically for each cell, based on the contents of the cell. Use the "Date" or "Time" format to type the date or time. If you work with financial data, you may find the "Financial" and "Currency" options helpful. To input numbers or percentages, use the "Number" or "Percent" option. To create a custom format, select "More Formats" and click "Custom number format."
Change Formatting Options
Select the cells you want to edit in your Google Sheets spreadsheet. To select adjacent cells, click and drag over them. To select several separate cells, hold "Ctrl" and click each cell. Click the "123" button in the toolbar at the top of the spreadsheet and select a different format for the cells. Google Sheets doesn't change the contents of the cells if you choose the "Plain text" format.
If the "Automatic" option is selected, Google picks a format automatically for each cell, based on the contents of the cell. Use the "Date" or "Time" format to type the date or time. If you work with financial data, you may find the "Financial" and "Currency" options helpful. To input numbers or percentages, use the "Number" or "Percent" option. To create a custom format, select "More Formats" and click "Custom number format."