Excel is the go-to application for most users when it comes to calculations and working with spreadsheets. However, dealing with date formats can be quite cumbersome. In this article, we'll discuss the best way to remove date format in Excel and switch to a different format, such as text.
Removing Date Format in Excel
Guide to Removing Date Format in Excel 2019
In this guide, we'll demonstrate how to remove date format in Excel 2019. Essentially, this method doesn't turn off the date format; rather, it's about abandoning the current format and switching to a different one for use.
Step 1: Open Excel and select (highlight) the cells you want to remove the date format from, or select the entire data range where you'll input numerical data.
Step 2: In the Home tab menu, click the down arrow as described in the image below under Number Format -> then choose the format type as Text.
Step 3: The result is that when you input new numbers or delete the numbers in the cells whose format has been changed in the Excel spreadsheet, they will no longer automatically convert to date format.
Apart from the method we just discussed for removing date format, you can also use a space or a single quotation mark (') before entering numbers. For example, entering '12-6 or '12-2 will prevent the data from being converted to date format because the single quotation mark indicates to Excel that the format is not recognized as a number, thus it won't convert it to date format. While these methods are useful for viewing purposes, they may not be suitable for calculations or format conversions in the future.
Above is the guide to removing date format in Excel 2019 by switching to a different format that suits your current usage needs. You should also refer to the date functions in Excel that Mytour has previously introduced to understand how to convert using function syntax.
In addition, for Excel files where you need to convert numbers to dates due to changes in file formats caused by file conversion, data copying, etc., you can also make changes. Follow the instructions in the guide to convert numbers to dates here and then proceed accordingly! Wishing you success.
- Read more: How to Convert Numbers to Dates in Excel
