I. Intro 

You can set the number format of cells to ensure the right data type is used, such as dates, currencies, percentages, and plain text. 

II. Steps 

Change to a default number format 

Select a cell, click the [Number format] box on the top toolbar, and select a new format.

You can also change the number format by clicking the Currency, Percentage, or Decimal icons under the [Number format] box.

Change to other number formats 

Select a cell and click the [Number format] box on the top toolbar. Click More formats and select a number format.

The following formats are supported:

Format 
Description 
Image 
General 
Displays the value as it is typed. 
Number 
Allows you to set the number of decimal places, add a thousands separator, and specify how negative numbers are displayed. 
Currency 
Allows you to set the number of decimal places and specify how negative numbers are displayed. 
Supports 39 currency symbols, such as US Dollar, Chinese Yuan, Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen, Indian Rupee, and Korean Won. 
Date 
Supports multiple year, month, date, and day formats, as well as time options. 
Supports date formats in three languages: Simplified Chinese, English, and Japanese.
Time 
Supports multiple hour, minute, second formats, as well as 12/24 hour options. 
Percentage 
Allows you to set the number of decimal places. 
Scientific 
Allows you to set the number of decimal places for scientific notation. 
Text 
Numbers are treated the same as text, with cells displaying content exactly as entered. 
Note: You need to first select an empty cell, set the format to text, then enter the numbers. 
Custom 
Allows you to customize the number format as needed. For details, see Customize number format in Sheets.

III. FAQs