To change the date format in Google Sheets, select the date cells, click Format > Number > Custom date and time, search for a format or build your own, such as Jan 8, 2026 or 01/08/2026, and click Apply. The formats offered follow the spreadsheet's locale, set under File > Settings. ProfitDrawer's bookkeeping spreadsheets show dates as mmm d, yyyy, for example Jan 8, 2026, and changing that display does not change any totals.
Quick format (computer):
- Select the cells.
- Click Format > Number.
- Pick a date format from the list.
Custom date format:
- Highlight the dates.
- Click Format > Number > Custom date and time.
- Search the text box for a format, or type your own.
- To add a part such as the weekday, hour or minute, click the down arrow at the right of the text box and choose a value. Click a part to change it, or select Delete to remove it.
- Click Apply.
Why the default looks wrong: the date options Sheets offers are based on the spreadsheet's locale. If dates show day and month the wrong way round, change the locale under File > Settings > Locale and click Save settings. That changes the file for everyone who opens it.
Formatting changes the look only. The cell still holds the same date, so SUMIFS date tests and sorting are unaffected.
If a typed date will not take a format, it may be stored as text; retype it in a form your locale recognizes.
Source: Format numbers in a spreadsheet: Google Docs Editors Help · Updated
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General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check the rules for your state and your situation.