# How do I change the date format in Google Sheets?

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):**

1. Select the cells.
2. Click **Format > Number**.
3. Pick a date format from the list.

**Custom date format:**

1. Highlight the dates.
2. Click **Format > Number > Custom date and time**.
3. Search the text box for a format, or type your own.
4. 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.
5. 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](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/56470)
- Updated: 2026-10-29
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Category: Google Sheets and Excel how-tos
- Canonical: https://profitdrawer.com/answers/how-do-i-change-the-date-format-in-google-sheets.html
- Publisher: ProfitDrawer (https://profitdrawer.com)