How To Change The Date Formats In Excel For Mac

Hi Andy,

After some research, I have found two ways to change the date format for your reference.

Mar 30, 2012 - Quick Date Format Change To change date formatting in Excel. Default short and long date formats follow the settings of your Windows or Mac.

• Open the Excel application> Go to the top menu bar> Click Format> Select Cells and click on the Number tab>Select Date in Category > You will see a list of types, select the one you want from there > OK.
• Open the Excel application>Select the column with the date> Choose Data on the top menu bar>Text to Columns>Click Next>Next>In the third pane of the dialog, select the Date: radio button and choose DMY from the dropdown>Click Finish.

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Thanks for your understanding. Best desktop publishing software.

Felix

Hi Chris, thank you for your reply. Unfortunately you mis-understood the problem. I have no problem in displaying the dates in either European or American format using the methodology you mentioned. The problem is that I want to enter the dates in European format. I want to enter today's date as 17/4/2017. There is no obvious way to change the format in which the dates are entered even though everything else on my iPad is set up for European. When I use the same spreadsheet on a different computer, such as my iMac, the dates can be entered in European format.

But when I retrieve the same spreadsheet on my iPad it is still only possible to put those same dates in American format. Okay, I've taken the time to review my Excel app on my iPad Mini 4. I'm using iOS 10.3.1, and the latest updated version of the Excel app. I'm logged in with my Office 365 account and cannot find an options section to make any global changes to the date field. I know you may have already tried this, but have you tried formatting that column of the spreadsheet while on the computer to that particular date format and then open it on the iPad?

Does that make a difference? I know that I can select the column and make a change to the format and it sticks. The problem is that with my device in the US regional format, the short date is 4/17/17 for today rather than 17/4/17.

I can use a European format, but with the larger date format, 17 Apr 17. I'm sorry I'm not more help, but I would try the link that Tom provided and see what they say over at Microsoft.

Chris, thanks again for your effort (so late at night!). I have tried it the way you suggest.

Excel on iMac On my Mac, I can enter the date as 17/4/17 and display it as 17 Apr 2017 or as 17/4/2017 (or the American way, if I prefer). In other words Excel input and Excel display work as expected. Excel App on iPad Pro On the iPad, using exactly the same spreadsheet (retrieved from the cloud - mycloud), I am forced to enter the date as 4/17/17 (American style). I can display the result as 17 Apr 17, or as 4/17/2017. On the iPad there does not appear to be any option to enter the date as 17/4/17, nor does there appear any option to display it as 17/4/2017. Excel Date display format can be imported to the Ipad but not set.

When I use the iPad to retrieve the file from the cloud, the dates display the same as on my iMac, including those in the format 17/4/17. However since that format does not seem to be allowed on an iPad, the minute I change the format, to any other, there is not possibility to return to the 17/4/17 format.

Conclusion: Excel App is designed for Americans. In conclusion, it seems that the Excel App for the iPad does not permit inputting dates in European format, nor does it allow those dates to be displayed in the format 17/4/17, unless that format was set on a different machine.

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