How can I set default date format to DD/MM/YYYY in Numbers?

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How can I set default date format to DD/MM/YYYY in Numbers?

Hi all,

Switching from Excel to Numbers and dam what a struggle.

I have spent over an hour trying to do nothing more than have the date i enter into a cell do nothing more than show in european format i.e day/month/year, thats all I want.

I dont want to have to select each cell every time I enter a date just to change it from month/day/year to day/month/year.

Can someone please post an idiots guide because this is just getting really frustrating.

Kind regards

Mark

UK

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Setting a default date format in Numbers

MacBook Air (M4, 2025)

Posted on Jun 10, 2025 9:52 AM

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Answer 1

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SGIII

Level 8

37,532 points

Jun 12, 2025 4:20 AM in response to Marcusbrittanicus

In Numbers one normally works with smaller tables than Excel. Unlike in Excel, in Numbers you can easily have multiple tables on one sheet.

An entire column of a table might typically be for dates. You first select the body cells in that column by double-clicking the column letter, then go to the Data Format dropdown in the Cell tab of the format inspector on the right and set the format you want. If your Mac is set to UK the format you want should be in the dropdown.

Once you've set a format it will then apply to all cells in that column, even if you add extra rows to the table.

If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend having a look at the templates at File > New in the menu. They will ease your transition from Excel because they contain excellent examples of effective document design in Numbers.

Also have a look at Help > Numbers Help in the menu.

SG

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How can I set default date format to DD/MM/YYYY in Numbers?

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