Before creating or editing a spreadsheet in Google Sheets, it’s good to make sure that the default currency for the document matches your expectations. Here’s how to change the default currency and how to check it in existing spreadsheets.
How to Set the Default Currency for All Sheets
To set the default currency for all new Google Sheets, visit your profile language settings at https://myaccount.google.com/language. Once you’ve selected your language in the “Preferred Language” section, Sheets will assume that you want to use the currency of your language region as the default in all the new Sheets that you’ll create going forward.
For existing sheets, you’ll need to change the currency manually for each sheet using the method described below.
How to Set the Default Currency for the Current Sheet
Google Sheets remembers the currency setting for each sheet individually. You can change it by setting your current locale. To do so, open your favorite web browser and visit Google Sheets. Then, load the spreadsheet that you’d like to change the currency for.
Once it’s loaded, click File > Spreadsheet Settings in the menu at the top of the page.
In the “Settings for this spreadsheet” window that pops up, click the “General” tab.
Under “Locale,” you’ll see a drop-down menu showing the names of various countries. Pick the country whose currency you want to use. For example, if you want U.S. dollars to be the default currency, select “United States.”
Click “Save Settings” when you’re done.
After you change your locale, any money amounts already entered into the sheet will be automatically translated to the currency format of the locale that you selected, and any currency values that you insert after this point will match the locale. This change only applies to this one spreadsheet.
How to Check Whether the Correct Currency Is Set as the Default
If you’d like to verify that the correct currency is set as the default, click the “Format” menu and select “Number.”
Locate “Currency” in the list, and make sure that it shows the correct symbol for the currency that you selected (the dollar symbol (“$”) in the U.S., for example).
If it’s correct, then you’re good to go. If not, revisit the section above to change your locale.
How to Set Cells as “Currency” Format in Google Sheets
In Google Sheets, you need to set cells as “currency” to see the currency symbol properly. Once it’s set, you can type any number, and Google Sheets will automatically add the currency symbol to those cells. Here’s how to do it.
First, start by selecting the cells where you need to show currency symbols.
Once you’re done selecting, click Format > Number in the menu.
In the list that appears, select “Currency.”
This will convert all the cells that you selected to “Currency” format. Type any number in those cells, and Sheets will add the currency symbol for your locale automatically.
Now that you’ve learned the basics, you might also enjoy learning how to convert currency in Google Sheets. Good luck!
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