Convert Time to Text in Google Sheets: A Guide (2024)

Convert Time to Text in Google Sheets

Converting time to plain text in Google Sheets is a common task that allows users to manipulate and display time data in a more readable or specific format. This process can be achieved using various methods, including built-in functions and custom formatting options.

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Using the TEXT Function

The 'TEXT' function is a straightforward way to convert time to text in Google Sheets. It allows you to format a date or time according to a specified format. The basic syntax of the function is:

'=TEXT(value, format_text)'

Where 'value' is the cell reference or the time you want to convert, and 'format_text' is the format in which you want the output. For example, to convert a time value in cell A1 to a text string showing hours and minutes, you would use:

'=TEXT(A1, "hh:mm")'

This function is highly versatile, allowing for various time formats, such as including AM/PM indicators or displaying seconds.

Google Sheets Time Format

Understanding Google Sheets' time format is crucial for effectively converting time to text. Time in Google Sheets is represented as a fraction of a 24-hour day; for instance, 12:00 PM is represented as 0.5. When using the 'TEXT' function, you can specify the format to match your needs, whether you're working with 12-hour or 24-hour time formats.

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How to Format Time in Google Sheets

Besides the 'TEXT' function, Google Sheets offers built-in formatting options to display time data as text. You can access these options by selecting your time cells, clicking on 'Format' in the menu, then 'Number', and choosing one of the time formats available. For more customized formatting, select 'Custom date and time' to specify exactly how you want the time to appear.

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Google Sheets Convert Text to Time

Conversely, if you have time data in text format and wish to convert it back to a time format, you can use the 'TIMEVALUE' function. This function converts a time string into a numeric time value. The syntax is:

'=TIMEVALUE(time_text)'

Where 'time_text' is the text string representing a time. After converting, you can apply any of the built-in time formats to display the time as desired.

Understanding both directions of conversion between text and time formats in Google Sheets enhances your ability to manage and present time data effectively, catering to various analytical and presentation needs.

Converting time to plain text in Google Sheets can streamline data presentation and analysis. While manual methods exist, automating this process with Bardeen can significantly enhance efficiency and accuracy, especially for repetitive tasks or large datasets.

Explore these automation examples to revolutionize how you handle time data in Google Sheets:

1. Copy a list of meetings during a timeframe to a Google Sheet: This playbook simplifies scheduling and time management by automatically transferring your Google Calendar meetings into a Google Sheet, making it easier to visualize and share your schedule.
2. Get a daily summary of your emails and save to Google Sheets: Enhance your email management by summarizing and saving email contents to Google Sheets daily. Ideal for tracking correspondences or managing projects with lots of email communication.
3. Save selected text to Google Sheets, when I right-click: Perfect for research, this playbook allows you to quickly save important text snippets to Google Sheets with a simple right-click, streamlining data collection and note-taking.

These automations unlock new levels of productivity and data clarity in Google Sheets. Get started with Bardeen to make the most of your time data.