Google Sheets has a handy tool that allows you to change the currency of the numbers you input when necessary.
When inputting monetary numbers, the default currency may not be applicable in certain situations.
You may be working with a different currency than usual, so a change in currency is needed. In this way, you will be able to work more efficiently and accurately.
If you type in your numbers in the cell, they don’t automatically appear as currencies. Select the cells that you want to apply the currency to. Click on Format and then on Number from the dropdown menu. Lastly, you just need to click on Currency. You can see that the selected cells have the default currency, which is most likely your country’s currency, applied to them.
Now, let’s take a scenario where a change in the currency will be needed.
Suppose you are a business owner. You have recently opened an online store and have decided to ship overseas in Europe. As you were about to type in the prices for your items, you realized the default currency was US dollars. Since you we’re pertaining to items sold in Europe, you needed to use euro for its prices.
Now that we’ve had a brief insight about when and why, you will need to learn this. Let’s proceed as this guide will show you how simple it is to change the currency in Google Sheets.
Steps in Changing the Currency in Google Sheets
Let’s pick up where we left off initially, you have applied the default currency to the selected cells. But, for some reason, you need to apply a different currency.
1. Select the column you want to change the currency of. If you anticipate that you will be adding many values, click on the column header to format the entire column. If you only wish to format a particular area, drag your mouse to the selected cells.
2. Click on Format which is found at the top horizontal menu. Then, click on Number in the dropdown menu. At the bottom, click on Custom currency.
3. You can also click on the 123 button which will open the same dropdown menu. From there, follow the same last step and click on the Custom currency.
4. After, a menu box with a list of different currencies will appear. You can search for the currency you want to change into, or you may also click on the currency you want by scrolling down the menu and finding it.
5. Additionally, you can also format where you want the currency symbol to appear if you want it before or after the numbers. To do this, click on the dropdown menu on the ride side of the text box. Lastly, click Apply.
And, ta-da! The selected cells will now follow the new currency you decided on. 
Note: Only numerical entries will be affected by the currency format. So you may write alphanumerical numbers in the selected cells, and it will not have the currency symbol applied to it.
You can make a copy of the example spreadsheet above using the link I have attached below.
Additionally, Google Sheets remembers the currencies you’ve once used. Since you utilized another type of currency, it will be saved in the Number dropdown menu. Also, you can verify this by once again going to the Format.
Click on the Number dropdown menu. Scroll to the bottom to see the currencies you have used. Surely, this makes your future work more efficient because you can now select and change currencies quickly if another situation calls for it. 
Steps in Changing the Default Currency of a Sheet
Suppose you have landed a long-term client that is based in Europe. Since you will be in charge of handling their finances, it would only eat up your time if you changed the currency to euro each time. Hence, you decided to change the default currency of the spreadsheet you will be using for this particular client.
1. Click on File and scroll to the bottom of the dropdown menu. Click on Settings.
2. Select the Locale dropdown menu. A list of countries will appear. You can scroll down to find the location of the currency you want is based.
3. Select the new location you want. Click Save and reload to apply changes. 
Note: This new setting will only apply to the particular spreadsheet you did the changes in.
Finally, we are at the end of this guide. You have learned how to change the currency in Google Sheets. Certainly, many other situations may come up where you will need to change the currency in Google Sheets, especially if you often work with money or often have international clients. For this reason, this new skill will certainly make working with money and calculations in Google Sheet much more efficient and easier!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do I remove the currency signs in my spreadsheet?
Unless you are someone who always works with money and does calculations, the currency symbol is not something you will need at all times. Since you formatted the currencies in Google Sheets, the currency sign will always appear before the number. But, do not fret. There is a very simple and easy way to remove it.
Just select the column where you want to remove the currency sign. Click on Format then Number. From the dropdown menu, click on Custom number format. Then, choose the number format you want and click Apply. And, voila! You only have numbers left in the column.
2. Is there a way to change the currency in Google Sheets using a mobile device or tablet?
If you are working on a mobile phone or tablet, you can still change the currency in Google Sheets. First, select the column you want to change. Similarly, click on the Format icon, which is found at the top with the letter A, then tap Cell.
Click Number format. Scroll down and click More currencies. From there, you can choose the currency you want to change to. And it will automatically be applied to the selected column once you click it.
Are you interested in learning more about what Google Sheets can do?
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