Excel is a powerful tool for data management and analysis, but sometimes the default formatting can be a nuisance. A common issue is dealing with date values that also include a time component when you only need the date. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods to remove the time from a date in Excel, ensuring your data is clean, consistent, and ready for analysis. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Excel user, you’ll find clear, step-by-step instructions to achieve your desired results.
**Why Remove Time from Date?**
Before diving into the methods, let’s understand why you might want to remove the time from a date in Excel.
* **Data Cleaning:** Raw data often comes with unnecessary information. Removing the time can simplify your dataset and make it easier to work with.
* **Reporting:** When creating reports or summaries, displaying only the date can provide a cleaner and more focused presentation.
* **Data Analysis:** Some analytical functions may work best with dates only, without the time component interfering.
* **Consistency:** Maintaining a consistent date format across your entire dataset is crucial for accurate comparisons and calculations.
**Understanding Excel Date and Time Formatting**
In Excel, dates and times are stored as serial numbers. The integer part of the number represents the date, and the decimal part represents the time. For example, the number `44930.5` represents July 1, 2023, at 12:00 PM. The integer `44930` is the serial number for July 1, 2023, and `.5` represents noon (halfway through the day).
Understanding this underlying representation is key to effectively manipulating date and time values in Excel. When you format a cell as a date (e.g., `mm/dd/yyyy`), Excel is simply displaying the serial number in a human-readable format. The underlying value still contains both date and time information.
**Methods to Remove Time from Date in Excel**
Here are several methods you can use to remove the time from a date in Excel, ranging from simple formatting changes to more advanced formulas.
**1. Formatting the Cells**
The easiest way to *hide* the time is by formatting the cells to display only the date. Note that this method only changes the display; the underlying value still contains the time component.
* **Step 1: Select the Cells**
Select the cells containing the dates with time that you want to modify. You can select a single cell, a range of cells, an entire column, or even multiple columns.
* **Step 2: Open the Format Cells Dialog Box**
There are several ways to open the “Format Cells” dialog box:
* **Right-Click:** Right-click on the selected cells and choose “Format Cells…” from the context menu.
* **Keyboard Shortcut:** Press `Ctrl + 1` (or `Command + 1` on a Mac).
* **Ribbon:** Go to the “Home” tab on the ribbon. In the “Number” group, click the dropdown arrow and select “More Number Formats…”
* **Step 3: Choose a Date Format**
In the “Format Cells” dialog box, go to the “Number” tab. In the “Category” list, select “Date”. Choose a date format that does not include the time. Common formats include:
* `mm/dd/yyyy`
* `dd/mm/yyyy`
* `yyyy-mm-dd`
* `Month dd, yyyy` (e.g., July 01, 2023)
* `Month-yy` (e.g., Jul-23)
* **Step 4: Click OK**
Click “OK” to apply the selected date format. The time component will now be hidden from view in the selected cells.
**Important Note:** While this method makes the time invisible, the underlying cell value still contains the time. This means that if you perform calculations or use these cells in formulas, the time component may still affect the results. To truly remove the time, you’ll need to use other methods described below.
**2. Using the INT Function**
The `INT` function in Excel returns the integer part of a number, effectively truncating the decimal portion (which represents the time). This method *permanently* removes the time from the date value.
* **Step 1: Insert a New Column**
Insert a new column next to the column containing the dates with time. This will hold the results of the `INT` function.
* **Step 2: Enter the INT Formula**
In the first cell of the new column (e.g., `B2` if your original dates are in column `A`), enter the following formula:
`=INT(A2)`
Replace `A2` with the cell containing the date you want to modify.
* **Step 3: Apply the Formula to the Entire Column**
Drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of the cell) down to apply the formula to all the cells in the column.
* **Step 4: Format the New Column as a Date**
Select the new column containing the integer values. Open the “Format Cells” dialog box (using one of the methods described earlier). Go to the “Number” tab, select “Date” in the “Category” list, and choose your desired date format. Click “OK”.
* **Step 5: (Optional) Replace the Original Column**
If you want to replace the original column with the modified dates, you can copy the values from the new column and paste them as values into the original column:
* Select the new column.
* Press `Ctrl + C` (or `Command + C` on a Mac) to copy the values.
* Select the first cell of the original column.
* Right-click and choose “Paste Special…”.
* In the “Paste Special” dialog box, select “Values” under “Paste” and click “OK”.
* You can now delete the temporary new column.
**3. Using the TRUNC Function**
The `TRUNC` function is similar to the `INT` function, but it allows you to specify the number of digits to truncate. If you don’t specify any digits, it behaves the same way as `INT`, removing the decimal part of the number. The `TRUNC` function also *permanently* removes the time from the date value.
* **Step 1: Insert a New Column**
Insert a new column next to the column containing the dates with time.
* **Step 2: Enter the TRUNC Formula**
In the first cell of the new column, enter the following formula:
`=TRUNC(A2)`
Replace `A2` with the cell containing the date you want to modify. You could also write `=TRUNC(A2,0)` which explicitly states that you want to truncate to zero decimal places.
* **Step 3: Apply the Formula to the Entire Column**
Drag the fill handle down to apply the formula to all the cells in the column.
* **Step 4: Format the New Column as a Date**
Select the new column containing the integer values. Open the “Format Cells” dialog box. Go to the “Number” tab, select “Date” in the “Category” list, and choose your desired date format. Click “OK”.
* **Step 5: (Optional) Replace the Original Column**
Follow the same steps as described in Method 2 to replace the original column with the modified dates.
**4. Using the DATE Function**
The `DATE` function allows you to construct a date from its year, month, and day components. You can extract these components from the original date using the `YEAR`, `MONTH`, and `DAY` functions, respectively. This method *permanently* removes the time from the date value.
* **Step 1: Insert a New Column**
Insert a new column next to the column containing the dates with time.
* **Step 2: Enter the DATE Formula**
In the first cell of the new column, enter the following formula:
`=DATE(YEAR(A2), MONTH(A2), DAY(A2))`
Replace `A2` with the cell containing the date you want to modify.
* **Step 3: Apply the Formula to the Entire Column**
Drag the fill handle down to apply the formula to all the cells in the column.
* **Step 4: Format the New Column as a Date**
Select the new column containing the date values. Open the “Format Cells” dialog box. Go to the “Number” tab, select “Date” in the “Category” list, and choose your desired date format. Click “OK”.
* **Step 5: (Optional) Replace the Original Column**
Follow the same steps as described in Method 2 to replace the original column with the modified dates.
**5. Using the Find and Replace Method (Text-Based Dates)**
If your dates are stored as text strings (rather than true date values), you can use the Find and Replace feature to remove the time. This is applicable only when the dates are text, not actual date values.
* **Step 1: Select the Cells**
Select the cells containing the text-based dates with time that you want to modify.
* **Step 2: Open the Find and Replace Dialog Box**
* Go to the “Home” tab on the ribbon. In the “Editing” group, click “Find & Select” and choose “Replace…”
* Alternatively, press `Ctrl + H` (or `Command + H` on a Mac).
* **Step 3: Define the Search and Replace Criteria**
In the “Find what” box, enter a pattern that represents the time portion of your text-based dates. This pattern will vary depending on how the time is formatted. Here are some common examples:
* If the time is separated by a space, followed by hours, minutes, and AM/PM (e.g., “7/1/2023 12:00:00 AM”), enter ` *` (a space followed by an asterisk). The asterisk acts as a wildcard, matching any characters after the space.
* If the time is separated by a “T” (e.g., “2023-07-01T12:00:00”), enter `T*`
* If the time uses a different separator, adjust the “Find what” pattern accordingly.
Leave the “Replace with” box empty.
* **Step 4: Click Replace All**
Click “Replace All”. Excel will remove the time portion from all the selected cells.
* **Step 5: Convert to Date Format (If Necessary)**
After removing the time, the values may still be treated as text. If you want to treat them as dates, select the cells, open the “Format Cells” dialog box, go to the “Number” tab, select “Date”, and choose your desired date format. Excel may automatically convert them to date values at this point. If not, you may need to use the `DATEVALUE` function (explained below) to explicitly convert them.
**6. Using the DATEVALUE Function (for Text Dates)**
If your dates are stored as text, the `DATEVALUE` function converts a text string representing a date into a serial number that Excel recognizes as a date. This is particularly useful if you’ve already used the Find and Replace method to remove the time, but the cells are still formatted as text.
* **Step 1: Insert a New Column**
Insert a new column next to the column containing the text-based dates.
* **Step 2: Enter the DATEVALUE Formula**
In the first cell of the new column, enter the following formula:
`=DATEVALUE(A2)`
Replace `A2` with the cell containing the text-based date you want to convert.
* **Step 3: Apply the Formula to the Entire Column**
Drag the fill handle down to apply the formula to all the cells in the column.
* **Step 4: Format the New Column as a Date**
Select the new column containing the serial number values. Open the “Format Cells” dialog box. Go to the “Number” tab, select “Date” in the “Category” list, and choose your desired date format. Click “OK”.
* **Step 5: (Optional) Replace the Original Column**
Follow the same steps as described in Method 2 to replace the original column with the converted dates.
**7. Using Power Query (Get & Transform Data)**
Power Query (Get & Transform Data) is a powerful feature in Excel that allows you to import, transform, and load data from various sources. It’s particularly useful for cleaning and manipulating data, including removing the time from dates. This is available in Excel 2010 and later.
* **Step 1: Select Your Data**
Select the range of cells containing your dates with time. Ensure your data has a header row.
* **Step 2: Load Data into Power Query**
Go to the “Data” tab on the ribbon. In the “Get & Transform Data” group, click “From Table/Range”. This will open the Power Query Editor.
* **Step 3: Transform the Date Column**
In the Power Query Editor, select the column containing the dates with time. Go to the “Transform” tab on the ribbon. In the “Date & Time Column” group, click “Date” and select “Date Only”. This will remove the time component from the date values.
* **Step 4: Load the Transformed Data Back to Excel**
Go to the “Home” tab on the ribbon. Click “Close & Load” or “Close & Load To…” to load the transformed data back into Excel. You can choose to load it into a new worksheet or an existing worksheet.
**8. Using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications)**
For more advanced users, VBA can automate the process of removing the time from dates. This is especially useful if you need to perform this task repeatedly on different datasets. This macro effectively uses the `INT` function.
* **Step 1: Open the VBA Editor**
Press `Alt + F11` to open the Visual Basic Editor.
* **Step 2: Insert a New Module**
In the VBA Editor, go to “Insert” > “Module”.
* **Step 3: Write the VBA Code**
Copy and paste the following code into the module:
vba
Sub RemoveTimeFromDate()
Dim Rng As Range, cell As Range
Dim WorkRng As Range
On Error Resume Next
xTitleId = “Select the range:”
Set WorkRng = Application.InputBox(xTitleId, xTitleId, Selection.Address, Type:=8)
If WorkRng Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
For Each cell In WorkRng
If IsDate(cell.Value) Then
cell.Value = Int(cell.Value)
cell.NumberFormat = “mm/dd/yyyy” ‘ Change this to your desired date format
End If
Next cell
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
* **Step 4: Customize the Code (Optional)**
* Change the `cell.NumberFormat = “mm/dd/yyyy”` line to your preferred date format.
* **Step 5: Run the Macro**
* Close the VBA Editor.
* In Excel, select the range of cells containing the dates with time.
* Press `Alt + F8` to open the “Macro” dialog box.
* Select the “RemoveTimeFromDate” macro and click “Run”.
* The macro will iterate through the selected cells, remove the time component, and format the cells as dates.
**Choosing the Right Method**
The best method for removing the time from a date in Excel depends on your specific needs and the format of your data.
* **Formatting the Cells:** Use this method if you only need to *hide* the time for display purposes and don’t need to perform calculations based solely on the date.
* **INT or TRUNC Function:** Use these methods to *permanently* remove the time and retain the date as a numeric value. These are good choices when you need to perform date-based calculations.
* **DATE Function:** Use this when you need to ensure that the date is created from the Year, Month and Day. Especially useful if the original date value is causing issues.
* **Find and Replace:** Use this method only when your dates are stored as *text* and you need to remove the time portion from the text string.
* **DATEVALUE Function:** Use this after using Find and Replace when your dates are text, but you need them converted to an Excel Date value.
* **Power Query:** Use this for more complex data transformations and when working with data from various sources. It’s a powerful tool for data cleaning.
* **VBA:** Use this to automate the process, especially if you need to perform the same task repeatedly on different datasets.
**Troubleshooting Common Issues**
* **Dates Still Displaying with Time:** Double-check that you’ve correctly applied the date format after using the `INT`, `TRUNC` or `DATE` functions. If the cells are still displaying the time, it’s likely that the format hasn’t been updated.
* **Formulas Not Working Correctly:** If your formulas are not working as expected after formatting the cells (but not removing the time with INT or TRUNC), remember that the underlying cell values still contain the time. Use the `INT` or `TRUNC` function to *permanently* remove the time.
* **Text-Based Dates:** If your dates are stored as text, make sure to use the Find and Replace method or the `DATEVALUE` function to convert them to true date values before performing any calculations.
* **Incorrect Date Format:** If you’re seeing unexpected results after formatting the cells, verify that you’ve chosen the correct date format that matches your region and requirements.
**Conclusion**
Removing the time from a date in Excel is a common task that can significantly improve data cleanliness, reporting, and analysis. This guide has provided you with a variety of methods, from simple formatting changes to more advanced formulas and tools. By understanding the underlying principles of Excel date and time formatting, you can choose the most appropriate method for your specific needs and ensure that your data is accurate and consistent.
Experiment with these techniques and discover which method works best for your particular situation. Mastering date and time manipulation in Excel will greatly enhance your data management skills and allow you to extract valuable insights from your data more efficiently. Remember to always back up your data before making significant changes, especially when using formulas or VBA code. Happy Excel-ing!