Excel · General number format
Numbers
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+Shift+~Mac
Ctrl+Shift+~Both systems use the same combination.
Strips the number format back to General; run it on a date and you see the serial number that was under it all along.
- Group
- Numbers
- Keys held
- 3
Excel diverges most on the Mac. F4 for absolute references is Cmd+T there, and a few Ctrl combinations stay Ctrl rather than becoming Cmd.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for General number format in Excel?
Strips the number format back to General; run it on a date and you see the serial number that was under it all along. It is Ctrl+Shift+~ on Windows and Ctrl+Shift+~ on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, Ctrl+Shift+~ on both.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Numbers in Excel.