You can format table cells to display text, numbers, currency, percentages, date and time, and durations denoting a span of time (for example, “3 weeks 4 days 2 hours”). The cell format determines how data in the cell appears and how cell data is recognized by functions that refer to that cell.
You can also choose how many decimal places appear in cells that contain numbers, currency units, or percentage values, even if the exact value entered in the cell is more precise than what you want to show. The actual value entered is always used in calculations, regardless of how many decimal places appear in the cell, unless a formula refers to text in a cell, in which case the displayed value is used in the calculation.
You can change a cell’s format even if you already typed content in the cell. For example, if you have a table of your monthly budget, you can automatically add a dollar sign ($) to all cells by formatting them as currency.
By default, Pages formats table cells automatically, so letter and numbers appear the way you type them. If you change the data format for a cell, you can always revert back to the automatic format.
Select a cell or range of cells, then tap 
.
Tap Format, then tap Automatic.
By default, cells formatted as numbers display as many decimal places as you type in them. You can change this setting so that all cells formatted as numbers display the same number of decimal places.
Changes to decimal settings apply to both numbers and percentages. For example, if you change a number in a cell to a percentage, the number of decimal places displayed doesn’t change.
Select a cell or range of cells.
Tap , then tap Format.
Tap 
to the right of Number, then tap a number format.
By default, cells formatted as currency display two decimal places. You can change this setting so that cells display as many decimal places as you type in them, or so that all cells display the same number of decimal places.
Select a cell or range of cells, tap , then tap Format.
Tap to the right of Currency.
Do one of the following:
Display as many decimal places as you type in each cell: Tap the Decimals down arrow until you reach the Auto setting.
Increase or decrease the number of decimal places displayed: Tap the Decimals arrows.
To show the thousands separator, turn on Separator.
To display negative values within parentheses, turn on Accounting Style (or tap a red or black option to select a different display style).
To select a currency symbol, tap Currency, then tap the symbol you want.
By default, cells formatted as percentages display as many decimal places as you type in them. You can change this setting so that all cells display the same number of decimal places.
Changes to decimal settings apply to both percentages and numbers in a selected range of cells. For example, if you change the format of a cell from a percentage to a decimal, the number of decimal places displayed doesn’t change.
Select a cell or range of cells, tap , then tap Format.
Tap to the right of Percentage.
Do one of the following:
Display as many decimal places as you type in each cell: Tap the Decimals down arrow until you reach the Auto setting.
Increase or decrease the number of decimal places displayed: Tap the Decimals arrows.
To show the thousands separator, turn on Separator.
To display negative values within parentheses, tap a red or black option to select a different display style.
If you format a cell that already contains a value, the value is assumed to be a decimal and is converted to a percentage. For example, 3 becomes 300%.
If a percentage value is used in a formula, its decimal number version is used. For example, a value that appears as 3% is used as 0.03 in a formula.
Select a cell or range of cells, tap , then tap Format.
Tap to the right of Date & Time.
Tap the options that match the display formats you want for Date and Time.
If you tap None below Date or Time, no date or time is displayed in the cell, even if a date or time was entered and used in calculations.
The date and time formats that are available depend on the International settings you selected in your device’s Settings.
If you don’t enter both a date and a time, Pages adds a default value for you. For example, if you type “1:15 PM,” Pages adds today’s date by default.
By default, cells containing duration data are automatically formatted to display all the time units you enter. You can change this setting so that duration cells display only certain units of time (for example, only hours, not minutes, seconds, or milliseconds), even though more precise duration values have been entered in the cell and are used in formulas that make calculations based on units of time.
Select a cell or range of cells, tap , then tap Format.
Tap to the right of Duration.
To show or hide time unit labels, tap an option below Format:
None: Hides all time unit labels.
Short: Displays time unit labels as abbreviations—for example, “m” for minutes.
Long: Displays time unit labels fully spelled out.
To make all duration cells display the same kinds of units, turn off Automatic Units.
A range selector appears.
Drag the left or right end of the duration range selector to encompass the scope of the time duration you want to use, from weeks (Wk) to milliseconds (Ms).
If you change the duration format after you enter data in the cells, the data automatically adjusts to the new duration format you set.