Quickly enable date picker (drop down calendar) for cells in Excel
Kutools for Excel
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When entering a specific date in Excel, like “Thursday”, it’s often difficult to determine the exact calendar date. Kutools for Excel’s Date Picker feature makes this process much easier by providing a visual calendar. Whether you’re working with date-formatted columns or general date entries, this tool helps you select and insert dates more accurately and efficiently.
- Enable date picker for all cells
- Enable date picker for date cells only
- Smartly detect whether a cell needs the date picker
Advantages of Kutools for Excel's Date Picker
- Supports all cells: Enable the Date Picker for any cell, regardless of its formatting.
- Targeted activation for date cells: Limit activation to only cells formatted as dates to reduce unnecessary clutter.
- Smart detection mode: Automatically determines when to display the Date Picker based on cell content or formatting.
- One-click visual calendar: Offers an intuitive, clickable calendar interface - no need to type dates manually.
- Format matching: Automatically applies the cell's existing date format when inserting a date. If the cell has no format, it will follow your system's default date format.
How to use the Date Picker
This section provides a step-by-step guide on how to use the Date Picker.
Enable date picker for all cells
To enable the Date Picker for all cells, follow these steps:
- Go to Kutools > Date Picker to activate the feature.
- Once activated, the Enable for All Cells mode is selected by default.
- You can now use the Date Picker in any cell across your entire workbook.
When you select a cell, a small calendar icon will appear next to it. Click the icon to open the calendar, then select your desired date. The selected date will be automatically inserted into the cell.
This mode is useful for general input scenarios or when working with templates where date cells aren't pre-formatted.
Enable date picker for date cells only
Follow the steps below to enable the Date Picker for date-formatted cells only:
- Go to Kutools > Date Picker > Enable for Date Cells Only. Note: Make sure the Date Picker is activated in advance.
Now, the Date Picker will only appear for cells that contain a date or are formatted as dates.
When you select a date-formatted cell, a small calendar icon will appear next to it. Click the icon to open the calendar, and select your desired date. The selected date will be automatically inserted into the cell.
This is ideal for well-structured worksheets where only specific columns are used for date data.
Smartly detect whether a cell needs the date picker
This mode intelligently detects whether a selected cell is likely intended for date input, even if it is not formatted as a date.
- Go to Kutools > Date Picker > Smart Picker. Note: Make sure the Date Picker is activated in advance.
You’ve now enabled the Smart Mode of the Date Picker.
When you select a cell, if Kutools determines that the cell is intended for date input, a small calendar icon will appear next to it. Click the icon to open the calendar, then choose your desired date. The selected date will be automatically inserted into the cell.
You can use this mode when working in flexible or loosely structured data areas, such as free-form input templates.
Additional Tips for Efficiency
- Use Keyboard Shortcut to open the calendar Press Alt + ↓ (Down Arrow) in any supported cell to instantly open the date picker without using your mouse.
- Enable Auto Popup In the calendar window, check the Auto popup box to have the calendar open automatically when you select a compatible cell.
- Drag the Calendar Long-press the calendar icon to drag and reposition the calendar pop-up anywhere on the screen for better visibility and comfort.
- Comfirm the insertion To confirm the insertion, click the Insert Date icon
in the calendar window or simply move to another cell. - Cancel the input or change To cancel the date input or change, click the Cancel and Close ❌ button.
in the calendar window or simply move to another cell.- The inserted date will automatically follow the cell's existing date format. If the cell has no format, it will use your system's default date format.
- The selected date will replace the original content in the cell.
- The Auto popup setting remains active until manually turned off.
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Kutools for Excel
Kutools for Excel offers 300+ advanced features to streamline your work in Excel 2010 – 2024 and Microsoft 365. The feature above is just one of many time-saving tools included.
