Numbers cell format copying

Copying formatting (which is Styles) is tricky and much slower without a keyboard, since you can’t copy all the styles in a row or column at one time, or even copy a selection of cells at one time, like you can with the Apple Smart Keyboard.

1. Select the cell contents, NOT just the cell!
2. Tap on it and a popup menu with Style… appears.
3. Tap on that and you should see Copy style.
4. Tap Copy Style.
5. Select the cell contents, NOT just the cells, where you want the formatting applied.
6. Tap on it and this time the Popup menu with Style… will include Paste Style. VOILA!

NOTE: The Numbers for iPad User Guide states under Copy Text styles, ONLY formatting of the 1st character of text is copied. This has never been an issue for me. Number formats, date formats, and paragraph formats get copied and pasted as expected. Being able to copy the style (formatting) of an entire row or column at a time is a tremendous time saver—if you have the Apple Smart Keyboard!!

Working one cell at a time painfully slow—not productive. What’s your time worth?!! If you’re going to be doing a lot of work in Numbers, investing in an Apple Smart Keyboard for your model iPad is worth penny! I tried the Logitech bluetooth keyboard supposed to be made for my model iPad. I wasted a lot of time with that, and worse yet, it left pits on the coating of my brand new iPad screen. Grrr. I returned it and paid the extra $50 for the Apple Smart Keyboard. That was a valuable lesson.

The Apple Smart Keyboard requires no Bluetooth pairing, just connects and works. The membrane cover completely seals the Apple Smart Keyboard from dirt and liquid spills. I mean it is like shrink-wrapped in a flexible protective cover. The keys have a nice feel, not mushy. I’m a 2-handed 50 WPM typist, so if you hunt and peck, your experience may differ. Admittedly, I’ve never tried to type that fast on the Smart keyboard, but it’s always kept up with me and not slowed me down. I wouldn’t hesitate to write a book on it.

By the way, I now use the Paperlike screen covering and absolutely love it. And, to my surprise, they include 2 screen covers in the box. That’s one of the few 3rd party products I do recommend to everyone.

Oops!

I see above that I missed correcting a typo before posting the (Mac) answer above, and that Apple missed it before recommending my post.

Should have read:

Click on the cell.

Press option-command-C

Click on the other cell.

Press option-command-V.

A reminder that these instructions apply to Numbers on a Mac, not to the iPad version.

Meanwhile, I would recommend Marking Johne154's May 22 response to you as having Solved the issue (Green Checkmark button) and his response to Jaxjason as Helpful (red star button).

Clicking those buttons will bring both posts to the top of the discussion, where they'll be easily found, and will add the green 'solved' marker to the discussion listing to tell other users that your issue has been solved.

Regards,

Barry

This is one of those things I initially thought, “on that should be easy to find for them…”

then was like “oh not there… gotta be here…. No….. really!? “

I don’t think that’s a thing on the iPad version. Not that I can findanyway. Searched the documentation, online. Nothing.

if it’s there they need to make it more obvious how to use it at the very least.

my best suggestion now is for anyone reading this post to go to Feedback - Numbers for iOS and iPadOS - Apple and make the suggestion as a feature request.

sorry I couldn’t be more help,

jason

When I don’t have my keyboard hooked up, I select the text in the cell first.

Then press or tap on the text until a mini horizontal menu pops up. Tap on the arrow or dots on the right-side and eventually you’ll see something about Styles… or you’ll see the command “Copy style”.

FYI, the exact instructions on doing this without a keyboard ARE in the Pages for iPadOS manual. NOTE: It states that it will copy the formatting of the first character selected, if you’re copying character formatting. If you’re copying a number format, it will work as expected.

Hope that helps.

Click on the cell.

Press option-command-P

Click on the other cell.

Press option-command-V.

Regards,

Barry

OK. I'll request your question be transferred to the iWork for iOS/iPadOS community.

Regards,

Barry

CORRECTION: It should read, “Numbers for iPad User Guide,” not Pages. It wouldn’t let me edit my original message, so here’s the correction.