If you’re using Google sheets and you have a lot of cells that have data in them, you may be trying to figure out which ones have formulas and which ones don’t. But, you don’t want to have to take the time to go into every single cell and look in the formula bar to see if it’s a value or formula.
Two solutions
There are two easy ways to show the formulas and they both accomplish the same thing. One is from the menus and one is a shortcut.
Video explanation
Menus
To do this from the menus, you go to View and choose Show formulas. That will immediately make all the cells that have formulas just show you the formula so you can know what’s going on. Keep in mind, while you have this option on, it’s not going to show you the values. When you’re done and you know where the formulas are, just go hide them again and then your spreadsheet is ready to go.
Shortcut
The other way you show formulas in a cell is just by holding down the control key and pressing the ‘ key which is right to the left of the 1 key.
That’s all you really need to know. That’s the quick and easy way to show formulas and to get them to go away again.