If you’re someone who frequently manages data and needs a convenient way to organize it, using a tick symbol in Google Sheets can be a game-changer.
A tick symbol can be used to organize your to-do list or indicate when tasks or projects have been completed. Lists help us bring order to our lives, whether it’s tasks to be done, errands to run, places to visit, or people to invite – practically anything that requires our attention.
But before we dive into the details of adding a tick symbol to your Google Sheets, let’s clarify the difference between a tick symbol and a checkbox in Google Sheets.
Tick Symbol vs. Checkbox in Google Sheets
So here’s what a tick symbol looks like under letter A and a checkbox under letter B. This article will guide you through methods to create a tick symbol and insert tick or cross symbols in Google Sheets. Trust us, your Google Sheets skills are about to level up!
Method 1: Using the CHAR Function
The CHAR function can insert a tick symbol into a cell. In Google Sheets, symbols are often represented using numbers called Unicode. When a Unicode code is used with the CHAR function, you get a symbol corresponding to that Unicode code.
Here are a few examples:
=CHAR(9744)returns an unchecked checkbox (an empty ballot box)=CHAR(9745)fills the cells with a checkbox and a tick symbol (ballot box with a tick)=CHAR(9746)checkbox will have a cross symbol (ballot box with a cross)
Depending on the desired format, you can choose any of these symbols. Simply insert any of the above CHAR formulas into a cell to get their corresponding tick symbols. Once you have inserted your desired tick symbol, you can add any text you want before or after the tick, as long as you convert it to a value.
Remember, you won’t be able to remove the tick and cross symbols from the cells created by the CHAR formula. To get an empty checkbox, simply modify the symbol number in the formula.
However, if you’re looking to create a clickable checkbox, you can check out this article; it will show you how to check and uncheck the box by simply clicking on it.
Method 2: Using the Character Map Function in Google Docs
Since the same company owns both Google Docs and Google Sheets, you can practically copy anything from one document to the other. Google Docs has a native Character Map feature that allows you to insert any special character, including the tick symbol.
So, here’s how you can copy the tick symbol from Google Docs to Google Sheets:
- Open a new Google document.
- Click on “Insert” in the menu and select “Special Characters”.
- A special character toolbox should appear.
The Google Sheets special character toolbox is filled with numerous characters and symbols, making finding the one you want quite challenging. But fear not! Google has designed a search feature for the toolbox that allows you to draw or write the name of the symbol you’re looking for.
Simply draw the symbol you want to copy using the drawing tool on the bottom right. The list will automatically filter to display the symbols that most closely match your drawing. Look for the tick symbol and select it.
The symbol you selected should have been inserted into your document. Now, select the symbol and copy it.
Switch to Google Sheets and paste the tick symbol into the desired cell.
Method 3: Adding a Checkbox in Google Sheets Using the Insert Tab
A quick way to insert a tick symbol in a Google Sheets cell is to use the checkbox directly from the Insert menu.
- Select the cells or columns you want to fill with checkboxes.
- Click on Insert in the menu > in the Google Sheets menu:
- Select Checkbox.
All cells within the selected range will have checkboxes.
Note: You can select a single cell and fill it with a checkbox. Once the checkbox appears, you can copy it to other cells in the column by hovering the mouse until a plus icon appears in the bottom-right corner.
Drag the plus downward to copy the checkbox to as many cells as you’d like.
Click on a checkbox once, and a tick symbol will appear. Uncheck it to make the checkbox empty again. You can select multiple checkboxes and mark all of them at once by pressing the spacebar on your keyboard. You can also recolor your checkboxes. Click on the text color tool on the toolbar after selecting the checkbox you want to modify.
Conclusion
As demonstrated above, there are several methods to include a checkbox, cross, and tick symbol in Google Sheets. Make sure to choose the method that gives you the desired result.
We hope this guide proves useful to you. For more resources on Google Sheets, visit Crawlan.com.
