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How to change or find and replace first number in cell in Excel?

Author Siluvia Last modified

If you want to change the first number to another one in selected cells, what can you do? And how about replacing the first number with nothing? In this article, you will get the solutions to change or find and replace first number in cell.

Change or find and replace first number with nothing by formula
Change or find and replace first number with nothing by Kutools for Excel
Change or find and replace first number with another number by formula

Change or find and replace first number with nothing by formula

You can remove the first number in selected cells with formula. Please do as follows.

1. Select a blank cell (says cell C1), enter formula =REPLACE(A1,1,1,"") into the Formula Bar, and then press the Enter key.

A screenshot showing the formula to remove the first number in Excel

Note: In the formula, the first number 1 means the removing begins with the first number, and the second number 1 indicates that it will remove only one character from left of the cell.

2. Keep selecting cell C1, drag the Fill Handle to the range you need to cover with this formula. Then you can see all first numbers in referenced cells are removed immediately.

A screenshot displaying the result of removing the first number in a column of cells using a formula

Change or find and replace first number with nothing by Kutools for Excel

The Remove by Position utility of Kutools for Excel can easily remove only the first numbers of selected cells. Please do as follows.

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1. Select the range with cells you need to remove only the first number, then click Kutools > Text > Remove by Position. See screenshot:

A screenshot of the Remove by Position feature in Kutools tab on the ribbon

2. In the Remove by Position dialog box, enter number 1 into the Numbers box, select From left in the Position section, and finally click the OK button.

A screenshot showing the Remove by Position dialog

Then you can see all first numbers in selected cells are replaced with nothing immediately.

A screenshot showing cells with the first number removed using Kutools

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Change or find and replace first number with another number by formula

As below screenshot shown, you need to replace all the first number 6 with number 7 in a list, please do as follows.

A screenshot displaying a list where the first number needs to be replaced

1. Select a blank cell, enter formula =SUBSTITUTE(A1,"6","7",1) into the Formula Bar, and then press the Enter key.

A screenshot of a formula to replace the first number with another number in Excel

Notes:

1). In the formula, number 6 is the first number of referenced cells, and number 7 means than you need to replace the first number 6 with 7, and number 1 means only the first number will be changed.
2). This formula requires all referenced cells having the same first number.

2. Keep selecting the result cell, then drag the Fill handle to the range as you need. Now all first cells in selected range are replaced with the same value. See screenshot:

A screenshot of cells with the first number replaced using Excel formula

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