When working with numbers in Google sheets, you often need to format negative numbers and make them stand out. By default, the negative numbers are in black with the negative sign. You can format them either in red or in parentheses so you can easily find them after.
Step 1: Select the cell or the data range with the numbers that you want to format;
Step 2: Click the "Format" tab from the ribbon, and click the "Number" command from the drop-down list;
Step 3: In the extended list, click "More formats" at the bottom and then "Custom number format";
Step 4: In the "Custom number" dialog box, click "#,##0_);[Red](#,##0)";
Step 5: You should see now the negative numbers are in red with parentheses while positive numbers are in black.
Step 6: There are several variations, for example, you can click "#,##0.00);(#,##0.00)" if you only want the negative numbers are in parentheses;
You will have the negative numbers in the parentheses and no change for the positive numbers.
Step 7: You can have the negative numbers in red without parentheses. In the "Custom number" dialog box, delete the parentheses from the codes ""#,##0_);[Red](#,##0)" to have the new codes of "#,##0_);[Red]#,##0".
Step 8: Click the "Apply" button and you will have negative numbers in red without the parentheses.