Excel Formula for Current Time: NOW, TIME, and Updates

To show the current date and time in Excel, enter =NOW(). To show only the time, use the same formula and apply a time format; Excel stores the date and time together even when the cell displays just the time.

How the NOW formula works

In Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, NOW is the function designed to return the current date and time according to your computer’s clock. It takes no arguments, so the formula is simply =NOW(). Enter it in a blank cell and press Enter.

For a simple example, put the formula in B2. Excel returns a date-and-time value for the moment it calculates the cell. Depending on B2’s number format, the result might look like a date and time, a time alone, or a number. The underlying value is the same; formatting changes how Excel displays it.

NOW is a volatile function, which means Excel recalculates it when the workbook recalculates. It does not act like a clock that refreshes the cell every second. If you leave the workbook untouched, the displayed value may stay unchanged until a calculation event occurs, such as editing a cell, opening the workbook, or triggering a recalculation.

Display only the current time

If a cell with NOW shows a date as well as a time, change its number format rather than changing the formula. Select the cell, press Ctrl+1 to open Format Cells, choose the Number tab, and select Time. Choose a format such as 1:30 PM or 13:30, then select OK. You can also use the number-format controls on the Home tab.

For seconds or a specific appearance, use a custom format. In Format Cells, choose Custom and enter a format such as h:mm:ss AM/PM for a 12-hour clock with seconds, or hh:mm:ss for a 24-hour-style display with leading zeroes. The format affects presentation, not the value or the formula. For example, a cell formatted as h:mm may hide seconds even though the underlying time includes them.

On Excel for Mac, select the cell and use Command+1 to open Format Cells; the number-format choices work much like they do in Windows. In Excel for the web, select the cell and use the number-format options on the Home tab. Menu labels and available custom-format controls can differ slightly by platform.

Why NOW includes a date

Excel represents dates and times as serial values. The whole-number portion represents the date, while the decimal portion represents the fraction of a 24-hour day. For instance, noon is one-half of a day, or 0.5, and 6:00 AM is one-quarter of a day, or 0.25. NOW returns both portions because its job is to provide the current date and time.

This explains a common surprise: changing a NOW cell to a time format does not remove the date from its stored value. It simply hides the date portion from view. That is usually ideal for a live clock display. If a calculation specifically needs only the time portion, a formula can remove the date serial portion instead.

With an otherwise empty worksheet and the result intended for B2, enter this formula in B2 to return the fractional time portion of the current NOW value:

=MOD(NOW(),1)

Format B2 as a time to make the result readable. MOD returns the remainder after dividing the date-time serial by 1, leaving the fraction that represents the time of day. Like NOW, this result updates only when Excel recalculates.

NOW compared with TIME and TODAY

NOW, TIME, and TODAY are related but solve different problems. NOW reads the current date and time from the computer clock. TODAY returns the current date without a time component. TIME constructs a time from hour, minute, and second numbers; it does not read the current clock.

For example, if you want a fixed time such as 2:30 PM rather than the time right now, put the following formula in an empty cell such as B2. It assumes B2 is the result cell and the numbers are the desired hour, minute, and second:

=TIME(14,30,0)

Format B2 as a time, and the result displays as 2:30 PM or 14:30 depending on the format. Use TIME when you are building a time from known components, such as a scheduled start time, not when you want the system’s current time. TODAY is the better choice for a date-only value, such as a report date that should not show hours and minutes.

Make a timestamp that does not change

A live NOW formula is not the right choice for a permanent timestamp. Because it recalculates, an entry time created with NOW can later change. For a fixed time value in Excel for Windows, select a cell and press Ctrl+Shift+; (the semicolon key). Excel inserts the current time as a value, not as a formula, so ordinary recalculation will not update it. On Excel for Mac, Control+Shift+; is the corresponding shortcut on many keyboard layouts; the exact key combination can depend on the keyboard and system settings.

This is useful for recording when a note was entered or when a task began. Keep in mind that a manually inserted time is a snapshot, not an automatically maintained audit trail. If you need a durable record of who changed data and when, a simple worksheet formula or shortcut may not provide the controls or history your process requires.

Use NOW with a time number format when you want a time display that can refresh on recalculation.
Use the time-entry shortcut when you want a fixed time value inserted immediately.
Use a date-and-time entry method or a suitable timestamping process when the date must be recorded along with the time.

Control when the displayed time updates

Excel’s calculation mode affects when NOW refreshes. In the Windows desktop app, open the Formulas tab and select Calculation Options. Automatic calculation is the usual setting for a workbook that should recalculate formulas as values change. If calculation is set to Manual, NOW may remain at an earlier value until you request a calculation.

Press F9 in Windows to recalculate formulas in open workbooks. This can refresh a NOW result when calculation is manual, but it may also recalculate other formulas. Excel for Mac uses F9 for calculation as well, though some keyboards require the Fn key or a change to function-key settings. Recalculation updates the formula result; it does not make NOW tick continuously in the background.

If a cell appears not to update, check the workbook’s calculation mode and try a recalculation. Also check whether the cell contains a formula or a fixed value: a time inserted with the shortcut has no NOW formula to refresh. In Excel for the web, formulas recalculate in response to workbook activity, but it should not be treated as a second-by-second clock display.

Show the time as text

Sometimes a time needs to be combined with a label or displayed in a particular text pattern. In that case, TEXT can format the NOW result as text. With an empty result cell such as B2, enter this formula in B2 to display the current time with seconds and an AM/PM indicator:

=TEXT(NOW(),"h:mm:ss AM/PM")

The result is text, not a numeric time value. That makes it convenient for a heading or a message, but less suitable for arithmetic, sorting by actual time, or time-based comparisons. If you need to calculate elapsed time, keep the result numeric and apply a cell format instead of converting it to text.

Common problems and practical limits

The cell shows a number. The formula may be working, but the cell is formatted as General or Number. Apply a date, time, or custom time format.
The date appears with the time. Choose a time-only number format. The date remains part of NOW’s underlying value, which is normal.
The value does not change every second. NOW recalculates when Excel recalculates; it is not a continuously updating timer.
The time is wrong by an hour or more. NOW relies on the computer’s clock and local settings. Check the operating system’s date, time, and time-zone settings. Excel does not automatically turn NOW into a chosen time in another time zone.
Text looks like a time but will not calculate. A value made with TEXT is text. Use a numeric NOW value with a time format when calculations matter.

For an elapsed-time calculation, remember that times can cross midnight. Simply subtracting a start time from an end time can produce a negative result if the end is on the following day. For work logs or multi-day intervals, record full date-and-time values and design the calculation around the dates as well as the times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Excel formula for current time only?
Enter =NOW() and format the cell to show a time only. The value still contains the date, but the selected format hides it.

Does NOW update automatically every second?
No. NOW recalculates when Excel recalculates the workbook. It does not continuously refresh like a digital clock.

How do I insert a time that will not change?
In Excel for Windows, select a cell and press Ctrl+Shift+; to insert a fixed current-time value. It is not a formula, so recalculation does not change it.

Why does NOW show a date and time together?
NOW returns both. Apply a time-only number format if you want to hide the date; the stored date-time value remains intact.

Can I use TIME to get the current time?
No. TIME builds a value from specified hours, minutes, and seconds. Use NOW to read the current date and time from the computer clock.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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