Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Date & time. Make sure Show time and date in the System tray is on, then check Show seconds in system tray clock. The clock on the taskbar starts showing seconds right away. If the time itself is wrong rather than how it is displayed, you can change the time in Windows 11 on the same Date & time page.
Applies to: Windows 11.
Turn on seconds in Settings
- Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Date & time.
- Turn on Show time and date in the System tray if it’s off.
- Check Show seconds in system tray clock (uses more power).
The clock in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar now shows hours, minutes and seconds. If it shows 24-hour time and you would rather see AM and PM, you can set a 12-hour clock in Windows 11.
Can’t find the setting?
On some versions of Windows 11, the option is in the taskbar settings instead:
- Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
- Select Taskbar behaviors.
- Check Show seconds in system tray clock.
If you don’t see it in either place, install the latest updates from Settings > Windows Update.
Turn on seconds with a command
The Settings switch just changes one registry value, so you can set it directly. This is handy for scripts or for several PCs. Open Terminal or Command Prompt (no admin rights needed) and run:
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v ShowSecondsInSystemClock /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fThen open Task Manager, right-click Windows Explorer, and select Restart. To hide the seconds again, run the same command with /d 0. This only works on Windows 11 versions that include the Settings option.
Other clock options on the same page
The Date & time page has a few more settings for the taskbar clock on recent versions of Windows 11:
- Show time and date in the System tray: turn this off to hide the clock completely.
- Show abbreviated time and date: shows a shorter date, such as 10/9 instead of 10/9/2026, to save space on the taskbar.
- Show time in the Notification Center: adds a larger clock with seconds at the top of the calendar panel when you select the date and time. It’s a good choice if you only need seconds now and then, because it doesn’t run all the time.
Not every version has all three, so install the latest updates if one is missing.
Turn seconds off
Go back to the same setting and uncheck Show seconds in system tray clock. The clock goes back to hours and minutes.
If seconds don’t show
- The checkbox is grayed out. Turn on Show time and date in the System tray first. The seconds option only works when the clock is showing.
- The box is checked, but the clock hasn’t changed. Restart Windows Explorer: open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find Windows Explorer on the Processes tab, and select Restart task.
- Seconds are off by a bit. Go to Date & time and select Sync now. Windows sets the clock from an internet time server.
- It’s a work PC. Your organization may control taskbar settings. Ask your IT team.
Frequently asked questions
Does showing seconds use more battery?
A little. Windows updates the clock every second, so Microsoft labels the option “uses more power”. On a laptop running on battery, you may want to leave it off.
Can I switch between a 12-hour and 24-hour clock?
Yes. The switch is part of the time format settings in Windows 11.
Is my clock showing the wrong time?
Check your time zone first. If it’s wrong, change the time zone in Windows 11 and the clock corrects itself.
Can I show seconds on the lock screen?
No. The lock screen clock only shows hours and minutes, and there’s no setting to change it.
Does this work in Windows 10?
Not through Settings. Windows 10 doesn’t have a built-in option to show seconds on the taskbar clock.
Is the clock accurate to the second?
Close to it. Windows checks an internet time server regularly, but the clock can drift by a second or two in between. Select Sync now on the Date & time page whenever you need it exact.
Can I show seconds only while I need them?
Yes. Either turn the setting on and off as needed, or use the clock with seconds in the Notification Center, which only runs while the panel is open.
All the date and time options are covered in Set time, date, and time zone settings in Windows on Microsoft Support.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.