How to show seconds in Windows 11 taskbar clock

Earlier this year, Microsoft explained in detail why Windows 11 doesn't show seconds in the taskbar clock. The main issue is mostly performance related as periodic activities such as displaying seconds does not allow the CPU to go into a low power state so it consumes a lot of CPU resources. However, there are a large number of power users who want to show seconds on the Windows 11 taskbar clock for various reasons. Interestingly, Microsoft is now testing the ability to show seconds on the taskbar clock in Windows 11, but in Insider builds. However, if you want to show seconds in the clock on the taskbar in Windows 11, follow our detailed guide below.

Show seconds in Windows 11 taskbar clock (2022)

In this tutorial, we've added four different ways to display seconds on the Windows 11 taskbar clock. Depending on the build of Windows 11 you're using, choose one of the following methods.

Display seconds in Windows 11 clock via Settings app (Insider Build 25247 and later)

If you're on the Windows Insider Dev channel ( Build 25247 and later), you can display seconds in the Windows 11 clock using the Settings app. This much-requested feature is currently being tested by Microsoft in an Insider build, and it's likely to arrive in the next Windows 11 stable update. So, if you're already in the Dev channel, here's how you can display seconds in the Windows 11 taskbar clock.

1. To open the Windows Settings app, press the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut Windows + I.

2. Here, go to the "Personalization" section from the left sidebar and click "Taskbar" in the right pane.

3. After that, scroll down and expand the Taskbar Behavior section. Now check the "Show seconds in clock on taskbar" checkbox. That's all.

4. Now you can see the seconds in the clock on the taskbar in Windows 11.

5. If you don't want to show seconds on the taskbar clock in Windows 11, just uncheck the box in the Settings app.

Displaying Seconds in the Windows 11 Taskbar Clock Using the Registry (2021 Old Stable Builds)

For most users who are running older stable builds of Windows 11 (before 22000.376), they can tweak a registry value to display seconds on the Windows 11 taskbar clock. By the way, this method is blocked in Windows 11 builds 22H2 and newer, so if you are using any stable build of 2022, the instructions won't work. You either need to switch to the Dev channel or use the third party app mentioned in the last section. As for this method, here is how to do it.

1. Click the "Search" button on the taskbar and search for "registry". Now open "Registry Editor" from the search results.

2. Then paste the path below into the address bar of the registry. This will take you straight to the "Advanced" key.

ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced

3. Once here, scroll down the right pane and look for the "ShowSecondsInSystemClock" entry. Double click to open it.

4. Now change the "Data Value" to 1 and click "OK". This ensures that the Windows 11 taskbar clock starts showing seconds along with hours and minutes.

5. Now close the registry editor and restart your computer. This should enable seconds in the Windows 11 taskbar clock.

6. If you want to undo the changes, set the "Data Value" to 0 for "ShowSecondsInSystemClock" and restart your computer.

Show Seconds on Windows 11 Taskbar Clock with PowerShell

You can also display seconds in the clock on the taskbar in Windows 11 using PowerShell. It basically does the registry trick, but just with a single command. This will save you a lot of time and hassle, and only works on older builds. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Click "Search" on the taskbar and search for "powershell". Under "Windows PowerShell" in the search results, click "Run as administrator" in the right pane.

2. Then run the command below and press Enter. This will change the value of ShowSecondsInSystemClock to 1.

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced -Name ShowSecondsInSystemClock -Value 1 -Force

3. Now restart your computer. That's all! The clock on the taskbar in Windows 11 should also show seconds.

4. If you want to disable seconds in the clock, run the below command in PowerShell and restart your Windows 11 PC. You are done.

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced -Name ShowSecondsInSystemClock -Value 0 -Force

Show Seconds in Windows 11 Clock with ElevenClock App

Finally, if the above methods didn't work on your PC, you can always use a third party app to personalize things according to your preferences. An app called ElevenClock lets you choose different formats for the clock on the taskbar, including the ability to display seconds. Here's how the app works:

1. Download ElevenClock from the Microsoft Store ( Free ) or its GitHub page .

2. Then install the ElevenClock app. After that, open the Start Menu and click on ElevenClock Settings.

3. Here, scroll down and expand the "Date and time settings" section.

4. Now turn on the "Show seconds on clock" option and you're done.

5. You should now see a new clock with seconds on the Windows 11 taskbar.

6. If you no longer want to use ElevenClock, press "Windows + R", type appwiz.cpl and press Enter. This will directly open the Programs and Features page in Control Panel in Windows 11.

7. Now find "ElevenClock". Then right click on the application name and uninstall it.

Enable seconds in clock on taskbar in Windows 11

So here are the steps you need to follow to show seconds in the clock on the taskbar in Windows 11. While it's still a long way from being stable, I recommend using a registry hack or installing a third party app. Moreover, if you want to customize the Windows 11 taskbar, check out the linked guide. And to disable the weather widget in Windows 11, follow our detailed guide. Finally, if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below.