How to Show Seconds on the Taskbar Clock in Windows 11

When Windows 11 originally launched, Microsoft completely removed the ability to view seconds on the taskbar clock, much to the frustration of power users and professionals who rely on precise timing. Fortunately, due to massive user feedback, Microsoft finally reintroduced this highly requested feature in a recent system update. You can now enable the seconds display directly from the Settings app without modifying the Registry.

How to Enable the Seconds Display

To turn this feature on, ensure your Windows 11 PC is updated to at least the Moment 3 update (build 22621.1778 or newer).

1. Right-click on an empty space on your Windows 11 Taskbar.
2. Select Taskbar settings from the small context menu.
3. The Settings app will open. Scroll down to the very bottom of the page and click on Taskbar behaviours to expand the section.
4. Scroll down the expanded list until you find the option labelled Show seconds in system tray clock.
5. Click the checkbox to enable it.

The change is instantaneous; you will immediately see the seconds ticking away in the bottom right corner of your screen. Note: Microsoft includes a warning next to this setting stating that enabling seconds “uses more power,” which may slightly reduce your laptop’s battery life as the screen must refresh the taskbar element every single second.