You’re staring at your monitor, and something is missing. It’s that tiny, persistent anxiety of not knowing exactly what time it is without glancing at your wrist or fumbling for a phone. For some reason, your settings decided to hide the clock. Or maybe you're a streamer, and you’re desperately trying to figure out how to show date and time on screen so your viewers aren't constantly asking "is this live?" in the chat.
It sounds simple. It should be simple. But between Windows 11 updates that moved everything and macOS menus that hide behind "focus modes," getting a timestamp to actually stay put is a whole thing.
Honestly, we take the screen clock for granted until it vanishes. When it's gone, your workflow breaks. You miss meetings. You lose track of how long you've been grinding in a game. Let's get into why this happens and how you actually pin that clock back where it belongs, whether you’re on a PC, a Mac, or broadcasting to thousands.
The Windows 11 Taskbar Mess
If you recently upgraded to Windows 11, you probably noticed the taskbar changed... a lot. Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, decided to simplify things, which basically meant removing features people liked. One of the biggest complaints early on was that the date and time wouldn't show on secondary monitors.
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You'd have your main game on one screen and a blank taskbar on the other. No clock.
To fix this, you have to dive into the Personalization settings. Right-click an empty space on your taskbar and hit Taskbar settings. You need to scroll down to Taskbar behaviors. There’s a checkbox there that says "Show my taskbar on all displays." If that’s on, make sure the "Show clock on secondary taskbars" is also toggled. It’s a small click, but it saves you from turning your head like a spectator at a tennis match every time you need the time.
Sometimes the clock is there, but it's just tiny. Or maybe you want seconds? Microsoft finally added seconds back into the system tray clock, but you have to enable it manually under Time & language > Date & time. Just fair warning: turning on seconds uses a tiny bit more power. If you’re on a laptop trying to squeeze out every drop of battery, maybe skip the seconds.
How to Show Date and Time on Screen for Streamers
If you’re using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), showing the time isn't as easy as clicking a box. OBS doesn't have a "clock" source by default. You have to get a little creative.
Most pros use a GDI+ Text Source. You add a new source, select Text, and then you realize... wait, there’s no option to make it a clock. You actually need a script for this. If you go to Tools > Scripts in OBS, there is usually a pre-loaded Lua script called countdown.lua or similar. But for a real-time clock, many people download a simple script like date-and-time.lua. Once you load that script, you can link it to your text source.
Suddenly, your stream has a professional-looking timestamp.
Why bother? Because of VODs. If someone watches your stream three days later, having the date and time on screen helps them understand the context of what you're talking about. "Current events" feel real when there's a timestamp.
You can also use browser sources. Websites like StreamElements or Streamlabs have widgets. You just copy a URL, paste it into OBS as a Browser Source, and boom—a stylized clock that matches your brand. It's way easier than coding it yourself, honestly.
Mobile Devices and Always-On Displays
Phones are a different beast. We've moved away from just "checking the time" to "glancing at the screen."
On an iPhone, the Always-On Display (if you have a 14 Pro or newer) is the primary way to show date and time on screen without touching anything. But if it’s not showing up, check your Focus modes. "Sleep" focus often blacks out the screen entirely to help you sleep. You can customize this in Settings > Focus > Sleep and toggle "Show Watch Face."
Android users have had this for a decade. It's usually under Display > Lock Screen > Always show time and info. The cool part about Android is the "Screen Saver" mode. When you’re charging your phone on a desk, you can turn it into a dedicated desk clock. It’s in the same display settings menu.
The Professional Video Editing Angle
If you’re an editor, "showing the time" usually means Timecode.
In Adobe Premiere Pro, you don’t just type the time. You use the Timecode effect. You drag it onto a transparent video layer or an adjustment layer. This is vital for "burn-ins." If you're sending a draft to a client, they need to be able to say, "Hey, at 02:15:04, that transition looks weird." Without that time on screen, they’re just guessing.
- Source: Use the "Clip" timecode if you're tracking a specific shot.
- Source: Use "SMPTE" if you're tracking the whole sequence.
DaVinci Resolve has a similar "Data Burn-In" menu under the Workspace tab. It’s much more robust than Premiere’s version. You can show the date, the camera name, and the timecode all at once. It makes you look like you know what you're doing, even if the edit is still a mess.
Troubleshooting the "Disappearing Clock"
Sometimes the clock just breaks.
I’ve seen it happen where the taskbar icons turn white or invisible. Usually, this is a Windows Explorer glitch. The quickest fix? Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Find "Windows Explorer" in the list, right-click it, and hit Restart. The screen will flicker for a second, and usually, your clock returns from the void.
If you’re on a Mac and the menu bar clock is gone, it’s almost always a Control Center setting. Go to System Settings > Control Center and scroll all the way down to "Clock Options." You can toggle between digital and analog here too. Some people prefer the analog look, but let's be real—digital is faster to read when you're rushing.
Why This Matters for Accessibility
It's not just about convenience. For people with certain cognitive conditions or even just severe ADHD, "time blindness" is a real thing. Having a persistent, highly visible date and time on screen acts as a grounded reference point. It’s a sensory anchor.
If the default system clocks are too small, there are third-party apps like Rainmeter (for Windows) that let you put massive, beautiful clocks right on your desktop wallpaper. You can make it look like part of the art. On macOS, Dato is a popular replacement for the menu bar clock because it adds a calendar and world clocks in a single click.
Practical Steps to Take Right Now
If you want to customize your view, start with these moves:
- Check your multi-monitor settings: Ensure the clock isn't hidden on your second or third screen.
- Update your OBS scripts: If you’re a creator, stop using manual text for dates. Use a Lua script or a Browser Source widget so it updates automatically.
- Adjust for Visibility: If you find yourself squinting, go into your OS settings and increase the UI scale or the "Menu Bar" size.
- Audit your "Focus" modes: If your clock disappears at night, it's your phone or PC trying to be "helpful" by hiding distractions. Disable that in the Focus/Do Not Disturb settings if you actually need that info.
Setting up your screen so you aren't constantly searching for the time is a massive productivity win. It sounds minor, but the less you have to "search" for basic information, the more brainpower you have for the actual work. Stop guessing what time it is and just pin the thing.