Excel NOW Function

We can use the Excel NOW function to get the current date and time in a given cell. This time and date will be automatically updated each time the worksheet is either changed or opened. To learn how to use the Excel NOW function, read this post to the end.

Figure 1. Final result

General syntax of the formula

=NOW ()

Understanding the Excel NOW function

• This function will return the current date and time, which updates itself automatically every time the sheet is changed or opened.
• The function does not need any arguments. All you need is to use empty parentheses.
• To format the value returned by the NOW function either as a date or a date with time, you need to apply number format.
• If you want to recalculate and update the time and date value, you can use the F9 key to force it.

Note

If you want to get a time and date that won’t change every time the sheet is opened or updated, enter the current time using the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + Shift + :

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