The NOW function is a simple date function used to return the value of the current day and time. That is all it does. However, this function is useful in building dynamic formulas that use the resultant date and time when used together with other date functions available in Sheets.
Note that the NOW function returns date and time. If you want just the date, use the TODAY function which operates in the same way but returns just the date.
Video Explanation
Purpose
The NOW function returns the value of the current day and time. As explained further in how to use dates and times in Google Sheets formulas, the value is actually an integer for the day plus a decimal for the time but will typically be displayed as a date and time to the user.
Syntax
=NOW()
Note that you need the quotes even though there should be nothing in them. The sole purpose of this is to irritate you and make you wonder why. There is no answer, just live with it!
Examples
Example 1 – Plain and Simple
A simple example of the NOW function.
| Formula | Description | Result |
=NOW() |
Output the current date and time (not really “now” but what today was when this was written!) | 1/24/2017 6:206:24 |
Example 3 – Using NOW in formulas
You may be raising baby cheetahs in your front yard and be curious of the last time that you fed them which of course you use a spreadsheet to track.
Tip: Add the rounding function to display less decimals such as =ROUND((NOW()-(A2+B2),0)
| A | B | C | D | |
| 1 | Last feeding day | Last feeding time | Time since last feeding – Formula | Time since last feed – Result |
| 2 | 1/23/2017 | 11:25 PM | =NOW()-(A2+B2) |
0.2942467824 |
Live examples in Sheets
Go to this spreadsheet for the examples of the NOW function shown above that you can study and use anywhere you would like.
Хулан Энхбаяр says:
I don’t know why but, my date is wrong now it’s 12:00 14.May but in my sheet it’s 5/13/2020 21:01:04
Adam Steinfurth says:
Check your locality the in the settings. Sheets may not know your time zone.
Sahak says:
Hey Adam,
a short question if you don’t mind.
=IF(AND(H1>TIMEVALUE(“07:00”),H1<TIMEVALUE("19:00")),"OPEN","CLOSED")
I am using this function but it shows #ERROR!
H1 is formate in time and has the following function =now(),
What am I doing wrong?
I want the computer to analyse the time (now) and tell me if its between the two times of 7:00 and 19:00. If true, "open" and if false, "closed"
Please help me out
Adam Steinfurth says:
Wew, I’m not really sure. The only way I got it to work was to put the now function in one cell, the timevalue(“7:00”) in one cell, and the timevalue(“19:00”) in a third cell. If I referenced those, the function worked. If I embedded them, I got an error.
Steve Read says:
I have no idea why that formula does not work for Sahak but this might work instead >
=IF(and(“07:00 am”>H1,”07:00 pm”<H1),"OPEN","CLOSED")
Steve Read says:
My Cromeboook shows the correct date & time but =NOW() in Google sheets gives a tie 4 hours in the future. I have checked the settings & it is correct for my time zone. Any ideas or is this a bug?
Adam Steinfurth says:
I don’t really know on that one. I’ve never heard of that problem before!
Steve Read says:
Ok .. thanks for taking the time to consider it. I will just add minus four .. so it will be =now()-4 & hopefully that will be a good work-around.
Steve Read says:
Nope – that does not work, it reduces the days by 4 but not the hours.
This works better =now()-“4:00:00 AM” but I don’t not know if that is good for every hour of the day.