What this online clock does
This is a live digital clock that shows the current time in your own timezone, updated every second. It reads the clock and timezone your device is already set to — there is nothing to configure and no location to pick. Switch between 12-hour (with AM/PM) and 24-hour format, turn seconds and today's date on or off, and go full screen to turn any monitor, tablet, or TV into a large, easy-to-read wall clock.
Because each tick reads your device's live system clock rather than counting seconds on its own, the display never drifts. If you switch tabs and come back, it simply catches up to the correct current time again.
How to use it
The clock starts on its own — these controls just change how it looks.
- Open the page.The clock begins immediately using your device's clock and local timezone. No setup, no sign-up.
- Pick a format.Toggle between 12-hour time with AM/PM and 24-hour (military) time.
- Show or hide seconds and the date.Turn each on or off depending on how much detail you want on screen.
- Go full screen.Use the full-screen button to fill the display — handy on a spare monitor or TV left open in a room.
How the clock works
Every second, the page asks your device for the current time and timezone and redraws the display. It does not run its own separate timer, and it does not contact any server — so the time you see is exactly as accurate as your device's system clock, which most phones and computers keep synced automatically over the network to within a second or two.
Your timezone, automatically
The clock uses the timezone your device is set to and shows its name and current UTC offset. It does not ask you to choose a city. To compare the time in a different location, use a world clock instead.
12-hour vs. 24-hour format
12-hour time splits the day into two halves labelled AM and PM, so 3:00 in the afternoon reads as 3:00 PM. 24-hour time — often called military time — counts straight through from 00:00 to 23:59, so the same moment reads as 15:00. If a 24-hour value is unfamiliar, the military time converter and the 24-hour clock chart map every hour to its 12-hour equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
What timezone does the online clock use?
It reads the clock and timezone your device is already set to and displays that time — it does not ask you to pick a location. To see the time in a different city, use a world clock instead.
Is the clock accurate?
It is exactly as accurate as your device's system clock, since it reads that clock directly every second rather than running its own timer. Most phones and computers sync their clock automatically over the network, which keeps it accurate to within a second or two.
Can I show the clock in 24-hour (military) format?
Yes. Use the format toggle to switch between 12-hour time with AM/PM and 24-hour time. Your choice stays while you are on the page.
Can I use this as a wall clock or desk clock on a monitor or TV?
Yes. The full-screen button enlarges the display to fill the screen, which works well on a spare monitor, tablet, or TV left open in a room or office.
Does the clock keep running if I switch tabs or lock my screen?
It updates whenever the tab is visible and active. Most browsers pause background tabs to save power, so if you switch away and back, the display simply catches up to the correct current time — it never drifts, because each update reads the live system clock rather than counting seconds itself.
Is the online clock free, and does it store any data?
It is completely free with no sign-up. The time is generated entirely in your browser from your device's own clock — nothing is sent to or stored on a server.
Accuracy & sources
The time shown is read directly from your device's system clock on every tick, so this page adds no error of its own — its accuracy is your device's accuracy. Modern phones and computers keep their clocks synced automatically over the internet, typically to within a second. See how the clock works for the details.
Times are displayed using both the 12-hour convention and the 24-hour clock notation defined by ISO 8601, the international standard for representing dates and times. Written and reviewed by Fletcher Langley, and re-checked whenever the tool changes — last reviewed August 2026.
About the author
Operations and workforce-systems specialist with 14+ years inside shift-based industries and payroll platforms, and a BS in Industrial Engineering. Fletcher writes and reviews the calculators, converters, and guides here — from overnight-shift math to decimal payroll hours — drawing on years spent translating between 12-hour, 24-hour, and military time for real timesheets.
Written & reviewed by Fletcher Langley · Last updated: August 2026