Show seconds in the taskbar clock

Settings›Customization›Windows Shell›Show seconds in the taskbar clock

Recommendation

Depends

Enable it only if seconds are genuinely needed for work or for monitoring the system.

On a laptop running on battery, the default clock appearance is preferable: refreshing once a minute is cheaper than once a second.

Clock

Shows seconds

Redraw

Every second

Battery consumption

Not measured

What changes

The taskbar clock starts showing seconds. Without seconds, the clock area refreshes once a minute; with seconds, every second, so the shell’s regular work increases slightly. On a laptop this is additional constant interface activity that may drain the battery; the link is qualitative, and the amount of consumption was not measured.

Exceptions and differences

The built-in seconds toggle appeared in Windows 11; in Windows 10 it is not in Settings, but the BoosterX setting shows seconds there as well. FPS in games is not affected: in fullscreen mode the taskbar with the clock is not visible. The impact on power consumption is most noticeable on laptops; on a desktop PC there is no practical cost.

How to verify the result

Look at the taskbar clock: the time should run with seconds, for example 14:07:32, and update every second. With the setting disabled, the seconds disappear and the reading changes once a minute.

How to change and revert

In BoosterX, open «Optimization» → «Customization» → «Windows Shell» → «Show seconds in the taskbar clock» and turn on the toggle. Click «Apply» at the bottom of the page; with «Instant apply» enabled, the change is applied immediately. To revert, turn off the setting and click «Apply» — the display without seconds returns.

Confirmation

• Microsoft Support: Customize the taskbar in Windows 11, the link is already used in the BoosterX shell research.

Last checked: 2026-09-19.