How to Customize the Menu Bar Clock on macOS

Step by step

1. 15 sec

   Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings from the dropdown menu. You can also press Command + Space and type System Settings to open it via Spotlight.

   Note: Command + Space
2. 15 sec

   Locate Control Center

   In the sidebar of the System Settings window, scroll down to find the Control Center category. Click it once to display the module settings for your menu bar items.

3. 30 sec

   Adjust Clock Options

   Scroll down within the Control Center menu until you reach the Clock section. Click the Clock Options button to reveal the specific customization menu for the time and date display.

4. 30 sec

   Enable Seconds and Date

   Use the toggle switches to display the day of the week, the date, or seconds. You can choose between digital or analog display styles depending on your preference.

   Note: Enabling seconds can increase power consumption slightly on battery-powered MacBooks.
5. 30 sec

   Set Time Preferences

   Toggle the 24-hour time switch if you prefer military-style time formatting. Additionally, toggle the Flash the time separators switch if you prefer the colon between hours and minutes to pulse.

6. 10 sec

   Confirm Changes

   Once you have selected your desired configuration, click Done at the bottom of the dialog box. Your menu bar will update the clock format immediately.