Although the time and date icons are usually obedient, they misbehave occasionally. Sometimes, they disappear entirely from the Windows taskbar, and at other times, they remain hidden unless the cursor hovers directly above them.
Either way, this usually isn’t a serious problem that can’t be easily rectified. If you don’t know how to fix the missing time and date from the Windows taskbar, here’s what you can do.
1. Restart Your Windows Device
First, restart your PC before moving on to more technical solutions. As with many computer problems, rebooting resolves half of the issues, including a missing clock from the Windows taskbar.
It clears the RAM and temporary cache and resets everything to its normal state upon reactivation. The slowdowns and errors caused by an overactive RAM cease, and the PC starts with a clean, new slate.
This does it for many users, but if the issue persists for you, try out these other options.
2. Switch the Clock Icon On
If rebooting your PC didn’t work, it could be because the clock’s turned off, whether through an accident or glitch. Nevertheless, the solution is quite simple. Here’s how you can get the missing date and time icons back on your Windows taskbar:
Right-click on an empty spot on your Windows taskbar and select Taskbar settings. Scroll until you reach Notification area and click on Turn system icons on or off. Locate Clock in the list of system icons and switch it on. If already toggled on, try turning it off and then on again. As an additional move, go ahead and also toggle off any unnecessary system icons crowding the taskbar to allow more space for the clock icon to show up.
3. Increase Taskbar Size if You’re Using Small Taskbar Icons
When we switch to small taskbar buttons, we may think the day and date icons are missing from the Windows taskbar. In reality, they’re just hidden in plain sight, unable to fit on the smaller taskbar.
An increased taskbar size is needed to access the full clock icon. Here’s how you expand it:
Right-click on an empty spot of the taskbar and uncheck Lock the taskbar. Next, place your cursor at the edge of the taskbar and see if the extender arrow appears. Hold and drag upwards to increase the size of the taskbar.
You’ll see the date, time, and day icons tucked on the Windows taskbar. However, if this method didn’t work, you could check if switching off small taskbar icons does the trick. Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and toggle off Use small taskbar icons.
4. Fine-Tune the Tablet Mode
Operating your Windows device on tablet mode can result in the disappearance of the clock from the Windows taskbar.
Moving forward, you can do two things to retrieve the missing time and date icons: switch off tablet mode or tweak its settings without deactivating it. Here’s how you do the latter:
Open the Settings menu by pressing Win + I and select System. From the panel on the left side, head to Tablet. Select Change additional tablet settings. Toggle off Hide app icons on the taskbar and Automatically hide the taskbar. The date and time icons should now reappear on your Windows taskbar.
5. Change the Taskbar Theme
Recently changed themes may have reset the clock functionality, resulting in missing time and date icons on the Windows taskbar. Try changing the theme back to default to restore the clock to its original place.
To change the theme:
Head over to Settings > Personalization > Themes. Scroll down to Change theme and select the one you’d like to use from the available options.
If you can’t find a theme you like, you can look for and download some of the best Windows 10 themes to make your PC look fresh.
6. Reconfigure the Date and Time Format
The date and time format you’ve chosen may be incompatible with the Windows taskbar, thus, explaining the missing icons. Reconfiguring the date and time back to the appropriate format can help you restore a fully functioning clock icon.
Search for Control Panel in the Windows search bar and open it. Select Clock and Region > Region > Additional settings. First, head to the Time tab and click Reset to restore it to default settings. Similarly, go to the Date tab next and reset its settings.
7. Take Corrective Action After a Windows Update
Sometimes, the time and date icons go missing after a Windows update. It’s probably because the update contains a vulnerability patch that moved the active taskbar to the bottom of the screen or prompted the clock’s disappearance.
It’s usually nothing to fret about and can be dealt with in two ways. If the update affects your entire taskbar, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. Here, make sure that Lock the taskbar is toggled on, while Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode and Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode are toggled off. This should restore the taskbar to its original location.
On the other hand, if only the date and time icons have taken the hit, upgrade your Windows device to the latest release. Microsoft’s known for addressing bugs and vulnerabilities on their monthly Patch Tuesdays, and the latest patch will probably fix your clock. To do this, head over to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and if there’s an available update, install it.
Bring Back the Time and Date Icons to Your Windows 10 Taskbar
The missing date and time icons aren’t a huge issue but an irritating one. Where there could be so many reasons for these icons to disappear from your Windows taskbar, there are enough multiple solutions mentioned above, and hopefully, one of them’s worked for you.
And now that your taskbar’s up and running again, you can always give it a fresh new look by customizing it with these nifty tricks.
