How to Add the Clock to a Second Monitor in Windows 11

Lee Stanton April 29, 2022

If you use multiple monitors, you may have been disappointed with the clock only displaying on the primary monitor–design feature. Luckily, Microsoft has updated its OS to show the taskbar date and time on all connected monitors and is rolling the update out.

How to Add the Clock to a Second Monitor in Windows 11

In the meantime, you can restore this functionality by joining the “Windows Insider Program.”Read on to learn more.

Join the Windows Insider Program

The easiest way to add the time and date to your second screen is by joining the “Windows Insider Program.” Microsoft has released the latest build to the release preview channel, including the clock and date change. Therefore, all significant issues have been ironed out and are safe to try.

Follow these steps to display the clock on all connected displays:

Launch the “Settings” app.
Find the “Windows Update” section, and select “Windows Insider Program.”
Click on “Get Started,” then select a Microsoft account to connect to the insider program.
Select the “Release Preview” option when asked which channel to join. This is the best option as other channels could result in unsuitable Windows 11 versions.
When prompted, reboot your computer.
Once your computer has restarted, go back to “Windows Update” to check for updates. You should see an update labeled “KB5010414.”
Install the update, then reboot your PC again. The time and date should appear on your taskbar on all monitors.

You can now head back to the page to unenroll from the “Windows Insider Program” to prevent your PC from receiving future preview builds. You’ll receive regular monthly updates as expected.

Additional FAQs

How do I change my taskbar color?

Your taskbar’s color will depend on your chosen Windows theme, i.e., light or dark. You can, however, apply pretty much any color to your taskbar. Follow these steps to change its color:

1. Use hotkey “Windows + I” to open the “Settings” app.

2. Go to the “Personalization” then “Colors.”

3. Choose “Custom” beside “Choose your mode,” then choose “Dark.”

4. Go to the bottom of the screen and enable the button beside “Show accent color on Start and taskbar.”

5. Choose the color you want.

How do I set my taskbar to display on the left?

You can move the taskbar to display on the left of your screen by following these steps:

1. Right-click on your taskbar, then choose “Taskbar settings.”

2. Select “Taskbar behaviors,” then change the “Taskbar alignment” to say “Left.”

3. Your taskbar will automatically jump to the left.

How do I manage taskbar icons?

For easier access to your apps, you can get them to appear in your taskbar corner instead of the taskbar corner overflow. Here are the steps to set that up:

1. Right-click on the taskbar, then choose “Taskbar settings.”

2. Select “Taskbar corner overflow” at the bottom of the screen.

3. Choose the apps you want to keep on the taskbar corner. Any unselected apps will be pushed to the taskbar corner overflow.

Access to Time From All Screens

One of the UI changes in Windows 11 meant that the taskbar time and date were only displayed on the primary monitor. Microsoft has updated the OS to ensure the clock is displayed on all connected monitors. In the meantime, if you want to access the time from all monitors as the changes roll out, you can join the “Windows Insider Program” or install the “ElevenClock” utility.

How would you rate the Windows 11 new UI design from a multi-monitor user perspective? Share your opinions on what you think about it so far in the comments section.