How to Use Shortcut Keys to Add Current Date and Time

Step 1: Open Google Sheets and Select Cell

Place the cursor into the cell and press one of the following shortcuts :

  1. Ctrl + ; (semicolon) to enter the current date.
  2. Ctrl + Shift + ; (semicolon) to enter the current time.
  3. Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ; (semicolon) to add both, current date and time.

Step 2: Press the enter key

Use the above shortcuts in the cell and hit the enter key to apply those. Later you’ll be able to edit the values.

This method helps you bypass the problem of entering an incorrect date/time format.

Take advantage of Google Sheets’ date and time functions

  • TODAY() — returns the current date to a cell.
  • NOW() — returns the current date and time to a cell.
  • SPLIT(“<Cell name>” , ” “) — splits the date & time into separate cells.
  • HOUR(<Cell name>) — returns the hour component of the specific time.
  • MINUTE(<Cell name>) — returns the minute component of the specific time.
  • SECOND(<Cell name>) — returns the second component of the specific time.
  • TIME VALUE(<Cell name>) — returns the specific time as a fraction of a day 
     

How to Add Date and Time in Google Sheets

How to Add Time in Google Sheets- Quick Steps

  1. Open your Google Sheets document.
  2. Click on the cell where you want to insert the time.
  3. Type the time in the desired format (e.g., 3:30 PM).
  4. Press Enter, and the time will be inserted into the cell.

Time management is crucial, both in daily life and in spreadsheet mastery. In the dynamic world of spreadsheet management, Google Sheets stands out as a powerful tool for data manipulation and analysis. While basic arithmetic operations are straightforward to perform, dealing with date and time can be a bit tricky.

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