It is easy to forget about the time time when you are working on your computer. Add a clock to the toolbar in Chrome and set alerts and reminders so you do not forget anything important.
Remember Windows Vista? It was not a pleasant memory for some, but it did introduce the concept of desktop widgets. There was a nice clock that you could place on the right side of the desktop and it was permanently visible and showing the time. You could add a calendar too.
Widgets continued with Windows 7, but they were dropped with Windows 8 and never returned in 10. No more desktop clock.
There is a clock in the taskbar of course, but I find it a waste of screen space and have set it to auto-hide when not being used, so I can’t see the clock. Given the large amount of time I spend in a web browser these days, a clock in the Google Chrome toolbar seems like a good idea. (Other Chrome-based browsers like Microsoft Edge will probably work too.)
There are several free clock apps in the Chrome Web Store. Enter ‘clock’ into the search box to see a few featured ones and then click More Extensions on the right to see them all.
Chrome hides extensions these days, so after adding these clock extensions, you must show them and configure them. Click the puzzle piece icon to show the extensions menu and click the pin next to an extension to add it to the toolbar. To visit an extension’s options or to remove it if you do not want it, click the three dots to show a submenu.
Just a Clock - the Hours/Minutes
Add Just a Clock - the Hours to Chrome and then add Just a Clock - the Minutes to Chrome too. You now have the time in the Chrome toolbar. Why two extensions? A problem with trying to display the time on one extension icon is that there isn’t enough space. It can be done, but the time is so small you might have difficulty reading it.
Using separate icons for the hours and minutes enables a large time display. The extension constantly updates the icons to show the time - the hours on one and the minutes on the other.
There are a few customisation options and you can choose to have hourly notifications, which might be useful. A 12/24 hour clock and black or white text rounds up the options. It is simple, but useful.
Clock for Google Chrome
Clock for Google Chrome is another handy clock for the browser’s toolbar. Find it in the Chrome Web Store and add the extension to the browser. Click the puzzle piece icon and pin the clock to the toolbar. Right click it for the options.
There are several features and it is possible to show a tiny analog clock in the toolbar so you can keep an eye on the time. If you find that a bit hard to see, there is also an option to overlay a digital clock on it which is easier to read.
Click the clock icon and a large panel appears that contains a calendar showing the current month, an analog clock, and the date. This is very useful and it saves you having to look elsewhere for the date and time.
Windows can show this when the clock in the taskbar is clicked, but most of the time the taskbar is hidden and only the browser is on the screen.
It is also possible to create simple reminders so you don’t forget things. Actually, they are more like alarms, but they are still useful. At the time set, they display a desktop notification. You could use your phone of course, or an app on the computer, but it is convenient to have them in the browser.
Toolbar Digital Clock
Toolbar Digital Clock is the simplest of all the clocks and all it does is put a tiny clock in the Chrome toolbar. It really is small and is restricted to the size of an icon, but you can just about read it if you have good eyesight.
There are no options apart from choosing the font color. It is simple, but OK if the time is all you need.
More clocks
There are more clock extensions in the Chrome Web Store if you want to check them out. I looked at Cool Clock, but I didn’t want to give it permission to change text on the clipboard and access Google Calendar. It is popular and has 100k users though.
Clock for Google Chrome (same name as the extension above) is another interesting extension and there are over 100 designs and 20 languages. It isn’t free, but is very cheap at less than a dollar or pound.
My favorite clock is Clock for Google Chrome (not the paid one). It has an easy-to-read digital clock, a great clock and calendar panel when clicked and useful reminders.
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