How to Create a Countdown Timer in Google Sheets

Creating a countdown timer in Google Sheets involves using a combination of formulas and conditional formatting. Here's how to create a simple countdown timer in Google Sheets:

1. Open a new Google Sheets document.
2. In cell A1, type the target date and time. For example, if you want the countdown timer to count down to 31st December 2022, 12:00 PM, type 12/31/2022 12:00:00 PM.
3. In cell A2, enter the following formula to calculate the remaining time:

=A1-NOW()

This formula subtracts the current date and time (NOW()) from the target date and time (cell A1).

4. In cell A3, enter the following formula to convert the remaining time into a more readable format:

=IF(A2<0, "Time's up!", TEXT(A2, "dd")&" days "&TEXT(A2, "hh")&" hours "&TEXT(A2, "mm")&" minutes "&TEXT(A2, "ss")&" seconds")

This formula checks if the remaining time is negative (the target time has already passed). If it is, it displays "Time's up!". Otherwise, it converts the remaining time into a format showing days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

5. To make the countdown timer update in real-time, go to File > Spreadsheet settings. Under the Calculation tab, change the recalculation interval to "On change and every minute". Click "Save settings".

Now you have a simple countdown timer in Google Sheets that updates every minute. Note that Google Sheets doesn't support real-time updating of formulas, so the timer won't update every second.

Example

Here's an example of a countdown timer in Google Sheets:

1. Target date and time (A1): 12/31/2022 12:00:00 PM
2. Remaining time formula (A2): =A1-NOW()
3. Countdown timer (A3): =IF(A2<0, "Time's up!", TEXT(A2, "dd")&" days "&TEXT(A2, "hh")&" hours "&TEXT(A2, "mm")&" minutes "&TEXT(A2, "ss")&" seconds")

Remember to adjust the recalculation interval in the spreadsheet settings to make the timer update more frequently.