now

(Not recommended; use datetime) Current date and time as serial date number

now is not recommended. To return the current date and time as a datetime value, use datetime instead. For more information on updating your code, see Version History or Replace Discouraged Instances of Serial Date Numbers and Date Strings.

Syntax

t = now

Description

t = now returns the current date and time as a serial date number. A serial date number represents the whole and fractional number of days starting from a fixed, preset date (January 0, 0000).

Examples

Return and Convert Serial Date Numbers

Change the output display for numbers to long, fixed-decimal format. Then return the current date and time as a serial date number.

format longG
t = now

t = 
          739838.478364987

The whole part of t corresponds to the date, and the fractional part corresponds to the time of day. One way to show the date and time is to convert t using the datetime function.

d = datetime(t,'ConvertFrom','datenum')

d = datetime
   09-Aug-2025 11:28:50

To represent the date alone, without the time of day, use the floor function. Convert the result to a datetime value for display.

t2 = floor(t)

t2 = 
      739838

d2 = datetime(t2,'ConvertFrom','datenum')

d2 = datetime
   09-Aug-2025

Limitations

• MATLAB^® Online™ returns the current date and time in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) rather than local time.

More About

January 0, 0000

Date specified to include a year 0 in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. For more information, see January 0 and Year zero.

Tips

• To represent the current date and time as a serial date number, as text, or as a datetime value, use the function calls shown in the table.

  Function Call	Output
  floor(now)	Current date as a serial date number
  rem(now,1)	Current time as a serial date number
  datestr(now)	Current date and time as text
  char(datetime)
  string(datetime)
  datetime	Current date and time as a datetime value
  datetime(now,'ConvertFrom','datenum')

Extended Capabilities

C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using MATLAB® Coder™.

Thread-Based Environment

Run code in the background using MATLAB® backgroundPool or accelerate code with Parallel Computing Toolbox™ ThreadPool.

This function fully supports thread-based environments. For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions in Thread-Based Environment.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

R2022b: Not recommended

There are no plans to remove now. However, the datetime function is recommended instead. The datetime data type provides flexible date and time formats, storage out to nanosecond precision, and properties to account for time zones and daylight saving time.

To return the current date and time as a datetime value, call datetime. You can call it without any input arguments, or with "now" as the input argument.

d = datetime
% or
d = datetime("now")

d = datetime
   15-Apr-2022 15:53:28