Skip to main content

Convert seconds to HH:MM:SS time format in Excel – 2 easy ways

Author: Xiaoyang Last Modified: 2025-04-16

Converting seconds to a time format in Excel is essential for enhancing data readability and usability. Large values of seconds can be difficult to interpret and manage, while a time format (hours, minutes, and seconds) makes the information more intuitive and accessible. This article will guide you through the process of converting seconds to the hh:mm format in Excel, along with some optimization tips to enhance your workflow.

Convert seconds to time format with formulas

Convert seconds to time format with Kutools for Excel


Convert seconds to time format with formulas

Supposing, I have the following numbers of seconds in a column, to convert them to HH:MM:SS time format, you can apply the formulas:

A screenshot showing a column of seconds to convert in Excel

Type the following formula into a blank cell to get the result, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells that you want to apply this formula. Then, you can see the second numbers are converted to HH:MM:SSformat,see screenshot:

=TEXT(A2/86400, "hh:mm:ss")

A screenshot of the formula converting seconds to HH:MM:SS format in Excel

Explanation of the Formula:
  • A2/86400: 86400is the total number of seconds in a day (24 hours * 60 minutes * 60 seconds), dividing the total seconds by 86400, which represents a full day, to get a fraction of a day.
  • The TEXT function formats the numeric value into a specified time format.
Additional Tips:
  • Convert large number of seconds to time format including Days
  • To handle large numbers of seconds, we need to break down the calculation into days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Please use the following formula:
    =INT(A2/86400) & " days " & TEXT(A2/86400 - INT(A2/86400), "hh:mm:ss")
    A screenshot showing seconds converted to days and HH:MM:SS format in Excel
  • Display seconds as text in the format "X hours X minutes X seconds"
  • Convert and display large numbers of seconds in a readable text format, such as "X hours X minutes X seconds" in Excel, the following formula can help you:
    =INT(A2/3600) & " hours " & INT(MOD(A2, 3600)/60) & " minutes " & MOD(A2, 60) & " seconds"
    A screenshot showing seconds displayed as hours, minutes, and seconds in Excel

Convert seconds to time format with Kutools for Excel

Struggling to convert seconds into the hh:mm:ss time format in Excel? Say goodbye to manual calculations and hello to Kutools for Excel! With Kutools for Excel, you can easily convert seconds to a time format with just a few clicks. This powerful add-in simplifies complex tasks and saves you time by providing user-friendly tools and features.

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Itegarate with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:

1. Click a blank cell where you want to output the result.

2. Click "Kutools" > "Formula Helper" > "Formula Helper" to go to the "Formula Helper" dialog box.

3. In "Formula Helper" the dialog box, please do the operations:

  • Click "Convert seconds to hh:mm:ss time format" in the "Choose a formula" list box;
  • Under the "Arguments input" section, select the cell you want to convert;
  • At last, click "OK" button.
    A screenshot of the Kutools Formula Helper dialog for converting seconds to HH:MM:SS format

4. You will get the result with a formula. Then, drag the formula cell down to apply it to other cells, see screenshot:

A screenshot showing results of Kutools conversion to HH:MM:SS time format in Excel

Kutools for Excel - Supercharge Excel with over 300 essential tools. Enjoy permanently free AI features! Get It Now

Whether you prefer using formulas or the convenience of Kutools for Excel, converting seconds to a time format in Excel has never been easier! If you're interested in exploring more Excel tips and tricks, our website offers thousands of tutorials.

Best Office Productivity Tools

🤖 Kutools AI Aide: Revolutionize data analysis based on: Intelligent Execution   |  Generate Code  |  Create Custom Formulas  |  Analyze Data and Generate Charts  |  Invoke Kutools Functions
Popular Features: Find, Highlight or Identify Duplicates   |  Delete Blank Rows   |  Combine Columns or Cells without Losing Data   |   Round without Formula ...
Super Lookup: Multiple Criteria VLookup    Multiple Value VLookup  |   VLookup Across Multiple Sheets   |   Fuzzy Lookup ....
Advanced Drop-down List: Quickly Create Drop Down List   |  Dependent Drop Down List   |  Multi-select Drop Down List ....
Column Manager: Add a Specific Number of Columns  |  Move Columns  |  Toggle Visibility Status of Hidden Columns  |  Compare Ranges & Columns ...
Featured Features: Grid Focus   |  Design View   |   Big Formula Bar    Workbook & Sheet Manager   |  Resource Library (Auto Text)   |  Date Picker   |  Combine Worksheets   |  Encrypt/Decrypt Cells    Send Emails by List   |  Super Filter   |   Special Filter (filter bold/italic/strikethrough...) ...
Top 15 Toolsets12 Text Tools (Add Text, Remove Characters, ...)   |   50+ Chart Types (Gantt Chart, ...)   |   40+ Practical Formulas (Calculate age based on birthday, ...)   |   19 Insertion Tools (Insert QR Code, Insert Picture from Path, ...)   |   12 Conversion Tools (Numbers to Words, Currency Conversion, ...)   |   7 Merge & Split Tools (Advanced Combine Rows, Split Cells, ...)   |   ... and more
Use Kutools in your preferred language – supports English, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, and 40+ others!

Supercharge Your Excel Skills with Kutools for Excel, and Experience Efficiency Like Never Before. Kutools for Excel Offers Over 300 Advanced Features to Boost Productivity and Save Time.  Click Here to Get The Feature You Need The Most...


Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier

  • Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
  • Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
  • Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day!