Want to know the time difference between two places—and know it fast? Find out here how to use Google for time zone conversion (in Google Search, “Hey Google” and Google Sheets).
First, Three Zones of Sound
If the noise and pollution allow it, a blue whale can easily talk to a mate some 1,000 miles (1.600 km) away.
If the two are not right at the equator, their loud and low-frequency sounds easily reach across three time zones (if we assume a width of 15° longitude, as is also typical for time zones in the ocean).
The need a time zone converter, of course. Good thing there’s one built into Google:
How to Use Google for Time Zone Conversion
Time needed: 1 minute
To employ Google search as a time zones converter and find the time at another place, country, or time zone easily:
- Open Google in your browser.
Other interfaces: You can use any way to access Google search to use its time zones converter, of course.
Hey Google: See below for things to ask the Hey Google voice assistant. - Type
time difference <Location 1> <Location 2>at the Google search prompt.Shortcut 1: For major cities, you can leave out “difference”; time Jakarta Tokyo works.
Shortcut 2: To get the difference to your current location, type justtime difference <Location 2>, e.g.,time difference Tokyo.
What works for location: For locations in the Google time zones converter, you can use cities, countries as well as time zones and their abbreviations.
Time zones example: Typedifference gmt estfor the time difference between Greenwich Mean Time and Eastern Time. - Press Enter.
Planning a meeting across time zones? The Best Time Zone Converter Sites and Apps
“Hey Google” Voice Time Zone Conversion
To get the time zone difference between two locations using Hey Google voice assistance:
- Say “Hey Google”.
- Ask “What’s the time difference between <Location 1> and <Location 2>”.
Locations: For location, you can use cities, countries and time zones.
Current time: For the current time at any place, say “What’s the time in <Location>?”
Use Google Sheets Timezone Conversion (Utilities.formatDate)
Google Sheets does not include a formula to convert between time zones.
You can use Google Apps Script to do conversions, though, using the Java-derived Utilities.formatDate() function. It has three arguments:
- date: the Date object to format, e.g.,
new Date(). - timeZone: a time zone String, e.g.,
GMT. - format: the format String used to return the date in the specified time zone using SimpleDateFormat.
Utilities.formatDate() Time Zone Conversion Example in Google Sheets
The function works like so:
var mySheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var myDate = sheet.getRange('##').getValue(); // ## = a Date cell
var myPrintTZDate = Utilities.formatDate(myDate, "PDT", "K:mm a, z");
Logger.log(formattedDate); // Time in the format "1:03 pm, PDT"
var MyTZDate = Utilities.formatDate(myDate, "PDT", "YYYY/mm/dd hh:mm");
sheet.getRange('##').setValue(myTZDate); // ## = another Date cell
Sheet Time Zone
Note that the date and time from the cell (and a Date object you create with new Date()) uses the sheet’s time zone. You can change the time zone under File | Spreadsheet settings.
How to Use Google for Time Zone Conversion: FAQ
Can I look up the time differences between more than two cities?
No, the Google search time zone conversion only works with two places at a time.
Where can I find a list of time zone abbreviations?
Timeanddate.com has a handy list of the world’s dozens of time zones.
Note that not all of them work with the Google time zone calculator.
(How to use Google for time zone conversion updated January 2024)