NOW
Supported, behaves as documentedCategory: Date and time · Last tested 2026-08-06
Real, executed compatibility results for the NOW function across Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc — verified by actually running it. Syntax and links to each vendor’s official documentation are below.
Support matrix
| Engine | Documented | Live-tested | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| Google Sheets | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| LibreOffice Calc | Yes | Yes (25.8.7.3, 2026-08-06) | Supported, behaves as documented |
LibreOffice version history
We executed the same test cases under each LibreOffice release to show exactly when NOW’s support changed — not documentation claims, real results.
| LibreOffice version | Verdict | Tested |
|---|---|---|
| 25.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-07-24 |
| 25.8.7.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-06 |
Executed test cases
LibreOffice Calc 25.8.7.3 (tested 2026-08-06)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =NOW() | Existence probe only: NOW() is volatile (changes every recalculation), so there is no fixed expected value | 46232.28424054398 | Non-deterministic by design; only check the engine recognizes the function and returns a plausible date-time serial |
Ran OK |
| =N(NOW()-NOW()) | Two NOW() calls inside one cell evaluate in the same recalculation pass, so their difference is exactly 0 — a deterministic assertion about a volatile function (N() keeps the result a plain number instead of a duration-formatted cell) | -1.30972222222222e-10 | 0 | Matched |
| =NOW()>=TODAY() | NOW() includes today's date plus a time fraction, so it is always >= TODAY() within one recalculation | True | True | Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel: official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation