You can add a time-aware layer to a map when the data layer contains temporal values, such as date and time fields. Add a time-aware layer to the map and enable a time animation to show how patterns in the data change over time.
Note:
This functionality is available only for ArcGIS feature layers or layers created using your data. ArcGIS for Excel converts time and date field values based on the format detected. Time animation functionality is not applied in ArcGIS for Excel if a time or date field format changes.
When you enable time animation on a map layer, you use the Time tab of the Analysis pane to configure the field in the data that contains the time information. You can also configure the animation slider to specify playback speed, time interval, and whether cumulative data is displayed on the map.
To enable time animation on a map layer, complete the following steps:
- Sign in to ArcGIS.
- From the map tools, click Analysis
.The Analysis pane appears.
- Click Time animation
. - Choose a layer to modify from the Active layer drop-down menu.
- Turn on the Enable time animation toggle button.
A time slider appears at the bottom of the map with the default options.
- Select a Time field option from the drop-down menu.
Choose between accumulated and nonaccumulated data display to control how these modes affect the visualization of data over time.
- Select one of the following Animation mode options from the drop-down menu:
- Show data within interval—Show time data within specific time intervals.
- Show data progressively—Show data accumulating over a specified time period. The time slider always starts at the beginning of the dataset and the end time progresses, showing how data builds up.
- Hide data progressively—Hide data over time. The time slider starts at the beginning of the dataset and the start time progresses, revealing reductions in data.
- Under Time intervals, configure the intervals in the time slider to show the intervals in the data using the following options:
- Length of one interval—You can define intervals by specific time units, such as Day,Week, Month, or Year. In this way, you can progress the slider by increments, rather than being limited to equal divisions.
Note:
The Length of one interval options are dynamic, and change depending on the dataset. For example, if the added dataset's timestamp field range only shows the data for a day, the Week option is not available
- Total time divided into equal steps—You can customize the number and length of time intervals on the time slider. You can set the number of intervals to any value, such as 6, allowing for more tailored data segmentation.
- Length of one interval—You can define intervals by specific time units, such as Day,Week, Month, or Year. In this way, you can progress the slider by increments, rather than being limited to equal divisions.
- Use the Animation speed slider to configure and adjust the speed from Slow to Fast.
- To turn off time animation on a layer, turn off the Enable time animation toggle button.
- Click Close
in the Analysis pane to close the pane.
Time slider controls
The time slider appears as an animation control overlaid on the map. You can define the time intervals. There can only be one time-animated layer at a time on the map.
Note:
Click the Settings button 
on the slider to open the Time animation pane. You can turn off the Enable time animation toggle button in the Time animation pane.
The time slider controls described below allow you to interact with time animation:
- Play—Click the Play button
to begin the animation. When the animation is playing, this changes to the Pause button 
.Note:
When the time slider is playing, the playback will pause before advancing if the associated map view is still updating.
- Previous—Click the Previous button
to move the animation to the previous time interval. This control is active only while the animation is playing. - Next—Click the Next button
to move the animation to the next time interval. This control is active only while the animation is playing. - Drag the interval along the slider to manually control the data that appears on the map. You can also move the interval handles individually to display a specific time range or adjust the interval.
Note:
When you select features on a time-aware layer and run the time animation, only the features visible during the specified time period are visible during the animation.
- You can click the Settings button on the time slider to open the Time animation pane.
- You can click the Minimize button
to collapse the time slider. - You can click the Time animation button to expand the time slider.