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How to Reset or Disable Time to Complete in Microsoft Forms

Adam Davis Oct 12, 2026 870 views

Question details

A user wants to reset or disable the average completion time metric in Microsoft Forms without deleting existing responses.

How to Reset or Disable Time to Complete in Microsoft Forms

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing form response analytics and trying to reset skewed completion time statistics without losing historical data.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Forms continuously displays the average time to complete, and there is no direct toggle to disable or reset this specific metric independently of the response data.

Before you start

Before making any structural changes to your forms or attempting to clear metrics, always export your current responses to an Excel workbook to ensure no data is permanently lost.

Solution 1Recommended

Duplicate the Form to Start with Fresh Metrics

Since Microsoft Forms does not allow you to independently reset the completion time, duplicating the form is the safest workaround to generate fresh analytics while keeping old data safe.

Microsoft Forms ties the 'average time to complete' metric directly to the submitted responses. It cannot be disabled or reset in the form settings without wiping the data. Duplicating the form creates an exact copy with zero responses, giving you a fresh start for time calculations.

Open Microsoft Forms

Copy the Target Form

Find the form you want to reset, click the three dots (More options) on the top right corner of the form tile, and select 'Copy'.

Rename and Share

Click on the newly duplicated form to open it. Update its title if necessary, and generate a new sharing link to collect fresh, accurately timed responses.

Duplicate the Form to Start with Fresh Metrics

Historical Data: Your original form remains active and unaltered. You can keep it as an archive to preserve all previously collected responses.

Solution 2

Delete All Responses to Reset the Existing Form

If you must use the exact same form link and do not need to keep previous responses within Microsoft Forms, you can delete all responses to reset the timer.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Analyze Form Data Effortlessly with WPS Office

While Microsoft Forms is used to collect data, analyzing those responses effectively requires a robust spreadsheet application. WPS Office offers a completely free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, allowing you to seamlessly open and analyze exported form data.

1. Export Form Data: In Microsoft Forms, go to the Responses tab and click 'Open in Excel' to download your data as an .xlsx file.
2. Open with WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open the downloaded .xlsx file to instantly access your response data.
3. Analyze and Organize: Use WPS Spreadsheet's built-in formulas, pivot tables, and charting tools to analyze completion times and response trends.

Completely free and lightweight Office suite100% compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for easy form data analysisFamiliar user interface requiring zero learning curveSeamless migration and cross-device synchronization

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the average time to complete in Microsoft Forms so high?

Microsoft Forms calculates completion time based on when the user first opens the link to when they click submit. If a respondent leaves the form open in a browser tab for hours before submitting, it heavily inflates the average completion time.

Can I hide the average completion time from the summary page?

No, the average time to complete is a default metric built into the Responses summary view for form owners. Microsoft currently does not offer a toggle to hide or disable this specific statistic.

Will deleting all responses change my Microsoft Forms URL?

No. When you choose 'Delete all responses', the system only clears the submitted data and resets metrics like the completion time. Your form's layout, settings, and sharing URL will remain exactly the same.

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