The quickest way to change your phone's time
On most phones, you can change the time in Settings under Date & Time. The exact path depends on whether you have an iPhone or Android device, but both let you set the time manually or let the phone update it automatically based on your location.
If your phone is set to update automatically — which is the default on most devices — it will change the time when you cross time zones or when daylight saving time begins and ends. You only need to change it manually if automatic updates are turned off, or if your phone's clock is running fast or slow.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Date & Time and toggle "Set Automatically" on or off depending on whether you want manual or automatic updates.
- On Android, open Settings > System > Date & Time (or Date & Time under System settings, depending on your phone model) and choose the same toggle.
- If you turn off automatic updates, you can manually enter the correct date and time, or let your phone sync with a network time server.
- Changing your phone's time may affect alarms, reminders, and the timestamps on photos and messages, so make the change when you have time to check those features.
How to change the time on an iPhone
Open the Settings app and tap General. Scroll down and tap Date & Time. You will see a toggle labeled "Set Automatically" — if it is already on (green), your phone is updating the time on its own and you do not need to do anything.
If you want to set the time manually, turn off "Set Automatically" by tapping the toggle. Once it is off, two new fields appear: one for the date and one for the time. Tap each field to enter the correct information. When you are done, the time will stay at whatever you set it to until you turn "Set Automatically" back on.
If your phone's clock is slightly off but you do not want to turn off automatic updates, you can also try restarting your phone — sometimes the automatic sync will correct itself after a restart.
How to change the time on an Android phone
Open Settings and look for Date & Time. On most Android phones this is under System or System Settings, though the exact location varies by manufacturer. Once you find it, you will see a toggle for "Automatic date & time" or "Set automatically" — the name depends on your phone model.
If the toggle is on, your phone is updating automatically. To set the time manually, turn the toggle off. You will then see separate options for Date and Time. Tap each one to enter the correct values. Some Android phones also show a "Use network-provided time" option, which syncs your phone with a time server without requiring you to enter the time by hand.
If you cannot find Date & Time in System Settings, try looking under Advanced Settings or searching for "date" in the Settings search bar at the top of the app.
What happens when you change your phone's time
Changing your phone's time can affect several things. Alarms you have set will go off at the new time you specified, not the time you originally intended — so if you set an alarm for 7 a.m. and then change your phone's time backward by an hour, the alarm will now go off at 6 a.m. in real time. The same applies to reminders and calendar events.
Photos and messages will also be timestamped with the new time. If you change your phone's time to an earlier time, older photos may appear to have been taken in the future relative to newer ones. This can make it harder to sort your photos by when they were actually taken.
For these reasons, it is best to change your phone's time only when necessary, and to check your alarms and calendar afterward to make sure everything is still set the way you want it.
When to use automatic time updates instead of manual changes
Automatic time updates are almost always the better choice. Your phone can get the correct time from your cellular network, Wi-Fi network, or GPS, depending on what is available. This means the time stays accurate without you having to think about it, and it updates automatically when you travel across time zones or when daylight saving time changes.
The only reason to turn off automatic updates is if you are troubleshooting a problem — for example, if your phone's time keeps jumping ahead or falling behind even though automatic updates are on. In that case, you can turn off automatic updates, set the time manually, and see if the problem stops. If it does, the issue was with the automatic sync. If it continues, the problem is elsewhere.
Why your phone's time might be wrong
If your phone's time is off by a few minutes, the most common cause is that it has not synced with a time server recently. Turning automatic updates off and back on again usually fixes this. Make sure your phone has a network connection — either cellular or Wi-Fi — before you do this, because your phone needs to connect to a server to get the correct time.
If your phone's time is off by an hour or more, it may be set to the wrong time zone. Check your time zone setting in the same Date & Time menu where you change the time. Your phone should automatically detect your time zone based on your location, but you can also set it manually if needed.
If your phone's time keeps drifting even after you set it correctly, the battery may be low or the phone may have a hardware problem. Try charging your phone fully and restarting it. If the problem continues, contact your phone's manufacturer or your service provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my phone's time affect my service or data?
No. Changing the time on your phone will not affect your cellular service, Wi-Fi connection, or data usage. It may cause some apps to behave oddly if they rely on the correct time to function — for example, banking apps sometimes lock you out if your phone's time is very far off — but it will not damage your service.
Can I set my phone to a different time zone without changing the actual time?
Yes. In the Date & Time settings, you can change your time zone separately from the time itself. If you turn off automatic time zone updates, you can set the zone manually while keeping the time the same. However, this is not recommended because it will cause your phone's clock to show the wrong time for your actual location.
What if my phone's time keeps changing on its own?
This usually means automatic updates are on and your phone is syncing with a time server. If the time is jumping to the correct value, this is normal behavior. If it is jumping to the wrong value, try turning automatic updates off, setting the time manually to the correct time, and then turning automatic updates back on. If the problem continues, restart your phone or contact your manufacturer.
Do I need to change my phone's time when I travel?
No, not if automatic updates are on. Your phone will detect your new location and update the time zone automatically. If automatic updates are off, you will need to change the time zone manually when you arrive at your destination.