The fastest way to set your Android time

Open Settings, tap System (or About phone on some phones), then Date and time. Turn off Set time automatically if it is on. Now you can tap the time and date fields to change them by hand. When you are done, turn Set time automatically back on so your phone stays correct without you having to fix it again.

If you cannot find these exact menu names, your phone manufacturer may have renamed them slightly — Samsung calls it Settings > General management > Date and time, for example. The steps are the same: find the toggle for automatic time, turn it off, change the fields, then turn it back on.

Key Takeaways

  • Most Android phones set the time automatically using your network or GPS, so you usually only need to turn off that toggle, make your change, and turn it back on.
  • If your phone is set to automatic time but shows the wrong time, the problem is usually your timezone setting, not the time itself.
  • Some phones let you tap the time field directly to edit it; others require you to use plus and minus buttons to adjust hours and minutes.
  • If you cannot find Date and time in Settings, search for "date" in your phone's Settings search bar instead of scrolling through menus.

Why your phone might show the wrong time

Android phones normally pull the correct time from your mobile network or from GPS satellites, so you should never have to set it by hand. If your phone shows the wrong time even though automatic time is on, the real problem is usually your timezone — your phone has the right time for a different part of the world.

Check your timezone setting in the same Date and time menu. Look for Set timezone automatically or a field labeled Timezone. If automatic timezone is on but wrong, turn it off and pick your timezone from the list. If you travel frequently, you may want to leave automatic timezone on so your phone updates itself when you cross into a new region.

Turning off automatic time to set it manually

Go to Settings > System > Date and time (the exact path varies by manufacturer). You will see a toggle labeled Set time automatically, Automatic date and time, or something similar. Tap it to turn it off — the toggle should change color or position to show it is now off.

Once automatic time is off, the time and date fields below it become editable. Tap the time field to open a picker — some phones show a clock face you can drag, others show number fields where you type or use plus and minus buttons. Set the hours and minutes, then tap the date field and do the same. When you are finished, turn automatic time back on so your phone will correct itself if the battery dies or you restart it.

Different ways Android phones let you edit the time

Not every Android phone uses the same time picker. Some show a large clock face where you drag the hour and minute hands to the time you want. Others show four separate fields — one each for hours, minutes, AM or PM, and sometimes seconds — where you tap each field and type or scroll through numbers.

If you see a clock face, tap and drag the shorter hand to set the hour, then the longer hand to set the minutes. If you see number fields, tap each one and use the plus and minus buttons on either side, or tap the field and type the number directly. The exact method depends on your phone's manufacturer and Android version, but the result is the same.

Setting the date separately from the time

After you set the time, you will need to set the date in a separate field. Tap Date or the date field in the same menu. Most phones show a calendar picker where you tap the month and year at the top to change them, then tap the day you want. Some older phones show three separate fields for month, day, and year that you edit the same way as the time fields.

Pay attention to whether your phone uses month-day-year order (common in the United States) or day-month-year order (common elsewhere). If you set it wrong, your phone will show the date in the wrong order until you fix it, though the actual time will still be correct.

What to do if you cannot find the Date and time menu

If you cannot locate Date and time by scrolling through Settings, use your phone's built-in search. Open Settings and look for a search icon or search bar at the top — it usually looks like a magnifying glass. Type "date" and tap the Date and time result that appears.

If search does not work, try these alternative paths: Settings > System > Date and time, Settings > General management > Date and time (Samsung), or Settings > About phone > Date and time. If none of these work, your phone may have a very old version of Android or a heavily customized interface — in that case, a web search for your specific phone model and Android version will show you the exact path.

When automatic time keeps changing your settings

If you set the time manually but it keeps changing back, automatic time is turning itself back on. This usually happens because your phone is connected to a network that provides time information, or because you restarted your phone and it re-enabled the automatic setting.

To stop this, go back to Settings > System > Date and time and make sure Set time automatically is off. If it keeps turning itself back on, check whether you have a work profile or parental controls installed — these can override your settings. If you do, you may need to remove them or contact your IT department or the person who set them up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my phone keep showing the wrong time even after I set it?

Automatic time is probably turning itself back on. Go to Settings > System > Date and time and make sure Set time automatically is off. If it keeps turning back on by itself, a work profile or parental control may be overriding your choice.

Can I set a different time zone without changing the actual time?

Yes. Turn off Set timezone automatically in the Date and time menu, then change only the timezone field. Your phone will keep the same time but display it in the new timezone. This is useful if you travel but do not want to change your clock.

What if the time picker on my phone does not work the way I expect?

Different manufacturers use different designs. If you see a clock face, drag the hands. If you see number fields, tap them and type or use the plus and minus buttons. Try both methods — one will work for your phone.

Does changing the time affect my alarms or calendar events?

Changing the time can shift when alarms go off and when calendar events appear, because your phone uses the system time to calculate these. If you set the time incorrectly, your alarms may ring at the wrong time until you fix it.

Can I set the time to something that does not exist, like 25:00?

No. Android will not let you enter an invalid time. If you try to set the hour to 25 or the minute to 75, your phone will reject the input or automatically correct it to a valid time.