How to change the time on iPhone
Open Settings → General → Date & Time. Leave Set Automatically on and your iPhone keeps the right time and changes time zone when you travel. To set a time yourself, turn Set Automatically off, then tap the date and time underneath.
Change the time on iPhone
- Open Settings and tap General.
- Tap Date & Time.
- Turn off Set Automatically.
- Tap the date and time shown below it, then choose the new date and drag the hour and minutes to the time you want.
- Go back. The new time shows straight away on the Lock Screen and in the status bar.
To go back to the correct time at any point, turn Set Automatically on again. The same steps work on iPad.
Change the date on iPhone
The date is set in the same place: Settings → General → Date & Time, turn off Set Automatically, tap the date and pick a day on the calendar.
Change the time zone on iPhone
- Open Settings → General → Date & Time.
- Turn off Set Automatically.
- Tap Time Zone and type a city in the zone you want, for example Chicago for US Central Time.
With Set Automatically on, the iPhone switches time zone by itself when you land somewhere new. For that to work, Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → System Services → Setting Time Zone must be on.
Switch to 24-hour time
Go to Settings → General → Date & Time and turn on 24-Hour Time. Turn it off to go back to AM and PM.
Set Automatically is greyed out
If you can't turn Set Automatically off, something is locking the setting. Work through these:
- Screen Time: Screen Time limits can lock date and time. Open Settings → Screen Time and check Content & Privacy Restrictions, or turn Screen Time off for a moment and look again. A parent or guardian may need to enter the Screen Time passcode.
- Work or school phone: a management profile can lock the clock. Look in Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, and ask your IT team before removing anything.
- Your carrier: some carriers set the time and lock it. Check for a carrier update in Settings → General → About.
- Old software: install the latest update in Settings → General → Software Update, then restart.
iPhone showing the wrong time?
- Wrong by exactly one or more hours: the time zone is wrong. Check Time Zone in Date & Time, and that Setting Time Zone is on in Location Services.
- Wrong after the clocks changed: turn Set Automatically off and on again, then restart the phone.
- Wrong by a few minutes: make sure Set Automatically is on and the phone has had a signal or Wi-Fi for a few minutes.
Keep the time correct if you can: a wrong clock can stop sign-in codes, banking apps and secure websites from working.
Check that it worked
Open the online clock on the device. It compares the device clock with internet time servers and tells you if it is off, and by how much.
Questions people ask
How do I change the time on my iPhone?
Open Settings, then General, then Date & Time. Turn off Set Automatically and tap the date and time to choose a new one.
Why can't I change the time on my iPhone?
If Set Automatically is greyed out, Screen Time restrictions, a work or school management profile, or your carrier is locking it. Check Settings, Screen Time and Settings, General, VPN & Device Management.
How do I change the time zone on my iPhone?
Go to Settings, General, Date & Time, turn off Set Automatically, then tap Time Zone and search for a city in that zone.
Does my iPhone change time zones automatically?
Yes, when Set Automatically is on and Setting Time Zone is allowed in Location Services, under System Services.
Can I set my iPhone clock a few minutes fast?
Yes. Turn off Set Automatically and set the time a few minutes ahead. The phone then stops correcting itself, so some apps and sign-in codes may not work properly until you turn it back on.
Sources
Last updated October 24, 2026. Menu names can differ slightly between versions. Found a step that's changed? Tell us.