The fastest way depends on your watch model and phone

Most smartwatches set the time automatically when you pair them with your phone — you won't have to do anything. If your watch shows the wrong time, the fix usually takes less than a minute and happens in one of three places: on the watch itself, in the watch's companion app on your phone, or in your phone's system settings.

The method you use depends on whether your watch runs Wear OS (made by Google), watchOS (Apple), Tizen (Samsung), or another system. The steps are different enough that using the wrong method won't work, so identifying your watch type first saves time.

Key Takeaways

  • Most smartwatches sync time automatically from your phone when paired, so manual adjustment is rarely needed.
  • Apple Watch users adjust time in the Watch app under General > Date & Time, not on the watch itself.
  • Wear OS and Samsung Galaxy Watch users can adjust time directly on the watch through Settings > System > Date & Time.
  • If automatic sync is turned off, turning it back on is faster than setting time manually.
  • Restarting your watch and phone together often fixes time sync problems without any manual steps.

Check if automatic time sync is already on

Before you manually set anything, verify that automatic time sync is enabled. This is the default on almost all smartwatches, and it means your watch pulls the correct time from your phone without you doing anything.

On an Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap General, then Date & Time. Make sure "Set Automatically" is toggled on. On a Wear OS watch, swipe down from the top of the watch face to open Quick Settings, tap Settings, then System > Date & Time, and confirm "Automatic" is selected. On a Samsung Galaxy Watch, swipe down from the top, tap Settings, then System > Date & Time, and toggle "Automatic" on.

If automatic sync is already on but your time is still wrong, the issue is usually that your phone's time is wrong, or the watch hasn't synced recently. Check your phone's time first. If it's correct and your watch is still off, try restarting both devices — turn off your phone completely, then turn off your watch, wait 30 seconds, and turn them back on in that order.

Set time manually on an Apple Watch

Apple Watch does not have a time-setting option on the watch itself. All time adjustments happen through the Watch app on your paired iPhone. Open the Watch app, tap the General tab at the bottom, then tap Date & Time.

If "Set Automatically" is on, you cannot manually change the time — you must turn it off first by tapping the toggle. Once it's off, the time field becomes editable. Tap it, use the + and − buttons to adjust hours and minutes, then tap Set. Turn "Set Automatically" back on afterward so your watch stays in sync with your phone going forward.

Set time manually on a Wear OS watch

Wear OS watches let you adjust time directly on the watch. Swipe down from the top of the watch face to open Quick Settings, then tap the Settings icon (usually a gear). Scroll down and tap System, then Date & Time.

If "Automatic" is toggled on, turn it off first. Once it's off, tap Time and use the + and − buttons to set hours and minutes. Tap the checkmark to confirm. If you also need to change the date, tap Date and adjust it the same way. After you've set the time, turn "Automatic" back on so the watch syncs with your phone again.

Set time manually on a Samsung Galaxy Watch

Samsung Galaxy Watch models follow the same pattern as Wear OS. Swipe down from the top of the watch face, tap Settings, then System > Date & Time. If "Automatic" is on, toggle it off.

Tap Time and adjust the hours and minutes using the + and − buttons. Tap the checkmark to save. If you need to change the date as well, tap Date and adjust it. Once you're done, toggle "Automatic" back on. Samsung watches sometimes take a few minutes to sync after you turn automatic mode back on, so don't be alarmed if the time doesn't update when ready.

What to do if your watch won't sync time with your phone

If your watch keeps showing the wrong time even with automatic sync on, the problem is usually a broken connection between the watch and phone. Start by checking that Bluetooth is on on both devices. On your phone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and make sure it's enabled. On your watch, swipe down from the top and confirm Bluetooth is on.

Next, unpair and re-pair the devices. On an Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the Devices tab, select your watch, tap the info icon, and choose "Unpair Apple Watch." Follow the prompts to set it up again. On a Wear OS or Galaxy Watch, open the companion app (Google Wear OS or Samsung Galaxy Wearable), find the device settings, and select "Unpair" or "Disconnect." Then go through the pairing process again from the beginning.

If re-pairing doesn't fix it, restart both devices completely. Power off your phone entirely, then power off your watch. Wait 30 seconds, turn on your phone first, wait for it to fully boot, then turn on your watch. This clears temporary connection issues that sometimes prevent time sync from working.

Why your watch might show the wrong time

The most common reason is that automatic sync is turned off, either because you disabled it or because the watch lost its Bluetooth connection to your phone. A second reason is that your phone's time is wrong — if your phone shows the wrong time, your watch will copy that wrong time. Check your phone's time in Settings > Date & Time and make sure it's set to automatic.

A third reason is that your watch is in airplane mode. On most smartwatches, airplane mode disables Bluetooth and prevents time sync. Swipe down from the top of your watch face and check Quick Settings — if airplane mode is on, tap it to turn it off.

Finally, if you've recently traveled across time zones, your watch may be showing the time from your previous location. This happens when automatic sync is off or when the watch hasn't synced with your phone since you landed. Turning automatic sync on and restarting both devices will fix this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set the time zone separately from the time itself?

On most smartwatches, time and time zone are linked — when you set the time automatically, the time zone adjusts automatically too. If you need to change only the time zone, look in Date & Time settings for a separate Time Zone option. Apple Watch and Wear OS both have this, but it's usually easier to just let automatic sync handle it when you travel.

Why does my watch show a different time than my phone?

This usually means automatic sync is off on your watch, or the watch hasn't synced in a while because Bluetooth was disconnected. Turn automatic sync on and restart both devices. If they still don't match after five minutes, unpair and re-pair them.

Do I need to set the time on my smartwatch when I first get it?

No. When you pair a new smartwatch with your phone for the first time, it automatically pulls the correct time from your phone during setup. You should never need to manually set the time unless something goes wrong with the sync.

What if my smartwatch doesn't have a Date & Time setting?

Some older or budget smartwatches don't let you adjust time manually — they only sync automatically. If this is the case, make sure your phone's time is correct and automatic sync is on. If the watch still shows the wrong time, restart both devices or contact the watch manufacturer's support.