The fastest way depends on your watch model and operating system

Most smartwatches set the time automatically when you pair them with your phone. The watch pulls the correct time from your phone's network connection, so you rarely have to touch a setting. If your watch shows the wrong time, the fix usually takes under a minute — either by resyncing with your phone or by adjusting the time manually in the watch's settings menu.

The exact steps change based on whether you own an Apple Watch, a Wear OS watch (made by Samsung, Fossil, Garmin, or others), or a Fitbit. Each system stores the time setting in a different place, and some let you change it only from your phone while others let you do it on the watch itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Most smartwatches sync time automatically from your paired phone, so manual adjustment is rarely needed.
  • Apple Watch time is controlled from your iPhone's Watch app under General settings, not from the watch itself.
  • Wear OS watches let you toggle automatic time on or off in the watch's Settings app, usually under System or Date & Time.
  • Fitbit watches sync time from your phone when you open the Fitbit app, and manual time changes are not possible on most models.
  • If your watch shows the wrong time after syncing, restart both the watch and your phone to force a fresh connection.

Apple Watch: Setting time through your iPhone

Apple Watch does not let you change the time directly on the watch. Instead, you control it from your paired iPhone. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the General tab at the bottom, then scroll down and tap Date & Time. Toggle on Set Automatically if it is not already on. Your watch will pull the time from your iPhone's network connection.

If Set Automatically is already on but your watch still shows the wrong time, the issue is usually that your iPhone's time is wrong. Check your iPhone's Settings app, go to General, then Date & Time, and make sure Set Automatically is enabled there too. Once both devices have the correct time, restart your Apple Watch by holding the side button until the power-off slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait a few seconds and press the side button again to turn it back on.

Wear OS watches: Syncing and manual adjustment

Wear OS watches (including Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fossil, and Garmin models) usually sync time automatically from your phone when you first pair them. To check or change this setting, swipe down from the top of your watch face to open the quick settings menu, then tap the gear icon to enter Settings. Look for System or Date & Time — the exact name varies by manufacturer — and tap it.

Inside that menu, you should see an option for Automatic Date & Time or Set Time Automatically. Toggle it on if it is off. If you need to set the time manually, the same menu will show Hour and Minute fields you can tap to adjust. After you change the time, your watch will remember the setting even if you later turn automatic sync back on.

If your Wear OS watch is paired but still shows the wrong time, open the companion app on your phone (Samsung Wearable, Fossil Smartwatches, or Garmin Connect, depending on your brand) and check that your phone's Bluetooth connection to the watch is active. A disconnected watch cannot sync time from your phone. Restart the watch by holding the power button for 10 seconds until it shuts down, then press it again to turn it back on.

Fitbit watches: Automatic sync only

Fitbit watches do not have a manual time-setting option on the watch itself. Instead, they sync time automatically whenever you open the Fitbit app on your phone. The watch pulls the time from your phone's network connection through the app.

If your Fitbit shows the wrong time, open the Fitbit app, let it sync with your watch (you will see a spinning icon while this happens), and the time should update. If it does not, check that your phone's time is correct by going to your phone's Settings app and confirming Set Automatically is on. Then close the Fitbit app completely and reopen it to force a fresh sync. If the time is still wrong after that, restart your Fitbit by holding the button on the side or back of the device for 10 seconds until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen.

What to do if automatic sync is not working

When a smartwatch refuses to sync time even though automatic time is turned 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, then Bluetooth, and look for your watch's name in the list of paired devices. If it shows as connected, tap it and select Forget or Unpair, then pair the devices again from scratch.

After you re-pair, open the companion app (Watch app for Apple, Samsung Wearable for Galaxy Watch, Fitbit app for Fitbit, and so on) and let it sync fully. This usually takes 30 seconds to a few minutes depending on how much data the watch needs to transfer. Once the sync is complete, check the watch face to confirm the time is now correct.

If the time is still wrong after re-pairing, the issue may be that your phone's time is incorrect. Check your phone's Settings app and make sure Set Automatically is on. Your phone should pull the correct time from your cellular network or Wi-Fi. Once your phone shows the right time, restart your watch and let it sync again.

Changing time zone on your smartwatch

If you travel to a different time zone, your smartwatch should update automatically if automatic time is on. Most watches pull both the time and the time zone from your phone, so when your phone updates to the new zone, your watch follows.

On Apple Watch, the time zone updates automatically when your iPhone's time zone changes. You do not need to do anything. On Wear OS watches, go to Settings, find Date & Time, and check that Set Automatically is on. On Fitbit, the time zone syncs automatically through the Fitbit app, so just open the app after you arrive in the new zone and let it sync.

If your watch does not update to the new time zone automatically, restart it and open the companion app on your phone to force a sync. The watch should then pull the updated time zone from your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The most common cause is that automatic time sync is turned off on your watch. Check your watch's Date & Time settings and make sure Set Automatically is on. If it is already on, restart both your watch and phone to force a fresh connection. If your phone's time is wrong, your watch will copy that wrong time, so check your phone's Settings app and confirm Set Automatically is on there too.

Can I set the time manually on my smartwatch?

It depends on your watch model. Apple Watch does not allow manual time changes — you must adjust it through your iPhone. Wear OS watches let you set the time manually through the watch's Settings menu. Fitbit watches do not have a manual time option; they sync only through the Fitbit app. If manual adjustment is important to you, a Wear OS watch gives you that flexibility.

My smartwatch time is stuck and will not update. What should I do?

Restart your watch by holding the power button until it shuts down, then turn it back on. If that does not work, unpair the watch from your phone in Bluetooth settings, then pair it again. Open the companion app and let it sync fully. If the time is still wrong after that, check that your phone's time is correct and that automatic time is on in your phone's Settings app.

Does my smartwatch need to be connected to my phone to keep the correct time?

No. Once your watch syncs the time from your phone, it keeps accurate time on its own using its internal clock. You only need to reconnect to your phone if you want the watch to update to a new time zone or if the watch's internal clock drifts (which is rare). Most people only need to sync once when they first set up the watch.