The quickest way to change the time on your Samsung tablet

Open Settings from your home screen or app drawer, then tap General management (or System on some models). Look for Date and time and tap it. Turn off Automatic date and time if it is on, then tap Time and use the number pad to enter the correct hour and minute. Tap Set or OK to save.

The exact names of these menu items vary slightly depending on your tablet's Android version and Samsung software version, but the path is always Settings → a system menu → Date and time. Once you turn off automatic time, you can manually set the hour and minute whenever you need to.

Key Takeaways

  • Automatic date and time is usually on by default, so you must turn it off before you can set the time manually.
  • The Settings app is the only place to change the time — you cannot do it from the lock screen or home screen.
  • After you change the time manually, your tablet will keep that time until you change it again or turn automatic time back on.
  • If your tablet keeps resetting the time to the wrong hour, automatic time is likely still on or your tablet is syncing with a network time server.

Finding the Date and Time menu in Settings

Start by opening the Settings app. On most Samsung tablets, this is a gear icon in your app drawer or a quick-settings panel you pull down from the top of the screen. Once Settings opens, scroll down until you see a section labeled General management, System, or Advanced features — the name depends on your Android version.

Tap that section. Inside, look for an option called Date and time. It may also be labeled Date & time or Time. Tap it to open the time settings menu. If you cannot find it after scrolling through the main Settings menu, use the search icon (usually a magnifying glass at the top of Settings) and type "date and time" to jump straight to it.

Turning off automatic time so you can set it manually

When you open the Date and time menu, the first option you see is usually Automatic date and time or Use network-provided time. This toggle is on by default. When it is on, your tablet ignores any time you set manually and instead syncs the time from your mobile network or Wi-Fi connection.

Tap the toggle to turn it off. The toggle will change color (usually from blue to gray) and the option will show as "off". Once automatic time is off, the Time option below it becomes active and you can tap it to set the time yourself. If you do not turn off automatic time first, any time you enter will be overwritten the next time your tablet connects to the network.

Entering the correct time

After you turn off automatic time, tap the Time option. A number pad or time picker will appear on your screen. On most Samsung tablets, you will see two fields: one for the hour and one for the minutes. The hour field is usually on the left.

Tap the hour field and use the number pad to type the hour in 24-hour format (so 1 p.m. is 13, 6 p.m. is 18, and midnight is 00). Then tap the minutes field and enter the minutes. Some tablets let you scroll up and down on the numbers instead of typing them. Once both fields show the correct time, tap Set, OK, or Done to save the change.

What to do if your tablet keeps changing the time back

If you set the time but it changes back to a different time a few minutes later, automatic time is still on. Go back to Settings → Date and time and check the Automatic date and time toggle. If it is on, turn it off again. Some tablets re-enable this setting after a system update, so you may need to turn it off more than once.

Another reason the time might reset is if your tablet is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data and the network is pushing a time update. If you need the time to stay at a specific setting and automatic time keeps turning back on, you can also check whether your tablet has a Time zone setting that is set to automatic. Turn off Automatic time zone as well if you see it, then manually select your time zone from the list below it.

Changing the time zone separately from the time

In the same Date and time menu, you will usually see a Time zone option below the time itself. This controls which time zone your tablet thinks it is in, which affects what time it displays. If you travel to a different time zone or your tablet is showing the wrong time even though the hour and minute are correct, you may need to change the time zone instead of (or in addition to) changing the time itself.

Tap Time zone and scroll through the list of regions and cities. Find the one that matches where you are or where you want the tablet to display time for. Once you select it, the time on your tablet will shift to match that zone. If automatic time zone is on, your tablet will change this setting automatically when you connect to a network in a different region.

Using 12-hour or 24-hour time format

Some Samsung tablets let you choose whether the time displays in 12-hour format (with a.m. and p.m.) or 24-hour format (military time). In the Date and time menu, look for an option called Time format or Use 24-hour format. Tap it to toggle between the two formats.

This setting only changes how the time appears on your screen — it does not change the actual time on your tablet. If you prefer to see 1:30 p.m. instead of 13:30, turn off the 24-hour format. If you prefer military time, turn it on. Your choice will stay in place until you change it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Samsung tablet keep showing the wrong time?

The most common reason is that automatic date and time is turned on, so your tablet is syncing with a network time server instead of using the time you set. Go to Settings → Date and time and turn off automatic time. If the time is still wrong after that, check your time zone setting — you may be in the wrong zone.

Can I change the time without going into Settings?

No. Samsung tablets do not allow you to change the time from the lock screen, home screen, or notification panel. You must open the Settings app and navigate to Date and time. This is a security feature to prevent accidental changes.

What is the difference between the time and the time zone?

The time is the actual hour and minute (for example, 3:45). The time zone tells your tablet which region it is in, which determines what time it should display (Eastern, Pacific, Central, etc.). If you change the time zone, the displayed time shifts automatically. If you change the time itself, only that specific hour and minute changes.

Will changing the time affect my alarms or scheduled tasks?

Yes. If you set an alarm for 7 a.m. and then change your tablet's time backward by two hours, the alarm will go off two hours earlier than you expect. Always adjust alarms and reminders after you change the time, or turn off automatic time only when you need to and turn it back on as soon as you are done.

How do I change the time back to automatic?

Go back to Settings → Date and time and turn the Automatic date and time toggle back on. Your tablet will sync with the network and set itself to the correct time for your location. You can do this anytime you want to stop managing the time manually.