The fastest way to set the time on your Samsung Galaxy tablet
Open Settings, tap General management, then Date and time. Toggle off Automatic date and time if it is on. You will then see separate fields for the date and time that you can tap and adjust manually. Once you have set both, tap outside the fields or press the back button to save.
If you leave Automatic date and time turned on, your tablet will pull the correct time from your mobile network or Wi-Fi connection and update it without your input. This is the easiest option if you travel between time zones or want to avoid manual adjustments.
Key Takeaways
- Automatic time adjustment is on by default on most Samsung tablets and syncs with your network, so you may not need to change anything.
- To set the time manually, go to Settings > General management > Date and time and turn off the automatic toggle first.
- Once automatic is off, you can tap the time field and use the on-screen picker to set hours and minutes.
- If you travel frequently, turning automatic back on after you finish prevents the time from drifting out of sync.
Where to find the date and time settings
Start at the home screen and swipe down from the top of the tablet twice to open the full Settings panel, or tap the Settings icon in your app drawer. Scroll down and tap General management — this section holds system-wide settings rather than app-specific ones.
Inside General management, look for Date and time. The exact position varies slightly between Samsung models and Android versions, but it is always in this menu. Tap it to open the time adjustment screen.
Turning off automatic time so you can set it manually
When you open Date and time, the first toggle you see is Automatic date and time. If it is already off (the toggle is gray or white), you can skip to the next section. If it is on (the toggle is blue or colored), tap it once to turn it off.
Turning off automatic unlocks the time and date fields below it so you can edit them. Your tablet will no longer update the time on its own, so you are responsible for keeping it correct if you move between time zones or if the internal clock drifts.
Setting the time manually with the on-screen picker
After you turn off automatic time, tap the Time field. A picker will appear with hour and minute wheels. Scroll the hour wheel up or down to select the correct hour, then scroll the minute wheel to set the minutes. Some tablets show the time in 24-hour format (0 to 23) and others in 12-hour format with AM and PM — your picker will match whichever your tablet is set to.
Once both wheels show the correct time, tap Done or Confirm (the button name varies by model). The time field will update when ready. If you also need to change the date, tap the Date field above the time and use the same picker method to select the month, day, and year.
Changing the time zone on your Samsung tablet
Below the time and date fields, you will see Time zone. Tap this field to see a list of regions and cities. Scroll to find your location — the list is organized by continent and major city, so searching for your nearest large city is usually fastest.
Selecting a time zone does not change the time itself; it tells your tablet which offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) to use. If you have automatic time on, changing the time zone will automatically adjust the displayed time. If automatic is off, you may need to adjust the time manually afterward to match your new zone.
What to do if automatic time keeps turning back on
Some Samsung tablets re-enable automatic time after a system update or when they reconnect to a network. If you find the toggle has switched back on without your input, turn it off again using the same method. The setting should stick unless another update changes it.
If you are having trouble keeping automatic time off, check whether your tablet is connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile network — some models automatically re-enable the feature when they detect a strong connection. You can also try restarting the tablet after turning automatic off, which sometimes locks the setting in place.
When to turn automatic time back on
If you set the time manually for a specific reason — testing a feature, troubleshooting an app, or working offline — remember to turn automatic time back on when you are done. Leaving it off means your tablet's clock will slowly drift out of sync, and apps that depend on accurate time (email, calendar, banking apps) may behave oddly.
To turn automatic back on, return to Settings > General management > Date and time and tap the Automatic date and time toggle to turn it blue or colored. Your tablet will sync with the network and correct the time within a few seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my tablet show the wrong time even though automatic is on?
Your tablet may not be connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile network, or the network time server may be temporarily unavailable. Check that Wi-Fi is on and connected, or use a mobile data connection if available. Restart the tablet and wait a few minutes for it to sync. If the problem persists, turn automatic off and set the time manually.
Can I set a different time zone without changing the displayed time?
Not directly. Changing the time zone will adjust the displayed time to match that zone. If you want to keep the same displayed time, turn off automatic time first, change the time zone, then manually adjust the time back to what you want.
What happens to the time if I don't charge my tablet for a long time?
If your tablet's battery fully drains, the internal clock may reset or lose accuracy. When you charge it again and turn it on, turning on automatic time will resync it to the correct time. If automatic is off, you will need to set the time manually again.
Does changing the time affect my alarms or scheduled tasks?
Yes. If you set the time backward, alarms scheduled for times you have already passed will not go off until that time comes around again. If you set the time forward, alarms in the skipped time range will be missed. Avoid changing the time manually unless necessary, and use automatic time for daily use.