The fastest way to change your iPhone clock
Open Settings, tap General, then tap Date & Time. Toggle off Set Automatically if it is on. You can now tap the time and date fields to change them manually, or turn Set Automatically back on to let your iPhone sync with your carrier's network time.
Most iPhones have Set Automatically turned on by default, which means your phone updates the time whenever you move between time zones or when your carrier sends a time signal. If your clock is wrong, this setting is usually the culprit — either it is off when it should be on, or your phone has not synced yet.
The process takes about 30 seconds and requires no restart or special permissions.
Key Takeaways
- Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and toggle Set Automatically on to let your iPhone update the time on its own.
- If you need to set the time manually, turn Set Automatically off first, then tap the time field to enter a new time.
- Changing the time does not affect your alarms, reminders, or calendar events — they stay tied to the times you originally set them.
- If your clock keeps resetting to the wrong time, restart your iPhone or check that your carrier signal is strong.
When to turn Set Automatically on and off
Set Automatically is the default and works for most people. Your iPhone pulls the correct time from your mobile carrier or Wi-Fi network, so you never have to think about it. Leave it on unless you have a specific reason to change the time manually — like testing an app that depends on a certain date, or troubleshooting a time-related problem.
Turn it off only when you need to set a custom time or date. Once you have made your change, you can turn it back on when ready. Your phone will not override your manual change right away; it will sync to the network time the next time it connects or after a few minutes.
Changing the time manually
Tap Settings > General > Date & Time. Make sure Set Automatically is toggled off (the switch should be gray). Tap the time field — it will show hours and minutes in a scrollable picker. Spin the wheels to the time you want, then tap outside the picker to close it. Do the same for the date field if you need to change that too.
The time picker uses a 12-hour or 24-hour format depending on your region and your Date & Time settings. If you see AM and PM options, you are in 12-hour mode; if you see only numbers up to 23, you are in 24-hour mode. You can change this format in the same Date & Time menu by looking for a 24-Hour Time toggle.
What happens to alarms and reminders when you change the time
Alarms and reminders stay set to the times you originally created them for. If you set an alarm for 7:00 AM and then change your phone's time to 2:00 PM, the alarm will still go off at 7:00 AM — but that will now be 5 hours away instead of when ready. The alarm is tied to the clock time, not to a fixed moment.
Calendar events work the same way. If you change your time zone or manually adjust the clock, events stay at their original times. This is why changing the time manually is usually not a good idea unless you are testing something — it can confuse your schedule.
Fixing a clock that keeps resetting
If your time keeps changing back to the wrong time even though you set it, Set Automatically is probably still on. Go back to Settings > General > Date & Time and check the toggle. If it is on and you do not want it to be, turn it off.
If the time is wrong even with Set Automatically on, your phone may not have a strong carrier or Wi-Fi signal. Move to a location with better signal and wait a few minutes. If that does not work, restart your iPhone by holding the power button and swiping to power off, then turning it back on. A restart often fixes sync problems with the network time.
If the problem persists, check that your carrier is not having an outage in your area, or try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network to see if the time syncs correctly.
Time zones and daylight saving time
Your iPhone automatically adjusts for daylight saving time if Set Automatically is on. When daylight saving begins or ends, your phone will shift the time forward or back without you doing anything. This happens because your carrier sends the correct time, and your phone knows which time zone you are in.
If you travel to a different time zone, your phone updates automatically as long as Set Automatically is on and you have carrier or Wi-Fi signal. You do not need to manually change the time zone. If you want to see what time zone your phone thinks you are in, that information is also in Settings > General > Date & Time, though you cannot edit it directly — it updates based on your location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my iPhone show the wrong time even though Set Automatically is on?
Your phone may not have a strong enough signal to sync with your carrier or Wi-Fi network. Move to a location with better signal, restart your iPhone, or try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network. If the problem continues, contact your carrier to check for outages.
Can I set my iPhone to a different time zone without changing the actual time?
No. Your iPhone determines the time zone based on your location and the carrier or network signal. You cannot manually set a time zone — the phone does this automatically. If you need to see what time it is in another location, use the Clock app to add a second time zone to your world clock instead.
Will changing the time affect my backups or iCloud sync?
No. Changing the time on your phone does not affect backups or iCloud. Your data syncs based on the content, not the clock. However, manually changing the time can confuse timestamps on photos, messages, and other files, so it is best to keep Set Automatically on.
What if my iPhone is stuck on the wrong time and I cannot turn off Set Automatically?
This is rare, but restart your iPhone by holding the power button and swiping to power off. Wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. If the toggle is still stuck, check that you are in the correct menu — Settings > General > Date & Time — and that you are tapping the switch itself, not the text next to it.