The quickest way to change your Android time

Open Settings on your Android phone. Scroll down and tap System (or About phone on some phones), then tap Date and time. Toggle off Set time automatically if it is on. Now you can tap Set time and use the on-screen picker to enter the hour and minute you want.

The exact menu names vary slightly between phone makers — Samsung calls it General management instead of System, and some older phones put the option directly in Settings without a System folder. But the steps are the same: find Date and time, turn off automatic time, then set it manually.

Key Takeaways

  • You must turn off Set time automatically before you can change the time manually, or the phone will override your choice.
  • The Date and time menu is in Settings under System, though the exact path depends on your phone maker and Android version.
  • After you set the time manually, you can turn automatic time back on if you want the phone to sync with your network again.
  • If you cannot find the Date and time option, search for "date" or "time" in your Settings search bar instead of scrolling.

Why your phone might not let you change the time

Automatic time sync is turned on by default on most Android phones. When it is on, your phone ignores any time you try to set manually and instead pulls the correct time from your mobile network or internet connection. This is why you might tap Set time, enter a time, and then see it change back a few seconds later.

To fix this, go back to Date and time settings and make sure the toggle next to Set time automatically is off (greyed out). Once it is off, your manual time change will stick. You can turn it back on later if you want the phone to sync automatically again — for example, when you travel to a different time zone and want the phone to adjust on its own.

Changing the date at the same time

The Date and time menu usually has two separate options: Set date and Set time. If you need to change both, tap Set date first and use the calendar picker to choose the correct day, month, and year. Then tap Set time and enter the hour and minute.

Some phones combine both into a single picker where you scroll through date and time together. If you see a single large dial or number wheel instead of two separate buttons, swipe or scroll to move between the date fields and time fields. The exact look depends on your phone model, but the result is the same — you end up with the correct date and time set.

Using your phone's search to find the setting faster

If you cannot find the Date and time option by scrolling through Settings, use the search bar at the top of the Settings app. Tap the search icon (usually a magnifying glass) and type date or time. The search will jump straight to the Date and time menu, skipping all the folders and submenus.

This method works on almost every Android phone and is often faster than scrolling, especially on phones with many settings folders. The search bar is usually at the very top of the Settings app, and it searches through all setting names and descriptions, so even if the menu is named something unusual on your phone, the search will find it.

What happens when you manually set the time

When you turn off automatic time sync and set the time manually, your phone will keep that time even if you restart it or turn it off and back on. However, the time will slowly drift — your phone's internal clock is not as precise as the network time, so after a few days or weeks, it may be off by a minute or more.

This is why automatic time sync exists: it corrects the drift by checking the network time regularly and adjusting your phone's clock. If you need to keep the time accurate for a long period, turn automatic time back on after you have finished whatever task required the manual change. You can do this by going back to Date and time settings and toggling Set time automatically back on.

Changing the time zone separately from the time

Your Android phone has a separate setting for time zone, which controls whether the phone displays 12-hour or 24-hour time and what offset it uses from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). If you have changed your time zone but the phone is still showing the wrong time, check the time zone setting as well.

In the Date and time menu, look for Time zone or Select time zone. Tap it and scroll through the list to find your location or UTC offset. Some phones let you search the time zone list by typing the city name. Once you set the correct time zone, turn automatic time sync back on so the phone adjusts the displayed time correctly whenever you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my phone keep changing the time back after I set it?

Automatic time sync is still on. Go to Settings > System > Date and time and toggle off Set time automatically. Once it is off, your manual time will stay put. If you want the phone to sync automatically again later, you can turn this toggle back on.

Can I change just the hour and keep the minutes the same?

Yes. When you tap Set time, the time picker shows the current hour and minute separately. Tap only the hour field, change it, and leave the minute field alone. Then tap OK or Confirm to save. The minutes will not change.

What if my phone does not have a "Set time automatically" toggle?

Some older Android versions or custom phone software may not have this toggle. In that case, you can usually set the time directly without turning anything off. Tap Set time, enter the time you want, and tap OK. If the time still reverts, restart your phone and try again.

Does changing the time affect my alarms or calendar events?

No. Alarms and calendar events are stored with their own time information, separate from your phone's system clock. Changing the system time will not move your alarms or events. However, if you set the time very far in the past or future, alarms may not go off until the system clock catches up to them.

How do I change the time zone without changing the actual time?

Go to Date and time settings and tap Time zone. Change it to your new location. The phone will automatically adjust the displayed time to match the new zone while keeping the internal clock the same. Turn automatic time sync back on so the phone stays accurate as you move between zones.