The fastest way to change your Mac's time

Click the clock in the top-right corner of your screen, then click "Date & Time Preferences" in the menu that appears. A window opens showing your current time zone and whether automatic time-setting is turned on. If you want to set the time manually, uncheck the box next to "Set date and time automatically", then click the date and time fields to edit them directly.

Most of the time, you should leave automatic time-setting on — your Mac will sync with Apple's time servers and stay accurate without any action from you. You only need to change it manually if your Mac is showing the wrong time after you've traveled to a different time zone, or if automatic sync has stopped working for some reason.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Date & Time Preferences by clicking the clock in your menu bar and selecting the preferences option.
  • Automatic time-setting keeps your Mac accurate without manual changes, and it is turned on by default.
  • To change the time manually, uncheck automatic sync first, then click the date and time fields to edit them.
  • If your Mac shows the wrong time even with automatic sync on, restart your Mac or check your internet connection.

Where to find Date & Time Preferences on your Mac

The menu bar clock is the quickest entry point. Look at the very top-right corner of your screen — you'll see the time displayed there. Click it once, and a small menu drops down. At the bottom of that menu, you'll see "Date & Time Preferences" or sometimes just "Date & Time Settings". Click that option.

If you prefer to navigate through System Preferences instead, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select "System Preferences" (or "System Settings" on newer Macs), then search for "Date & Time" in the search box. Either route takes you to the same window.

Turning off automatic time-setting to make manual changes

When you open Date & Time Preferences, the first thing you'll see is a checkbox labeled "Set date and time automatically". On most Macs, this box is already checked. Your Mac is using this setting to pull the correct time from Apple's servers over the internet.

To change the time yourself, click that checkbox to uncheck it. The date and time fields below it will change from gray (inactive) to white (editable). Now you can click directly on the time field and type in the correct hour and minute, or click on the date field and change the month, day, or year. After you've made your changes, the new time takes effect when ready.

Changing your time zone without changing the actual time

If you've traveled to a different time zone and your Mac is showing the wrong time, you usually don't need to edit the time itself — you just need to change your time zone. In the Date & Time Preferences window, look for the "Time zone" section. Click the dropdown menu next to your current time zone and search for the city or region you're now in.

Once you select the new time zone, your Mac will automatically adjust the displayed time to match. This is much simpler than manually entering a new time, and it means your Mac will stay correct if you travel again. If automatic time-setting is on, your Mac will handle this adjustment on its own as long as it can detect your location.

What to do if your Mac keeps showing the wrong time

If your Mac displays an incorrect time even though automatic time-setting is turned on, the first step is to restart your Mac. Sometimes the connection to Apple's time servers gets stuck, and a restart clears it. Shut down your Mac completely, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.

If the time is still wrong after a restart, check your internet connection. Your Mac needs an active connection to sync with time servers. Open a web browser and visit any website to confirm you're online. If you're connected but the time is still incorrect, try turning automatic time-setting off and back on again — this forces your Mac to re-sync. If the problem continues, your Mac's internal clock battery may need service, which requires a visit to an Apple Store or authorized repair center.

Why your Mac's time matters for more than just knowing the hour

An incorrect system time can cause problems beyond just showing you the wrong hour. Your Mac uses its internal clock to timestamp files, verify security certificates for websites, and sync data with cloud services like iCloud. If the time is significantly off, you might see warnings when visiting find websites, or your files might not sync properly to iCloud Drive.

This is why keeping automatic time-setting on is the best practice. It requires no action from you and prevents these kinds of problems from happening in the first place. The only time you should turn it off is if you're deliberately testing something or if you have a specific reason to keep your Mac on a different time than your actual location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different times for different user accounts on the same Mac?

No. The system time is global across all user accounts on your Mac. When you change the time in Date & Time Preferences, it changes for everyone who uses that computer. Individual user accounts cannot have their own separate times.

What if the date and time fields are grayed out and I can't click them?

This means automatic time-setting is still on. Click the checkbox next to "Set date and time automatically" to turn it off. You may also need to unlock the preferences window — look for a lock icon in the bottom-left corner and click it, then enter your Mac password.

Does changing the time on my Mac affect my iPhone or iPad?

No, not directly. Your iPhone and iPad have their own system clocks. However, if you use iCloud to sync between devices, changing your Mac's time zone might affect when your synced data appears to have been created or modified across all your devices.

Why does my Mac keep resetting to the wrong time after I change it?

If you turned off automatic time-setting but your Mac keeps reverting to a different time, automatic sync may have turned itself back on. Open Date & Time Preferences again and check whether the "Set date and time automatically" box is checked. If it is, your Mac is overriding your manual change.