The quickest way to change your iPad's time

Open Settings, tap General, then Date & Time. Toggle off the switch next to Set Automatically if it is on. Once you turn off automatic time, you will see a Time Zone option and a field showing the current time. Tap the time field and use the scroll wheels to set the hour, minute, and AM or PM. When you finish, tap outside the time picker or press the back arrow to save your changes.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. Your iPad will keep the time you set until you change it again or turn automatic time back on. If you are changing the time zone instead of the exact time—for example, because you traveled—you can do that without turning off automatic time: just tap Time Zone and search for your new location.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and turn off Set Automatically to manually change the time.
  • Tap the time field to open scroll wheels where you can adjust hours, minutes, and AM or PM separately.
  • If you only need to change your time zone, you can leave automatic time on and just update the Time Zone field.
  • Your manually set time will stay the same until you change it again or turn automatic time back on.

When to turn off automatic time

Your iPad normally keeps its time in sync with Apple's servers, which means it updates automatically when you cross time zones or when daylight saving time changes. Turning off automatic time is useful if you want to set a specific time for testing purposes, if you are troubleshooting an app that depends on the system clock, or if you want your iPad to show a time that does not match your actual location.

Most people leave automatic time on. The only reason to turn it off is if you have a specific reason to run your iPad on a different time than the real time in your location. Once you turn it off, you become responsible for updating it yourself—it will not change when you travel or when daylight saving time happens.

Changing the time zone without manual adjustment

If you are traveling or moving to a new time zone and want your iPad to update automatically, you do not need to turn off automatic time at all. Just go to Settings > General > Date & Time, keep Set Automatically on, and tap Time Zone. Search for your new city or region, and your iPad will when ready adjust the time to match that zone.

This is the easiest method because your iPad handles all the math for you. It knows the correct time in that zone and will keep updating it if daylight saving time changes while you are there. You can change your time zone as many times as you need without ever touching the manual time controls.

Turning automatic time back on

If you manually set the time and later want to go back to automatic updates, return to Settings > General > Date & Time and toggle Set Automatically back on. Your iPad will when ready sync with Apple's servers and correct the time to match your current location and time zone.

Turning automatic time back on does not erase anything or cause problems. Your iPad straightforward resumes getting the correct time from the internet instead of using the time you set manually. This is a safe operation you can do at any point.

Common mistakes when setting the time manually

The most frequent error is forgetting to turn off Set Automatically first. If you try to tap the time field and nothing happens, that is why—the field is locked as long as automatic time is on. Turn off the toggle, and the time field becomes editable.

Another common mistake is not noticing the AM or PM wheel. If you set the time to 3:00 but forget to change PM to AM (or vice versa), your iPad will be 12 hours off. Always check all three wheels—hour, minute, and AM/PM—before you finish.

A third mistake is setting the time and then accidentally turning automatic time back on without realizing it. If your manually set time suddenly jumps to a different time a few seconds later, automatic time turned itself back on. This can happen if you tap the wrong button or if a system update resets the setting.

What to do if the time will not change

If the time field is grayed out or will not respond to taps, Set Automatically is still on. Go back and toggle it off completely. Wait a moment for the interface to refresh, then try tapping the time field again.

If the time field is active but the scroll wheels are not responding, try closing Settings completely and reopening it. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer iPads) to close all apps, then tap Settings again and navigate back to Date & Time.

If your iPad is managed by a school or organization, parental controls or device management settings may lock the time. In that case, you will not be able to change it manually—only the administrator can do that. Check with your school or organization if you think this applies to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the time affect my alarms or reminders?

Yes. If you set your iPad to a time that is different from the real time, alarms and reminders will go off at the time you set, not at the real time. For example, if you set your iPad to 3:00 PM when it is actually 5:00 PM, an alarm set for 4:00 PM will never go off. This is why manually changing the time is rarely a good idea unless you have a specific reason.

Can I set different times on different apps?

No. The time you set in Settings applies to your entire iPad and all apps on it. Apps cannot override the system time. If you need different times for different purposes, you would need to manually change the system time each time, which is impractical.

Does changing the time affect my iPad's battery life?

No. The time setting does not use more or less battery power. Turning off automatic time might save a tiny amount of battery because your iPad stops checking the internet for time updates, but the difference is not noticeable in real use.

What happens to my time if I restart my iPad?

If you manually set the time and then restart your iPad, the time you set will stay the same. If automatic time is on, your iPad will correct the time to the real time after it restarts and connects to the internet.

Can I set the time to a date in the past or future?

The time picker only lets you set the hour, minute, and AM or PM for today. You cannot change the date itself from the Date & Time screen. If you need to change the date, that is a separate setting in the same menu—look for Set Date if you need to adjust it.