Change Your iPhone to Military Time in Settings

To display military time on your iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then Date & Time. Toggle the switch next to 24-Hour Time to the on position. Your clock will when ready switch from 12-hour format (with AM and PM) to 24-hour military format, where 1:00 PM becomes 13:00 and 11:30 PM becomes 23:30.

This single setting controls the time display across your entire phone — in the status bar at the top of your screen, on your lock screen, in the Clock app, and in most other apps that show the time. The change takes effect when ready and does not affect any alarms or timers you have already set.

Key Takeaways

  • Military time on iPhone is toggled on through Settings > General > Date & Time > 24-Hour Time.
  • Turning on 24-hour time changes the display everywhere on your phone at once, including your lock screen and status bar.
  • Existing alarms and timers continue to work normally after you switch to military time format.
  • You can switch back to 12-hour time at any moment by toggling the same switch off.
  • Some third-party apps may not respect this setting and will continue showing 12-hour time regardless.

Where Military Time Appears After You Turn It On

Once you enable 24-hour time, military format shows up in several places. The time in your status bar (top of the screen) will display as 14:32 instead of 2:32 PM. Your lock screen clock, the Clock app, and the time stamps on text messages and emails all shift to 24-hour format.

Calendar events and reminders also display in military time once the setting is active. If you set an alarm for 6:30 AM, it will show as 06:30 in the Clock app. The actual alarm still goes off at the correct time — the change is only visual.

What Stays the Same When You Switch Formats

Switching to military time does not change how your alarms work or when they ring. An alarm set for 7:00 AM will still sound at 7:00 AM whether you are viewing it in 12-hour or 24-hour format. You do not need to reset any alarms after making this change.

Your time zone setting remains unchanged, and the actual time your phone displays does not shift — only the way it is written changes. If you travel to a different time zone, your phone will still update automatically as it normally does.

How to Switch Back to 12-Hour Time

If you decide military time is not for you, return to Settings > General > Date & Time and toggle 24-Hour Time off. Your clock will when ready revert to showing AM and PM. This is a reversible change with no consequences — you can switch back and forth as often as you want.

Some people turn on military time temporarily to get used to reading it, then switch back once they feel comfortable. Others keep it on permanently. There is no penalty for changing your mind.

Why Some Apps Still Show 12-Hour Time

Not every app on your iPhone respects the 24-hour time setting. Some third-party apps — particularly older ones or those designed primarily for other countries — ignore your iPhone's time format preference and display 12-hour time regardless. This is a limitation of how those individual apps were built, not a problem with your phone.

Apple's built-in apps (Clock, Calendar, Messages, Mail, Reminders) all honor the 24-hour setting. If you use a third-party app that does not, you may see mixed time formats across your phone. There is no way to force a third-party app to use military time if its developer did not include that option.

Military Time Conversion Reference

If you are new to reading 24-hour time, the conversion is straightforward. Midnight is 00:00, noon is 12:00, and times after noon add 12 to the hour. So 1:00 PM is 13:00, 6:00 PM is 18:00, and 11:00 PM is 23:00. Minutes stay the same — 3:45 PM becomes 15:45.

The easiest way to learn is to keep the setting on for a few days. Your brain adapts quickly, and within a week most people read military time as naturally as they read standard time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does military time use seconds on the iPhone display?

No. Your iPhone's clock display shows only hours and minutes, whether in 12-hour or 24-hour format. Seconds appear only in the Clock app's stopwatch and timer functions, not on the main time display.

Will my iPhone automatically switch between military and standard time when I travel?

No. The 24-hour time setting stays on or off regardless of which time zone you are in. If you turn it on, it remains on even when you travel internationally. Your time zone updates automatically, but the format (12-hour or 24-hour) does not change.

Can I set military time for only certain apps?

No. The 24-hour time setting is system-wide on iPhone. When you turn it on, all Apple apps and compatible third-party apps display military time. You cannot enable it for just the Clock app or just your calendar.

Do I need to change my alarm times when I switch to military time?

No. Alarms work the same way regardless of which time format your phone displays. An alarm set for 6:00 AM will ring at 6:00 AM whether your screen shows "6:00 AM" or "06:00". The underlying time does not change, only how it appears.

What if I accidentally turn on 24-hour time and want to undo it?

Go back to Settings > General > Date & Time and toggle 24-Hour Time off. The change is when ready and reversible. There is no undo button needed — straightforward flipping the switch back restores 12-hour time when ready.