Where to find the date and time settings on your iPhone

The date and time settings live in the Settings app, which is the gray gear icon on your home screen. Open Settings, then scroll down and tap General. From there, tap Date & Time. This is where you control whether your iPhone sets the time automatically or manually, and where you change the date if it is wrong.

Your iPhone normally syncs the date and time from your cellular network or Wi-Fi connection, so you rarely need to change it yourself. But if your date is stuck in the past, your time zone is wrong after traveling, or you need to set a specific date for testing purposes, you can override the automatic setting here.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn off Set Automatically in Settings > General > Date & Time before you can manually change the date or time.
  • Once automatic setting is off, tap the date or time field to open a picker wheel where you scroll to the correct values.
  • Turning automatic setting back on will sync your iPhone to the network time again and overwrite any manual changes you made.
  • If your date keeps reverting to the wrong value, restart your iPhone and check that you have a strong cellular or Wi-Fi signal.

Turning off automatic date and time

By default, your iPhone has Set Automatically turned on. This toggle syncs your device to the time broadcast by your cellular carrier or Wi-Fi network, so the date and time are always correct without your input. To change the date or time manually, you must turn this toggle off first.

Open Settings, go to General, then tap Date & Time. Look for the toggle next to Set Automatically and tap it to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and the date and time fields below it will become editable. If you do not see this toggle, your iPhone may be managed by a school or workplace, and you may not have permission to change it.

Changing the date manually

After you turn off Set Automatically, tap the field that shows the current date. A picker wheel will appear with three columns: month, day, and year. Scroll each column up or down with your finger to select the correct month, day, and year. The middle row of each column is the selected value.

Tap outside the picker or tap a different field when you are done. Your new date is now set. Keep in mind that changing the date can affect time-stamped files, reminders, and calendar events, so only do this if you have a specific reason.

Changing the time manually

Tap the time field (the one showing hours and minutes) to open another picker wheel. This one has columns for hours, minutes, and AM or PM. Scroll to the correct hour and minute, then set AM or PM if your iPhone is not in 24-hour mode. The selected values appear in the middle row of each column.

Tap outside the picker when you are finished. Your iPhone will now use this time until you turn Set Automatically back on or manually change it again. If you are in a location that observes daylight saving time, changing the time manually does not change the time zone—you may need to adjust that separately if you have traveled.

Changing your time zone

If you have traveled to a different time zone and your iPhone did not update automatically, you can change it manually. In the Date & Time settings, look for Time Zone below the date and time fields. Tap it to see a list of cities and regions. Type the name of your current city or time zone to search, then tap it to select it.

Your iPhone will adjust the time to match the new time zone. If Set Automatically is still on, your iPhone will have already done this for you when you connected to a network in the new location, so you usually do not need to do this step manually.

Turning automatic date and time back on

When you are ready to let your iPhone sync the date and time from the network again, go back to Settings > General > Date & Time and tap the toggle next to Set Automatically to turn it back on. The toggle will turn green, and your iPhone will when ready sync to the network time. Any manual changes you made will be overwritten.

This is the safest way to keep your date and time correct over the long term, because your iPhone will always match the official time broadcast by your carrier or network. You only need to turn it off temporarily if you are testing something or if your network time is genuinely wrong.

What to do if the date keeps changing back

If you set the date manually but it keeps reverting to the wrong value, Set Automatically may have turned itself back on. Check the Date & Time settings again and confirm the toggle is off. If it is off and the date is still changing, restart your iPhone: press and hold the power button and volume down button together until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off the phone. Wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.

After the restart, go back to Date & Time, turn off Set Automatically again, and set your date and time. A weak or unstable network connection can also cause your iPhone to re-sync automatically, so make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi or cellular signal. If the problem persists, your iPhone may have a hardware issue, and you should contact Apple Support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the date affect my reminders and calendar events?

Yes. Reminders and calendar events are tied to specific dates, so changing your iPhone's date can make them appear on the wrong day or at the wrong time. Only change the date if you have a specific reason, and change it back as soon as you are done. Turning Set Automatically back on will sync you to the correct date again.

Can I set the time to 24-hour format instead of 12-hour?

Yes, but that setting is separate from the Date & Time menu. Go to Settings > General > Language & Region, scroll down, and look for Time Format. Tap it and choose 24-Hour. Your iPhone will then display and let you set time in 24-hour format (0:00 to 23:59) instead of 12-hour format with AM and PM.

What if I cannot find the Date & Time settings?

Make sure you are in the Settings app (the gray gear icon), then tap General at the top of the list. Scroll down until you see Date & Time. If your iPhone is managed by a school or workplace, the Date & Time option may be hidden or locked, and you may need to contact your IT administrator to change it.

Does changing the date affect my backup or iCloud sync?

Changing the date can cause problems with iCloud backups and syncing if the date is far in the past or future. Your iPhone may refuse to back up or sync until the date is corrected. Turn Set Automatically back on to sync to the correct date, then try backing up or syncing again.