Where to Find the Time Settings on Your iPad

The time on your iPad updates automatically most of the time, but you can change it manually if needed. The setting lives in the main Settings app under a section called Date & Time. Open Settings from your home screen, tap General, then scroll down and tap Date & Time. You'll see options to turn automatic time on or off, and to set the time zone.

If you've never opened Settings before, it's the app with a gray icon that looks like gears. Tap it once and you're in. From there, the path is straightforward: General is usually near the top of the list, and Date & Time is about halfway down the General menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Automatic time is normally on, which means your iPad pulls the correct time from your internet connection and you don't need to do anything.
  • To change the time manually, turn off the toggle next to "Set Automatically" in Settings > General > Date & Time.
  • Once automatic time is off, you can tap the time display and use the scroll wheels to set hours, minutes, and AM or PM.
  • Changing your time zone is a separate step from changing the actual time, and you can do one without doing the other.
  • If the time keeps reverting to the wrong setting, automatic time may have turned itself back on, or your iPad may have lost internet connection.

Turning Off Automatic Time

Your iPad normally keeps the correct time by connecting to the internet and pulling the time from Apple's servers. This is called automatic time, and it's almost always on. To change the time yourself, you need to turn this off first.

Open Settings, tap General, then tap Date & Time. Look for the toggle next to "Set Automatically." It will be green and switched to the right if it's on. Tap it once to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray and move to the left. Once it's off, you can manually set the time.

Setting the Time Manually

After you turn off automatic time, a new option appears: a field that shows the current time. Tap on that time display. Three scroll wheels will appear—one for hours, one for minutes, and one for AM or PM.

Scroll each wheel up or down to set the time you want. The hours wheel shows 1 through 12. The minutes wheel shows 00 through 59 in five-minute increments. The AM/PM wheel lets you choose morning or afternoon. Once you've set all three, tap outside the wheels or tap a different part of the screen to close them. The time is now set.

Changing Your Time Zone Without Changing the Time

Your time zone is separate from the actual time. You might want to change your time zone if you travel or move, but keep the time the same. In the Date & Time menu, look for "Time Zone" below the time display. Tap it and type the name of your city or region. A list of matching time zones will appear. Tap the one you want.

Changing the time zone does not change the time itself—it only changes how your iPad interprets what time it is. If it's 3 p.m. in New York and you change your time zone to Los Angeles, your iPad will show 12 p.m., because that's what time it actually is in Los Angeles at that moment.

Why Your iPad Time Keeps Changing Back

If you set the time manually and it changes back to something else, automatic time has probably turned itself back on. This can happen if your iPad restarted, if you signed out of iCloud, or if a software update ran. Go back to Settings > General > Date & Time and check whether the "Set Automatically" toggle is on. If it is, turn it off again.

Another reason the time might change is if your iPad lost internet connection and then reconnected. When automatic time is on, your iPad syncs with Apple's servers whenever it has internet. If you were offline and the time drifted, it will correct itself as soon as you reconnect. This is normal behavior and not a problem.

Turning Automatic Time Back On

If you've finished making manual changes and want your iPad to keep the correct time on its own again, go back to Settings > General > Date & Time and tap the "Set Automatically" toggle to turn it back on. The toggle will turn green and move to the right. Your iPad will now pull the correct time from the internet automatically.

Once automatic time is back on, the manual time field disappears from the menu. Your iPad will stay synchronized with the correct time as long as it has an internet connection. You won't need to adjust it again unless you travel to a different time zone, in which case your iPad will update the time zone automatically based on your location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my iPad need internet to keep the correct time?

If automatic time is on, yes—your iPad needs internet to pull the correct time from Apple's servers. If automatic time is off and you've set the time manually, your iPad will keep that time even without internet, but it may drift slightly over days or weeks.

What if I can't find the Date & Time option?

Make sure you're in the Settings app, not a different app. Tap Settings on your home screen. Then tap General in the left menu. Date & Time is in the General menu, usually about halfway down. If you still can't find it, scroll down in the General menu—it may be below the current view.

Can I set the time to something that doesn't exist, like 25 hours?

No. The hours wheel only shows 1 through 12, and the minutes wheel only shows valid minutes. You can't set an impossible time. If you try to scroll past 12 hours, the wheel will loop back to 1.

Will changing the time affect my alarms or reminders?

Yes. If you set the time to something earlier than it actually is, alarms and reminders scheduled for the real time may go off when ready or seem to have already passed. It's best to keep automatic time on to avoid confusion with your schedule.