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 iPhone will when ready switch from 12-hour format (with AM and PM) to 24-hour military format (00:00 to 23:59) across the entire device.

This single setting controls the time display everywhere on your phone — the lock screen, home screen, notifications, messages, calendar events, and all built-in apps. Third-party apps may or may not respect this setting depending on how they were designed, but Apple's native apps will follow it when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Military time on iPhone is toggled on in Settings > General > Date & Time under the 24-Hour Time switch.
  • Turning on 24-hour time changes the display everywhere on your phone at once, including the lock screen and all notifications.
  • The change takes effect when ready and does not affect your actual time zone or how your phone syncs with other devices.
  • Some third-party apps may ignore this setting and continue showing 12-hour time, depending on how the app was built.

What Military Time Looks Like on Your iPhone

Military time runs from 00:00 (midnight) to 23:59 (one minute before midnight). When you turn on 24-hour time, 1:00 AM becomes 01:00, noon stays 12:00, and 11:00 PM becomes 23:00. There is no AM or PM label — the hour number itself tells you whether it is morning, afternoon, or evening.

On your lock screen, the time appears in the upper left corner in 24-hour format. In your status bar, notifications, and calendar, all times display the same way. If you set an alarm for 6:30 PM, it will show as 18:30 in the alarm app and in any notification about that alarm.

Where to Find the 24-Hour Time Setting

The path is the same on all current iPhone models. Tap Settings on your home screen, then scroll down and tap General. Scroll down again until you see Date & Time and tap it. Look for the toggle labeled 24-Hour Time — it will be in the off position (gray) if you are currently using 12-hour format.

Tap the toggle once to turn it on. The switch will turn green and move to the right. You can close Settings when ready; the change is saved automatically and takes effect right away. You do not need to restart your phone.

Turning Military Time Off Again

If you want to go back to 12-hour time with AM and PM labels, follow the same path: Settings > General > Date & Time. Tap the 24-Hour Time toggle to turn it off. It will turn gray and move to the left, and your phone will revert to 12-hour format within seconds.

Switching back and forth does not erase any data or affect your alarms, calendar events, or any other settings. The time itself does not change — only how it is displayed on your screen.

Why Third-Party Apps May Not Follow This Setting

Apple's built-in apps — Clock, Calendar, Messages, Mail, and others — all respect the 24-hour time setting automatically. However, apps you read from the App Store may have their own time format settings that override your iPhone's system setting. Some apps let you choose the format in their own settings menu; others do not offer a choice.

If a third-party app is still showing 12-hour time after you turn on 24-hour time, check that app's settings first. Look for a time format or display option. If the app does not have one, the developer built it to ignore your system setting, and you cannot change that without contacting the app maker or switching to a different app.

Military Time and Your Calendar and Alarms

When you create a calendar event or set an alarm, you enter the time using whatever format your keyboard shows you. If 24-hour time is on, the time picker will show hours from 00 to 23. If you turn 24-hour time off later, your events and alarms do not change — they still go off at the same moment, but the display switches back to 12-hour format.

This means you can safely toggle 24-hour time on and off without worrying about your alarms going off at the wrong time or your calendar events shifting. The underlying time stays the same; only the way it appears on your screen changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning on 24-hour time change my actual time zone?

No. The 24-hour time setting only changes how the time is displayed — it does not affect your time zone, how your phone syncs with other devices, or when alarms and notifications actually go off. Your phone still knows your real location and time zone.

Will my alarms still work if I switch to military time?

Yes. Alarms work exactly the same way. If you set an alarm for 18:30 (6:30 PM in military time), it will go off at 6:30 PM whether you are viewing the time in 24-hour or 12-hour format. Switching the format does not change when your alarms trigger.

Can I use 24-hour time on just one app?

The system-wide 24-hour time setting applies to all Apple apps at once. Some third-party apps have their own time format settings in their individual settings menu, so you can check there. But you cannot make only one Apple app show 24-hour time while others show 12-hour time.

What if I see 24-hour time in some apps but not others?

This usually means the apps that are not showing 24-hour time were designed to ignore your system setting. Check those apps' own settings menus for a time format option. If there is none, the app developer did not build in that choice, and you would need to contact them or use a different app.