Changing the time on your smart watch is simple—whether you’re adjusting for time zones, daylight saving, or manual settings. This guide walks you through the process for all major smart watch brands with clear, easy-to-follow steps.
Key Takeaways
- Most smart watches sync time automatically via your phone or internet. This ensures accuracy without manual input, but you can still adjust it if needed.
- Apple Watch time is controlled through the iPhone Watch app. You can’t change it directly on the watch unless you disable automatic time sync.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch users can adjust time manually in Settings. Go to General > Date and Time to toggle automatic sync or set a custom time.
- Fitbit devices rely on your phone’s time zone. Changing your phone’s location or time zone updates your Fitbit automatically.
- Garmin watches allow manual time entry in the system settings. Useful when traveling or if auto-sync fails.
- Always check for software updates. Outdated firmware can cause time sync issues across all smart watch brands.
- Daylight saving adjustments happen automatically on most devices. But if your watch is off, re-syncing with your phone usually fixes it.
How to Change the Time on Your Smart Watch
Smart watches are more than just stylish accessories—they’re powerful mini-computers on your wrist that help you track fitness, receive notifications, and stay on schedule. One of the most basic yet essential features is keeping accurate time. Whether you’ve traveled across time zones, daylight saving time just kicked in, or your watch is simply showing the wrong hour, knowing how to change the time on your smart watch is a must-have skill.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of adjusting the time on some of the most popular smart watch brands, including Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, and Wear OS devices. You’ll learn how to enable automatic time sync, manually set the time, troubleshoot common issues, and ensure your watch stays accurate no matter where life takes you.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to confidently manage your smart watch’s time settings like a pro—no technical expertise required. Let’s get started!
Why Your Smart Watch Might Show the Wrong Time
Before diving into the how-to steps, it’s helpful to understand why your smart watch might display an incorrect time. Most modern smart watches are designed to sync automatically with your smartphone or internet connection, which means they should always show the right time—unless something goes wrong.
Visual guide about How to Change the Time on Your Smart Watch
Image source: i.ytimg.com
Here are the most common reasons your smart watch time might be off:
- Automatic sync is disabled: Many watches allow you to turn off automatic time updates. If this happens, your watch won’t adjust when you travel or when daylight saving begins.
- Your phone’s time is incorrect: Since most smart watches pull time data from your phone, a wrong time on your mobile device will carry over to your watch.
- Time zone mismatch: Traveling to a new region without updating your phone’s location settings can cause your watch to lag behind or jump ahead.
- Software glitches: Occasionally, bugs in the watch’s operating system can cause time display errors.
- Low battery or offline mode: If your watch loses power or disconnects from your phone, it may stop syncing time until reconnected.
Understanding these causes will help you choose the right fix. In most cases, re-enabling automatic sync or reconnecting your watch to your phone solves the problem. But if you prefer manual control—or if auto-sync isn’t available—we’ll show you how to set the time yourself.
How to Change the Time on an Apple Watch
Apple Watch is one of the most popular smart watches on the market, known for its seamless integration with iPhone. The good news? You typically don’t need to manually change the time—your Apple Watch syncs automatically with your iPhone. But if you want to adjust it manually or troubleshoot a time issue, here’s what you need to know.
Step 1: Check Automatic Time Sync
By default, your Apple Watch uses your iPhone’s time and time zone. This means that as long as your iPhone shows the correct time, your watch will too. To verify this setting:
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap General > Date & Time.
- Make sure Set Automatically is turned on (the toggle should be green).
When this feature is enabled, your Apple Watch will update its time whenever your iPhone does—such as when you travel or when daylight saving time begins. This is the easiest and most reliable way to keep your watch accurate.
Step 2: Manually Set the Time (If Needed)
If you’re in a situation where automatic sync isn’t working—or you simply prefer to set the time yourself—you can disable automatic sync and enter a custom time. Here’s how:
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Go to General > Date & Time.
- Turn off Set Automatically.
- Tap Time Zone and select your current location, or enter a custom time zone.
- Adjust the time by tapping the hour and minute fields and scrolling to the correct values.
Keep in mind that manually setting the time means your watch won’t update automatically when you travel or when daylight saving changes. You’ll need to adjust it yourself each time.
Step 3: Force a Sync
If your Apple Watch is showing the wrong time even with automatic sync enabled, try forcing a re-sync:
- Make sure your iPhone and Apple Watch are within Bluetooth range.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch > General > Reset.
- Select Reset Sync Data.
This will re-establish the connection between your devices and refresh the time data. After a few seconds, your watch should display the correct time.
Pro Tip: Use Siri to Check Time
Not sure if your Apple Watch is accurate? Just say, “Hey Siri, what time is it?” Siri will respond with the current time based on your iPhone’s settings. If there’s a mismatch, you’ll know it’s time to check your sync settings.
How to Change the Time on a Samsung Galaxy Watch
Samsung Galaxy Watches run on Tizen or Wear OS (depending on the model) and offer flexible time settings. Like Apple, Samsung prefers automatic sync, but you can easily switch to manual mode if needed.
Step 1: Enable or Disable Automatic Time
To check or change your time settings:
- Swipe down from the top of your Galaxy Watch screen to open the quick settings panel.
- Tap the Settings icon (gear symbol).
- Scroll down and tap General.
- Tap Date and Time.
- Toggle Automatic date and time on or off.
When this is on, your watch syncs with your Samsung phone’s time and time zone. When off, you can set the time manually.
Step 2: Set Time Manually
If you’ve turned off automatic sync, follow these steps to enter a custom time:
- In the Date and Time menu, tap Set time.
- Use the on-screen dial or tap the hour and minute fields to adjust.
- Tap Done when finished.
You can also set the time zone manually by tapping Time zone and selecting your location from the list.
Step 3: Sync with Your Phone
If your Galaxy Watch is out of sync, try re-pairing it with your phone:
- Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone.
- Tap Watch settings > About watch.
- Tap Reset > Reset sync data.
This will refresh the connection and update the time. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled and your devices are close together during this process.
Pro Tip: Use Bixby to Check Time
Say “Hi Bixby, what time is it?” to hear the current time. If Bixby’s time doesn’t match your watch, it’s a sign your sync settings need attention.
How to Change the Time on a Fitbit
Fitbit devices are known for their fitness tracking, but they also keep time—and they do it by syncing with your smartphone. Unlike Apple or Samsung, Fitbit doesn’t allow manual time entry on the device itself. Instead, all time adjustments happen through your phone.
Step 1: Ensure Your Phone’s Time Is Correct
Since Fitbit pulls time data from your phone, start by checking your mobile device:
- On iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Date & Time. Turn on Set Automatically.
- On Android: Go to Settings > System > Date & Time. Enable Automatic date & time.
This ensures your phone—and therefore your Fitbit—has the correct time.
Step 2: Sync Your Fitbit
After confirming your phone’s time, sync your Fitbit to update the watch:
- Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
- Tap your profile picture in the top-left corner.
- Tap Set Up a Device or select your current device.
- Tap Sync Now.
The sync process usually takes 10–30 seconds. Once complete, your Fitbit should display the correct time.
Step 3: Change Time Zone (If Traveling)
If you’ve traveled to a new time zone, your Fitbit should update automatically—but only if your phone does. To manually change the time zone:
- On your phone, go to Settings > General > Date & Time (iPhone) or System > Date & Time (Android).
- Turn off Set Automatically (if needed).
- Select your new time zone.
- Re-enable automatic time if desired.
- Sync your Fitbit again.
Note: Some older Fitbit models may not support real-time zone updates. In that case, you may need to wait until your next scheduled sync.
Pro Tip: Use the Fitbit App to Check Time
Open the Fitbit app and tap the clock face on your device tile. This shows the current time as recorded by your Fitbit. Compare it to your phone to spot discrepancies.
How to Change the Time on a Garmin Watch
Garmin watches are popular among athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. They offer both automatic and manual time settings, giving you more control over how time is displayed.
Step 1: Check Automatic Time Sync
Most Garmin watches sync time via GPS or your smartphone. To verify:
- Press the Menu button (or swipe down on touchscreen models).
- Go to Settings > System > Time.
- Look for Auto Time or Set Time.
- Ensure it’s set to Auto or GPS.
When set to Auto, your Garmin will update time based on GPS signals or your connected phone.
Step 2: Manually Set the Time
If you prefer manual control or are in an area with poor GPS signal:
- Go to Settings > System > Time.
- Select Set Time.
- Use the on-screen controls to adjust hours, minutes, and AM/PM.
- Tap Save or press the back button to confirm.
You can also set the time zone manually in the same menu under Time Zone.
Step 3: Sync with Garmin Connect
If your time is still off, try syncing with the Garmin Connect app:
- Open the Garmin Connect app on your phone.
- Tap the Devices tab.
- Select your watch and tap Sync.
This forces a data refresh, including time settings. Make sure your watch is within Bluetooth range during the sync.
Pro Tip: Use GPS to Update Time
If you’re outdoors, turn on GPS on your Garmin watch. It will automatically detect your location and update the time zone and time based on satellite data.
How to Change the Time on a Wear OS Watch (Google Pixel Watch, Fossil, etc.)
Wear OS watches, including the Google Pixel Watch and models from Fossil, Mobvoi, and others, use Google’s operating system. Time settings are managed through the Wear OS app or directly on the watch.
Step 1: Enable Automatic Time
To ensure your watch stays accurate:
- Swipe down from the top of the watch screen to open quick settings.
- Tap the Settings icon.
- Tap System > Date & Time.
- Turn on Automatic date & time.
This syncs your watch with your Android phone’s time and time zone.
Step 2: Manually Adjust Time
If you need to set the time manually:
- In the Date & Time menu, turn off Automatic date & time.
- Tap Set time.
- Adjust the hour and minute using the on-screen controls.
- Tap OK to save.
You can also change the time zone by tapping Select time zone and choosing your location.
Step 3: Reconnect to Your Phone
If time is still incorrect, try re-syncing:
- Open the Wear OS app on your phone.
- Tap Settings > Disconnect watch.
- Re-pair your watch by following the on-screen instructions.
This resets the connection and ensures time data flows correctly.
Pro Tip: Use Google Assistant
Say “Hey Google, what time is it?” to hear the current time. If it doesn’t match your watch, check your sync settings.
Troubleshooting Common Time Issues
Even with the best settings, smart watch time problems can happen. Here’s how to fix the most common issues:
Issue 1: Watch Shows Wrong Time After Travel
Solution: Your phone may not have updated its time zone. Go to your phone’s date and time settings, enable automatic time zone, and sync your watch. For Garmin and Apple Watch, ensure location services are on.
Issue 2: Time Doesn’t Update for Daylight Saving
Solution: Most watches handle this automatically. If not, manually adjust the time or re-sync with your phone. Check for software updates—older firmware may not support DST changes.
Issue 3: Watch Is One Hour Off
Solution: This is often a daylight saving or time zone error. Double-check your phone’s time zone and ensure automatic sync is on. For Fitbit and Apple Watch, a simple re-sync usually fixes it.
Issue 4: Watch Won’t Sync with Phone
Solution: Restart both devices. Ensure Bluetooth is on and the watch is charged. Reinstall the companion app (e.g., Galaxy Wearable, Fitbit) if needed.
Issue 5: Time Resets After Restart
Solution: This suggests a software glitch. Update your watch’s firmware through the companion app. For Wear OS and Apple Watch, check for system updates regularly.
Best Practices for Accurate Timekeeping
To avoid time issues in the future, follow these tips:
- Keep automatic sync enabled unless you have a specific reason to disable it.
- Update your watch’s software regularly to fix bugs and improve sync reliability.
- Charge your watch daily to prevent unexpected shutdowns that can disrupt time tracking.
- Re-sync after travel to ensure your watch picks up the new time zone.
- Use your phone as the time source—it’s more reliable than manual entry.
Conclusion
Changing the time on your smart watch doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you’re using an Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, or Wear OS device, the process is straightforward once you know where to look. In most cases, enabling automatic time sync is the best way to keep your watch accurate without lifting a finger.
However, if you’re traveling, experiencing sync issues, or simply prefer manual control, this guide has shown you exactly how to adjust the time on your device. Remember to check your phone’s settings first—your smart watch relies on it more than you might think.
By following these steps and troubleshooting tips, you’ll ensure your smart watch always shows the correct time, helping you stay punctual, organized, and connected—no matter where you are.