You might be trying to trick a mobile game into giving you more lives. Maybe you’re landing in Tokyo and your phone is stubbornly clinging to New York time like a jet-lagged toddler. Or, and this happens more than you’d think, you just want to set your clock five minutes fast so you aren't late for work. Honestly, knowing how to change my time on iphone isn't just about moving the hands on a digital clock; it’s about wrestling control back from a device that really, really wants to do everything for you automatically.
Apple makes this seem like a one-tap deal. It isn't always. Sometimes the toggle is greyed out. Sometimes the time zone search won't load. Occasionally, changing the time breaks your two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, leaving you locked out of your bank account. Fun, right?
The Basic Path to Manual Time
If everything is working correctly, you basically just need to dive into the settings. Go to Settings, then tap General, and find Date & Time.
By default, your iPhone has "Set Automatically" toggled on. This uses your GPS and Wi-Fi data to ping Apple’s NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers. To change the time yourself, you have to kill that automation. Flip the switch off. Once you do that, a new row appears with the current date and time in blue text. Tap that blue text.
Now you get the "scroller." You can spin the wheels to whatever time you want. It feels a bit like a combination lock. Just remember that if you change the date to something wildly different—like three years in the past—your browser will start throwing "Your Connection is Not Private" errors. This happens because security certificates on websites rely on your phone’s clock matching the server’s clock. If they don't align, the handshake fails.
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Why is the toggle greyed out?
This is the number one complaint. You go to change the time and the "Set Automatically" switch is stuck in the 'on' position, faded and unclickable. It’s annoying. Usually, this is because of Screen Time restrictions.
If you or a parent (or an employer) has set up Screen Time, the phone might be locked into a specific time to prevent someone from bypassing app limits. To fix this, you have to go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. If it’s on, you might need to toggle it off, or specifically look for the "Location Services" or "System Services" settings.
Another culprit is a corporate MDM (Mobile Device Management) profile. If your iPhone was issued by your job, they might have a policy that prevents manual time changes. They do this so you can't fudge your clock-in times on apps like TSheets or Deputy. In that case, you're basically stuck unless you talk to your IT department.
Dealing with Time Zones and Travel
Usually, the iPhone is brilliant at switching zones. You land, you turn off Airplane Mode, and poof—the clock jumps. But what if you’re living near a border? Or what if you're in a place like Arizona that doesn't observe Daylight Saving Time (DST), but your phone thinks you're in the Navajo Nation (which does)?
When how to change my time on iphone becomes a time zone issue, you should look at the Time Zone field directly below the automatic toggle. You can tap that and type in a major city. Pro tip: you don't have to type your exact city. If you live in a tiny suburb, just type the nearest "alpha city" like London, New York, or Los Angeles.
The "Time Travel" Cheat in Gaming
Let's be real. A huge chunk of people searching for this are playing Candy Crush, Animal Crossing, or some other "wait-to-play" game. By moving the clock forward a few hours, you bypass the wait timer.
It works. Mostly.
But there is a catch. Some modern games check their own servers for the "real" time. If the game sees your phone says it's Tuesday but the server says it's Monday, it might flag your account for cheating or simply refuse to load. Also, once you set the time back to normal, you might find yourself with a "negative" timer. The game thinks you have to wait 48 hours for your next life because you already "consumed" the future.
Does it mess up my photos?
Yes. Every photo you take has EXIF data. This is the metadata that tells your phone where and when the photo was taken. If you change your time to 2029 to skip a game timer and then take a screenshot of your high score, that image will forever live in the "future" of your camera roll. It will stay at the very bottom of your "All Photos" view until 2029 actually rolls around.
The Privacy and Battery Angle
Believe it or not, keeping your time settings on "Automatic" can slightly drain battery, though it’s negligible on newer models like the iPhone 15 or 16. The phone occasionally pings your location to ensure the time zone hasn't changed.
If you’re a privacy nut, you might want to disable this. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services. Down there, you’ll find Setting Time Zone. If you turn that off, your phone stops asking "Where am I?" just to set the clock. It’s a tiny win for your battery and your data privacy.
When Things Actually Break
Sometimes the clock just drifts. It’s rare because iPhones use high-quality quartz oscillators, but it can happen if the software gets "stuck." If your time is wrong even on "Automatic," try the classic "Nuclear Option."
- Toggle Airplane Mode on and off.
- Reset Network Settings (Warning: this wipes your saved Wi-Fi passwords).
- Force restart the iPhone (Volume Up, Volume Down, hold Power).
Usually, a Network Settings reset fixes the handshake between your phone and the cell tower's time signal. It's a pain to re-enter your home Wi-Fi password, but it fixes the "my phone thinks it's 1969" bug that occasionally pops up.
Actionable Steps for a Fixed Clock
If you are ready to fix your time right now, follow this specific sequence to ensure no errors:
- Check for Restrictions: Go to Settings > Screen Time. If it’s on, turn it off temporarily. This is the most common reason for a "locked" time setting.
- Update Software: Ensure you are on the latest version of iOS. Apple frequently patches bugs related to GPS and time-syncing in regional updates.
- Manual Override: Navigate to Settings > General > Date & Time. Toggle off "Set Automatically."
- Select City: Tap "Time Zone" and manually enter a city in your region to ensure the DST rules are applied correctly.
- Verify with a Browser: Open Safari and search "current time." If your iPhone's clock matches the search result but your apps are acting weird, the issue is likely the app's internal cache, not your phone's system time.
Once you’ve set the time manually, try to avoid jumping back and forth too often. It confuses the iCloud backup system and can lead to "conflicting versions" of your Notes or Reminders. If you’ve changed the time for a game, make sure you close the game completely before switching the time back to automatic. This prevents the "permanent wait timer" glitch that ruins many save files.
Moving forward, if you find the clock is drifting again, check your Location Services. The iPhone needs to know where it is to stay accurate. Without that location data, it's just a very expensive, very confused digital watch.