The quickest way to change your Apple Watch time

Your Apple Watch automatically syncs its time with your paired iPhone, so the time should always be correct without you doing anything. If your watch shows the wrong time, the fastest fix is to restart it: press and hold the side button until you see the power-off slider, swipe to power off, wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears. This usually takes about 10 seconds total and fixes sync problems.

If restarting does not work, check that your iPhone's time is correct first — your watch copies whatever your phone displays. Open Settings on your iPhone, tap General, then Date & Time, and make sure "Set Automatically" is turned on. Once your phone shows the right time, your watch should update within a few minutes.

You can also manually change the time on your watch itself if you need to, though this is rarely necessary. The process differs slightly depending on whether you are using watchOS 10 or an older version.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Apple Watch syncs time automatically from your iPhone, so the watch time should never be wrong unless your phone time is wrong.
  • Restarting your watch by holding the side button until the power-off slider appears fixes most time sync problems in under a minute.
  • Check that your iPhone has "Set Automatically" turned on in Settings > General > Date & Time before troubleshooting your watch.
  • Manual time changes on the watch itself are possible but unnecessary in normal use, since the watch always copies your phone's time.

Restarting your watch to fix time sync issues

A restart clears temporary glitches that prevent your watch from syncing with your iPhone. Press and hold the side button (the physical button on the right side of your watch) until the power-off slider appears on the screen. This takes about 3 to 5 seconds. Do not release the button when you see the slider.

Once the slider is visible, release the side button, then swipe the power-off slider to the right. Your watch will turn off completely. Wait 10 to 15 seconds, then press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo appear in the center of the screen. Let go and wait for your watch to finish restarting — this takes another 10 to 20 seconds. When the watch face reappears, it should have synced the correct time from your iPhone.

If the time is still wrong after a restart, the problem is likely on your iPhone side, not your watch.

Checking and fixing your iPhone's time settings

Your Apple Watch gets its time from your iPhone, so if the watch time is wrong, your phone time is probably wrong too. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General. Scroll down and tap Date & Time.

Look for the toggle labeled "Set Automatically" — it should be turned on (green). If it is off, tap it to turn it on. Your iPhone will then contact Apple's time servers and set itself to the correct time. This usually happens when ready, though it can take a minute or two if your internet connection is slow.

Once your iPhone shows the correct time, your Apple Watch will sync to it automatically within a few minutes. You do not need to do anything else on the watch itself.

Manually changing the time on your Apple Watch (watchOS 10 and later)

If you need to set a different time on your watch for some reason — for example, if you are traveling and want to keep your watch on a different timezone than your phone — you can change it manually. On your Apple Watch, open the Settings app by pressing the Digital Crown (the rotating button on the right side) and swiping to find Settings.

Tap General, then scroll down and tap Date & Time. You will see a toggle for "Set Automatically" — turn it off by tapping it. Once it is off, you can tap the time display and use the Digital Crown to scroll up or down and change the hours and minutes. Tap the checkmark when you are done.

Keep in mind that turning off automatic time sync means your watch will not update when you travel to a different timezone or when daylight saving time changes. Most people should leave "Set Automatically" on and let the watch handle it.

Manually changing the time on your Apple Watch (watchOS 9 and earlier)

If your watch is running an older version of watchOS, the steps are slightly different. Open Settings on your watch by pressing the Digital Crown and tapping the Settings icon (it looks like a gear). Scroll down and tap General.

Tap Date & Time, then tap the toggle next to "Set Automatically" to turn it off. You will then see time fields appear on the screen. Tap the hour field and use the Digital Crown to scroll to the correct hour. Tap the minute field and scroll to the correct minute. Tap Set when you are finished.

Again, this manual method is only useful if you have a specific reason to keep your watch on a different time than your phone. For normal use, leave automatic sync on.

What to do if your watch still shows the wrong time

If your watch time is still incorrect after restarting and checking your iPhone settings, unpair and re-pair your watch to your iPhone. On your iPhone, open the Watch app, go to the General tab, scroll to the bottom, and tap "Unpair Apple Watch." You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password. After unpairing, put your watch on and hold it near your iPhone to start the pairing process again. This forces a complete resync and usually fixes persistent time problems.

If the time is still wrong after re-pairing, check whether your iPhone has cellular service or a working Wi-Fi connection. Your phone needs internet access to fetch the correct time from Apple's servers. If you are in an area with no signal, your phone cannot update its time, and your watch will copy whatever incorrect time your phone is showing.

Why your Apple Watch time matters for fitness tracking

If you are using your Apple Watch to track workouts or monitor your heart rate, an incorrect time can affect how your data syncs to the Health app on your iPhone. Timestamps on each workout, step count, and heart rate reading depend on accurate time. A watch that is off by even a few minutes can create gaps or overlaps in your activity history, making it harder to see trends over time.

Keeping your watch time correct also matters if you use multiple Apple devices — an iPad, Mac, or second iPhone. All your devices should show the same time so that notifications, reminders, and calendar events line up properly across everything you own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Apple Watch time keep changing on its own?

Your watch is syncing with your iPhone, which is updating its time from Apple's servers. This is normal and correct. If the time jumps by more than a few minutes at once, your iPhone probably had the wrong time and just corrected itself. Check your iPhone's Date & Time settings to make sure "Set Automatically" is on.

Can I set my Apple Watch to a different timezone than my iPhone?

Not easily. Your watch always copies your phone's timezone. If you turn off "Set Automatically" on your watch and manually change the time, you can keep it on a different timezone, but you will have to update it manually whenever you travel or when daylight saving time changes. Most people find it easier to just let both devices stay in sync.

Does changing the time on my Apple Watch affect my workout data?

Yes. If your watch time is wrong when you record a workout, that workout will be timestamped with the wrong time. This can make your activity history confusing and make it harder to track patterns. Always make sure your watch time is correct before starting a workout.

What if my Apple Watch is not syncing time with my iPhone?

First, make sure Bluetooth is on and your watch is paired to your iPhone — check the Watch app on your iPhone to confirm. Then restart your watch by holding the side button until the power-off slider appears, swipe to power off, and restart it. If that does not work, unpair and re-pair your watch through the Watch app.