You are here: Home / iPhone / There’s a time zone bug in iOS and iPadOS. Here’s what to do about it Show
In our digital era, many of us choose to forego a clock or traditional timepiece in favor of our iPhones and Apple Watches. And why shouldn’t we? They’re convenient, multipurpose devices that are probably already with us, wherever we go. In other words, we depend on our devices. So when an iPhone says it’s 12:46 p.m., you expect that to be true. Unfortunately, there seems to be an issue in iOS 13 & iPadOS or older iOS 11/12 that causes the time to be displayed inaccurately when traveling across time zones. Here’s what you need to know. Contents
Quick tipsFollow these quick tips to fix time zone issues on iOS and iPadOS with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod
Related articles
The Time Zone Bug IssueWhen you travel between time zones, iOS (and iPadOS) automatically update to the local time if “Set Automatically” is enabled. It’s a useful feature that keeps you from having to set the time manually. But, as of iOS 13-11, many iOS users are running into problems with the feature. It’s worth noting that there are two distinct instances of this bug. They may be two separate bugs, but they’re similar and seemingly related. So we include them both. Time Zone ResettingAccording to user reports, the issue occurs when their phones are powered off or are put into Airplane Mode. Once in Airplane Mode or turned off, the iOS device will then revert back to the user’s home time zone. This, of course, is incredibly inconvenient for all types of travelers. It can cause alarms, calendar events, and other reminders to be missed because of the time discrepancy. ‘Set Automatically’ ResettingOf course, the solution to the first problem would just be to set the time manually. Unfortunately, there’s a big problem with that feature in iOS. Specifically, our readers tell us that disabling Set Automatically and manually updating their time only works until the device is powered off. Like the first bug, this issue shows up as soon as an iPhone is rebooted or otherwise turned off. Basically, it will switch Set Automatically back on. That complicates the solution to the first bug and presents its own problem for users who’d like to keep their local time zones when traveling. The ScopeThe bugs are not device-breaking ones, but they’re annoying for travelers. That’s especially true because it does not seem like an isolated incident for users. Here’s what we know about the scope of the problem. What’s Causing It?The best way to solve a problem is to identify the underlying cause. Unfortunately, we’re not sure what is causing this time zone bug in iOS. What versions does it impact?According to anecdotal user reports, this issue seems to have been introduced as of iOS 11 and continues sporadically in later iOS and iPadOS versions. Despite some reports to the contrary, it appears that the issue has not been fixed in the latest version of iOS. That means you might run into the problem in every iOS update even to the most current iOS or iPadOS version. Worse still, there are some early indications that the newer macOS updates may also introduce the bug to that platform. Though we can’t confirm that at this point. Similarly, there are reports that the bug can also affect Apple Watch devices synced to an affected iPhone. How widespread is it?Judging by the number of posts complaining about the issue, it seems that both bugs occur with some frequency. We can’t claim that they affect every device on iOS/iPadOS. At this point, it’s not currently clear if it’s tied to a sporadic issue or is baked into the platform. For one, it would make sense that the only people that are seeing the bug are those who routinely travel between time zones. Users who don’t won’t see the bug and are unlikely to report it. If you’ve come to this article, you’ve probably been impacted by this particular bug. If that’s the case, you probably want to know how to fix it. Check for a carrier settings updateAccording to users who contacted Apple support, it could be a carrier issue. The time and date settings are largely pushed out by a user’s carrier (if Wi-Fi is not available). But even support staff agree that something in iOS is also at play. So check and see if there is a carrier update available and if so, update. One former software engineer speculates that it’s probably tied to the reboot sequence. Which isn’t too helpful as far as practical, but there it is. Check for time zone updates
Look at your Screen Time’s settingsScreen Time appears to cause a lot of problems with your device’s time zone! Readers tell us that Screen Time’s settings often interfere with the ability to change time zones and disable or gray out the options to use Set Automatically on or off. Screen Time settings to review and change
What does not appear to work for this time zone bugUnfortunately, there does not seem to be an easy or particularly convenient fix for this issue
What might work if nothing else did to fix your time zone issuesIn lieu of a perfect fix, there are some things you can do to mitigate the problem. You should use these if you have important appointments or dates you can’t miss while traveling.
As of the writing of this article, Apple’s engineers are reportedly aware of the issue. But there’s currently no timeline for a possible fix being introduced. Mike is a freelance journalist from San Diego, California. While he primarily covers Apple and consumer technology, he has past experience writing about public safety, local government, and education for a variety of publications. He’s worn quite a few hats in the journalism field, including writer, editor, and news designer. How do I fix the time on my Facebook event?Updated mobile browser experience. Tap in the top right of Facebook.. Tap Events. You may have to tap See More first.. Tap Your Events, then tap Hosting.. Tap the event, then tap Edit.. Make your changes and tap Save.. Why are my events on Facebook showing the wrong time zone?You may see your Facebook event time wrong if the PC time zone configuration is not in sync with the correct time zone of your location.
What time zone does Facebook use?For example, some social networks provide data based on GMT. However, the largest social network, Facebook, provides their Insights data in PST because that's the time zone their HQ is based in.
|