How to change time zone in Laptop

One of the helpful new features in the Windows 10 November Update is switching your time zone automatically based on your location.

One of the helpful new features in the Windows 10 November Update Version 1511 Build 10586 is to make it switch your time zone automatically based on your location. If you travel a lot, this is something you’ll want to set up.

Windows has set the time for years automatically but hasn’t changed the time zone automatically. You’d think that Windows was capable of this already, considering your smartphone and tablet have been doing this since their inception.

But I digress, the feature is finally available, and here’s how to enable it.

Automatically Switch Time Zones Windows 10

This should be turned on by default on your laptop, but before heading out on a business trip, you might want to double-check. Enabling this feature is easy. Head to Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time and turn on the toggle under Set time zone automatically.

Didn’t work? Check that your PC can access your location settings. To do this, open Settings and press Privacy > Location > Allow access to location on this device.

That’s all there is to it! Now your time will change automatically, just like it does on your smartphone.

If you recently upgraded to Windows 10 and want to learn more, check out our all of our complete archive of Windows 10 articles.

Also, if you’re having problems or want to talk more about Microsoft’s latest OS, head to our free Windows 10 Forums.

7 Comments

7 Comments

1. cristian

   ok, what if the button des not want to stay activated?

   Reply

2. Marty Armstrong

   I need to correct the time AND zone on my laptop. It isn’t ever showing Change Time Zone and time form when I select settings. Why is that. I hAVE WINDOWS 10 AND HATE IT.

   Reply

3. Dan

   I travel a lot, and have had my clock to auto change time zones for years, yet EVERY single time I have to uncheck the auto features so I can MANUALLY set the time zone. I put it back on auto, for what reason, I do not really know, maybe I am hoping I will be surprised one day when it finally works.

   Reply

4. JML

   Turns out it’s not all there is to it. I had the same problem as Dan and finally figured out that this only works if you have ‘allow access to location on this device’ enabled in the Location settings.

   Reply

   • Ben Stockton

     Thanks, JML. We’ve updated this older article to reflect this – thanks for the tip!

     Reply

     • WinTimeZoneDoesntWork

       Turns out that not even with both the “Set the time zone automatically” ‘on’ and “Allow access to location on this device” ‘on’ this works…

       Maybe I need to reboot or something additional to trigger the update, but I usually have lots of stuff open so it is easier to just go and disable and re-enable “Set the time zone automatically”

       So, if anyone else can figure what else is missing..
       Or if Microsoft wants to finally make this work somehow…
       It would be appreciated.

       Reply

5. ANDREW W PHILLIPS

   As a software developer I need to find out how to be notified (programmatically) when the timezone is changed. Any ideas? (Your article is the only things that comes up in a search.)

   This article explains how to automatically and manually set the date and time zone on your Windows 10 PC. Knowing the correct date and time for your location can prevent you from missing or being late for meetings and other events while traveling.

   How to Automatically Set the Date and Time Zone on Windows 10

   To automatically set the date and time zone on your Windows 10 PC:

   1. In the lower-right corner of the Windows taskbar, right-click the time and date.

      
      

   2. Select Adjust date/time in the menu that appears.

      
      

   3. In the Date & time window, move the Select time automatically and Select time zone automatically toggles to the On (right) position. The Time zone setting automatically adjusts to your location's time zone.

      
      

   How to Manually Set the Time and Time Zone on Windows 10

   If you prefer to manually set the date and time zone on your Windows 10 PC:

   1. In the Date & time window, move the Select time automatically and Select time zone automatically toggles to the Off (left) position.

      
      

   2. Under Set the date and time manually, select Change.

      
      

   3. In the Date and Time drop-down menus, choose the date and time, then select Change.

      
      

   4. If you want to manually choose your time zone, select the appropriate time zone in the Time Zone drop-down list. Make sure the Set Time Zone automatically toggle is in the Off (left) position.

      Why can't I change the time zone on my laptop?

      To get started, right-click the clock on the taskbar and then click on the Adjust date/time setting on the menu. Then turn off the options to set the time and time zone automatically. If these are enabled, the option to change the date, time, and time zone will be grayed out.

      How do I change the timezone on my laptop Windows 10?

      To set your time and time zone in Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Time & language > Date & time.

      How do I change the timezone on my HP laptop?

      Make sure that the computer is connected to a network with an active internet connection. In Windows, search for and open Change the date and time. On the Time & Language window, make sure the correct time zone is selected under the Time zone section, and then turn on the Set time zone automatically setting.

      What is the time zone of India to set in laptop?

      Currently has same time zone offset as IST (UTC +5:30) but different time zone name. India Standard Time (IST) is 5:30 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is in use during standard time in: Asia. India Standard Time is a half-hour time zone.