Let's imagine that you have just received a brand new smartphone based on the Android operating system, but the date and time on it do not match the real ones. This is where the question arises - how to install or change this data?

It should be noted that by default, the date and time are synchronized with the server automatically as soon as you connect to the Internet. Therefore, we recommend that you turn on either Wi-Fi or mobile Internet, after which the data will be synchronized and you will not need to configure anything.

If after connecting, automatic synchronization does not work or you are unable to connect to the network, we will change the data manually. To do this, go to the settings of your smartphone by clicking on the icon of the same name on the desktop.

But on Xiaomi and MIUI firmware you need to look for it in the “System and devices” - “Advanced settings” section.

We go to the section, here by default the “Automatic detection of date and time” should be checked. In this case, the data is synchronized with the server.

If you want to specify other data, uncheck the “Automatic detection of date and time” item and then the “Set date” and “Set time” items will become active.

By clicking on “Set date”, enter the required data and click OK.

You repeat the same thing over time.

By the way, if you have problems with automatic data detection, it may be due to the wrong time zone (the clock may be an hour or more behind or too fast). Click on the “Select time zone” line.

Select the required time zone.

Sometimes even the simplest operations cause minor difficulties for users. For example, novice owners of Android devices often wonder how to change the date in Android? The thing is that this does not require any special knowledge. And if you have ever held a mobile phone in your hands, you can always set the time and date in your smartphone. Let's take a look at how date and time are configured on mobile devices.

How to change the date in Android manually? We assure you that for this you will not need superuser rights, mysterious commands or access to the engineering menu. Android is a very simple operating system, so changing the date is as simple as possible here - just go to the settings. Manually setting the date and time is necessary on devices not connected to the network, since there is simply no other synchronization here.

In order to change the date on Android, and at the same time adjust the time, you need to visit the system settings. This is done in two ways:

• Slide the top curtain and click on the gear symbol;
• Go to the main menu, select the “Settings” item (also in the form of a gear symbol).

At the bottom of the list we will see the “Date and Time” item - you simply cannot miss it.

Please note that in some Android devices the settings menu is modified and divided into several tabs - the item for setting the date and time in such devices is located in the “Options” tab. In some smartphones, the settings shortcut is displayed directly on the desktop.

Having entered this point, we will see a lot of interesting things. If your smartphone or tablet does not have a SIM card installed, automatic synchronization will not be possible. In order to set the correct time and the correct date, you must uncheck the “Auto-detect time” checkbox. After this, the options for manually setting the time and current date will become available. Next, click on the “Set date” item, select the current date, current month and current year, click OK - now the date is set correctly.

At the next stage we set the time. To do this, you need to tap on the “Set time” item - set the hours and minutes, click on the OK button. Next, you need to uncheck “Auto-detect time zone” and select your time zone manually. If the time is wrong, correct it.

The problem with time zones often causes a lot of inconvenience to domestic users - in our country they either cancel the transition to winter/summer time or play with the number of time zones. As a result, smartphones and computers have problems setting the correct time.

Next, you can select the time display format - it can be 12-hour or 24-hour formats. By checking the box, you will select a 24-hour display format, and by unchecking the box you will switch to a 12-hour format. Below we select the date display format - in the Android settings there are several ways to display the current date, differing in the location of the year, month and day.

If you don’t know what to choose, stop at the “Local” option; this format implies displaying the date in the following order - day, month, year (format accepted in Russia).

Automatic date and time setting

How to change the date in Android automatically? This operation implies that information about the current date will be taken from the mobile network - the correct time and correct date are constantly broadcast there. Automatic setup will only work if a SIM card is installed in the device. As soon as the smartphone or tablet registers with the cellular network, the necessary data will be read from it.

To enable automatic date setting, you must check the “Auto detect time” checkbox - in this case, the “Set date” and “Set time” items will become unavailable. If the network does not set the time zone correctly (or your device does not know about the problems with time zones and summer/winter time in our country), uncheck the “Auto-detect time zone” checkbox and select it yourself.

The correct time zone for Moscow time is Moscow time zone GMT +03:00. Select the appropriate value for your region from the drop-down list.

We set the most accurate time and exact date

Now you know how to change the date in Android - to do this, you need to visit the system settings and use the “Date and Time” item. Data installation is carried out in Android in manual or automatic modes. If you want to get the most accurate time, you should select automatic detection.

But what if the mobile network accuracy is not enough or your device cannot communicate with mobile networks? In order to get accurate data about the current time and current date, you need to use third-party applications. The most powerful application for automatic time synchronization is ClockSync from developer Sergey Baranov. Despite its more than modest size, the utility has decent functionality.

Here we will find:

• Automatic time setting with root rights;
• Automatic time setting without root rights;
• High precision mode;
• Selecting a server for time synchronization;
• Setting the request interval exactly in time;
• Battery saving mode;
• Detailed statistics;
• Time zone database (will be useful for older smartphones);
• Automatic time zone detection;
• Function for updating system data about time zones.

Install the application and get the most accurate time on your watch. Also, you will not need to worry about setting the date if for some reason it goes wrong.

The function of updating system data on time zones will be useful to many Russian users whose smartphones and tablets do not know about the absence of a summer/winter time change and about changes in time zones. However, this function requires root rights to work.

Let's now figure out how to change the date on an Android phone or tablet. This setting is not always obvious and will require a hint in some cases.

This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 10/9/8/7: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

Attention! You can ask your question to a specialist at the end of the article.

Changing the date and time on Android

Changing the time on an Android tablet or smartphone, regardless of the version of the system used, is carried out as follows:

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Problems when changing parameters

When setting the time and date, errors occur: newly set parameters are reset, changes are not applied, and it is thrown out of “Settings” with an error. Highlights the most common errors:

• The problem is a single failure in system operation. After resetting the settings, the crashes should stop.
• Automatic time synchronization is enabled on your device, so attempts to change settings manually will fail. To disable auto-sync, uncheck the “Use network date and time” option in the time and date settings.
• There was a conflict between the time zones of the SIM card and smartphone (most often happens with the Tele2 operator).
• There is a defect in the device firmware. In this situation, if you are not an experienced user, it is better to contact a service center. If you flash it yourself, there is a high risk of damaging the device.

To fix the problem with a conflict between the SIM card and time zones, follow these steps:

Auto date and time synchronization

The date and time can be set using the online automatic time. If maximum accuracy is required, then there is an improved version of auto-sync. To implement it, root rights are required.

Normal auto-sync

To synchronize time and date with network data, you need to check only one item, located in the “Date and Time” menu. It may be called “Synchronize with the network”, “Automatic date and time”, “Use network time and date” and others like that.

After checking the box next to this item, the time and date on your tablet or phone will be synchronized with information from the network and will henceforth be determined automatically. While this function is enabled, manual adjustment of the time and date is not possible.

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"Smart" synchronization

The downside of standard synchronization is its inaccuracy and operation with an error of approximately half a second. This is due to the fact that during its development old and very slow information transfer protocols were used. As a result, the current time data is slightly delayed and does not arrive on time.

To ensure normal operation of applications, you need to intervene in the Android settings, but the user does not have this right by default. Therefore, to carry out smart synchronization, you need to have root rights on the gadget.

The method for obtaining root rights is unique for each phone model. Hundreds of methods have been developed, but there is no general method that could obtain them on any device. Even the most common root utilities work with a limited set of models. To obtain root access to a specific device, you need to study the technical documentation on a specialized resource for rooting it.

There are several applications for smart synchronization, they are similar to each other. Let's look at working with them using the ClockSync program as an example:

• Let's turn on the application. After the download process, it will show the time set on the gadget in comparison with the exact time read from a special server. The difference is approximately 20 seconds.
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• Call the program’s context menu and select “Synchronize”. If the tablet or phone is rooted, the application will ask for rights to interfere with system operation. Click “Submit”.
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• If the device does not have root access, then before the synchronization process you should go to the program settings (the input is located in the same context menu) and select the “no root” operating mode. In this mode, the operation of some functions is limited, but superuser rights are not required.
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• The time period after synchronization between the current time and the indicator on the device should be reduced to 0 milliseconds.

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The ClockSync application is available for download from Google Play. This utility is one of the most multifunctional and resource-intensive; it allows you to change the server for time synchronization. A simpler analogue is the Smart Time Sync application.

Setting the time zone on Android

You can change the time zone that is selected on the gadget in the “Date and Time” settings. The Time Zone line allows you to change the default time zone.

The time zone also has an auto-sync option. You can turn it on if you are not confident in your own knowledge of time zones. This parameter sometimes fails in older versions of Android, so it is recommended to configure it manually.

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To select a time zone, you need to go to the “Time Zone” section and select from the huge list the one that is used in your region. The time will then be set according to the selected settings.

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If the time zone on Android is lost

The time zone can get confused in different situations: an incorrectly set region on a tablet or smartphone, auto-sync not working correctly (here you will need to activate manual zone selection).

Many modern phone users have not used watches for a long time, because the gadget is always at hand. It is important for them that the date and time are set correctly, since failures can lead to late awakening for work and constant delays. Therefore, every user needs to know how to set the time on an Android phone.

Incorrect time on the phone - why does this happen?

Even after setting the date and time very accurately, you may find the clock on the screen showing incorrect information. Before you enter new information, you need to understand why the time on your Android phone is lost. If you do not find the reason, then entering new data will be useless.

There are several situations when the date and time synchronization on an Android phone gets lost. First of all, this happens if you decide to use network data. When traveling around your region or in populated areas located on the border of time zones, you may encounter that the time information is unexpectedly lost. In this case, it is enough to disable synchronization with the network in the date and time settings using the movable sliders.

Another reason why the time on your phone gets lost is a software glitch. This may be due to the installation of some personalization applications, such as new clock widgets. The only way to fix the problem is to reset the settings to factory settings. Before performing it, copy the necessary data.

How to set date and time?

After you have become familiar with the main causes of failures, you need to learn how to set the time on your smartphone. To do this, you just need to follow simple instructions:

1. Go to the main menu, where all applications are collected.
2. Among the icons, find the image of a gear, entitled “Settings”. Enter it.
3. Among all the sections, you must select the one entitled “Date and Time”. In some versions of the operating system, this menu item is located in a larger directory - “Device”. Sometimes date and time settings can be hidden in the "Advanced Options" folder.
4. Once you have found a location with the desired settings, you need to make changes to the current date and time values. You can immediately change the time zone and adjust the data display format.

There is no need to reboot the device; immediately after confirming with the “OK” button, the new data will begin to be displayed in widgets on the screen and in the status bar.

There is another way to change time settings

To do this, you can use the clock application, which manufacturers often place in the “Tools” folder. The algorithm of actions in this case is as follows:

1. Go to the application.
2. Go to its settings options. They are hidden behind three vertical dots or a gear icon.
3. Select "Change date and time". It may also be titled “date and time settings.”
4. Use the visual dial to change the current value.

The disadvantage of using the application is that you cannot change the display format or time zone.

What to do if the time on your phone is wrong?

If you are trying to set the necessary parameters, but they are reset, there may be several reasons:

1. You have synchronized the time with the parameters set by the network. In this case, before making changes, you need to remove the marker or move the tab from the “Use network date and time” item. This can only be done through the system settings menu.
2. A single software failure can be resolved by rebooting the device. If it does not help, then you need to completely reset the user settings.
3. Defects in the device’s firmware appear from the first days of its use. You can replace the software yourself or contact the service center for help.
4. The time zone set on your smartphone conflicts with the SIM card settings. In this case, it is worth changing the time zone to the one recommended by the network, and then setting the necessary parameters and disabling synchronization.

In some cases, to resolve the conflict between the settings of the smartphone and the SIM card, it is necessary to take more complex actions. First of all, you need to save the necessary files, remove the SIM card and reset the settings to factory settings. Only after this you need to disable synchronization with the network and set the desired date and time parameters.

Please note that resetting to factory settings on devices with open root access may destroy the custom firmware.

Using auto-sync time and date

If you want to have a gadget with the exact time at hand, then you need to use synchronization. There are two ways to get the exact time on the screen of your smartphone - use standard capabilities or use smart synchronization applications.

Regular auto-sync is enabled in the settings. You need to activate an item with one of the names:

• automatic date and time;
• use network date and time;
• synchronize with the network.

But please note that after activating this option, you will not be able to manually change the date and time settings. This option is also not particularly accurate - the average error is about 500 milliseconds.

Smart time synchronization using your phone app

Smart synchronization is enabled using applications. To carry it out, it is necessary to interfere with the system settings, so such programs require “superuser” rights. They won't work without them. All smart sync apps have a similar interface. Let's look at the principle of managing them using ClockSync as an example. This application has received positive ratings from many users. You need to work with it according to the instructions:

1. Download and launch the application.
2. On the main screen you will see the current time set on your smartphone, as well as a more accurate value delivered from a special server. Typically, the difference in data can be more than 20 seconds.
3. Using the buttons at the bottom of the screen, call up the context menu (usually the icon of several wands or windows located on the right is used for this).
4. Click on the “Synchronize” menu item.
5. The application will ask you for root access. Allow him to change system settings using the “Grant” button.
6. After synchronization, there should be no discrepancies in the data on the main screen - the third line should contain the value “0”.

If you have regular firmware that does not provide superuser rights, you must change its settings before using the application. To do this, call the context menu and select “Settings”. The very first line in it will be to enable mode without. Place a marker next to this line.

How to place a clock on the home screen?

Now let's figure out how to set the time on the phone screen. Reading it from the status bar is not always convenient, so you need to display a large and convenient image on the desktop.

Almost all smartphones have a clock widget on the main desktop. If it was accidentally deleted, you need to return it:

1. Open the desktop of your smartphone. Find a place on it that is free from shortcuts and widgets and press and hold it with your finger for a long time.
2. A screen menu will appear in front of you. You need to select the “Applications and Widgets” item.
3. Of the two tabs, select the one entitled “Widgets”. You will see several options for sketches of visual additions. Find a watch among them.
4. Touch and hold the clock image with your finger. The desktops of your smartphone will appear in front of you, and with a movement of your finger you can move the visual module to any of them.

Beautiful clock widgets for Android

To change the data displayed by the installed module, use the instructions on how to set the time on your watch or phone. There are no children's widgets, as well as unusually designed clocks, in the operating system by default. To change the visual design of this module, you can download one of the applications:

• "Transparent Clocks and Weather";
• Sense Flip Clock & Weather;
• Sense V2 Flip Clock & Weather;
• Retro Clock Widget;
• DIGI Clock.

In you can find other applications with a wider range of modules.

You can also display a clock widget on the lock screen. To do this, you need to go to the system settings, select “Screen” from them, and then stop at the “Lock” item. In it you need to choose the option “Display time and date on the screen”. Here you can also enable the use of widgets, and then personalize the “curtain” using a standard or pre-downloaded utility.

Now you know how to set the time on your phone. Share the information you receive with your friends. If you or your loved ones have problems setting the date and time, and you could not solve it yourself, ask questions in the comments.

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