How to Check Whether Your Phone Will Adjust to Daylight Saving Time
Published Nov. 4 2022, 2:54 p.m. ET
Soon, daylight saving time may be a thing of the past nationwide, if the Sunshine Protection Act makes more headway in Congress. But in the meantime, at least you don’t have to set an alarm clock forward before going to bed when daylight saving time starts in the spring — or back an hour before you hit the hay when daylight saving time ends every fall. Assuming your phone’s settings are set up properly, your iPhone or Android phone will automatically change for daylight saving time.
That’s good news for those who sleep through — or sleep on — daylight saving time ending on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, and yes, modern cell phones are capable of keeping track of the changing hour without your needing to intervene.
Android phones can automatically adjust for daylight saving time.
Per Android Central, Android users shouldn’t have to do anything to have their phones change hours for the start and end of daylight saving time. “Your Android phone will automatically check the network for the correct date and time and switch on its own overnight, changing the system time so that things like calendars and alarms will still be correct,” the site adds.
Android Central also provides instructions for double-checking on the daylight saving time settings for stock Android phones, Google Pixel phones, and Samsung Galaxy phones. On stock Android phones and Google Pixel phones, open the Settings app, tap on System, tap on Date & Time, and make sure that the “Use network-provided time” and “Use network-provided time zone” settings are toggled on.
On Samsung Galaxy phones, open the Settings app, tap General Management, tap Date and Time, and make sure the “Automatic date and time” and “Automatic time zone” settings are toggled on.
iPhones can automatically adjust for daylight saving time, too.
According to Mic, all you iPhone users out there should see your phone automatically change hours for the start and end of daylight saving time if your phone updated to the latest iOS software. And you can double-check by going to your Settings app, tapping General, tapping Date & Time, and making sure that Set Automatically is switched on.
An Apple support page on the topic does include a caveat: “The option to turn Set Automatically on or off might not be available with all carriers or in all countries and regions,” Apple says. “If the device has a Screen Time passcode or a corporate profile with device restrictions installed, then the option to turn Set Automatically on or off will be dimmed, or grayed out.”
Other devices, however, might not change automatically.
Most of us still have to adjust the hour on other technology around our homes whenever daylight saving time begins or ends. Such technology includes alarm clocks and clock radios, answering machines, car clocks, coffee makers, microwaves, ovens, pet feeders, and sprinkler systems, according to Everplans. And don’t forget about your wristwatch and wall clocks!
Also, many people take daylight saving time as a reminder to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, even though they don’t have internal clocks. The National Fire Protection Association, for example, has promoted the “Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries” campaign to help keep people safe.
