Set winter time on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Setting winter time on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch requires hardly any effort. Usually it is already set correctly by default and your device automatically adjusts the clock. In this tip you can read how to check whether the settings are correct, so that the devices automatically switch to winter time.
- iPhone and iPad
- Apple Watch
- When is winter time?
- Winter time vs DST
Set winter time on iPhone and iPad
When winter time starts in Western Europe, you can set the clock so that the weather becomes inclement and it gets dark earlier outside. At that time the clock must go back one hour. One small advantage is that it allows you to sleep an hour longer.
On the night from Saturday to Sunday at three o’clock in the morning, the clock goes back one hour. With the iPhone and iPad this happens automatically: the clock is controlled remotely, with Apple ensuring that the correct time is always visible. This time depends on your time zone. It is therefore smart to check whether all settings on the iPhone are correct, so that you do not have to worry about winter time. This is how you can check the winter time settings:
- Go to Settings > General.
- Tap Date & Time. Check whether the time zone is set to Amsterdam or another city near you.
- Turn on the switch for Set automatically.
Winter time on your Apple Watch
Do you also have an Apple Watch? Winter time is automatically adjusted there. So you don’t have to adjust any settings there to switch the Apple Watch to winter time. Useful! However, you can set the Apple Watch ahead a few minutes if you tend to be late. You can read how that works in our tip.
Winter time: when again?
Winter time in Europe runs from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March. Then summer time starts. Winter time means that the clock is set back one hour so you can sleep an hour longer. Below you will find the days on which winter time will start in 2022 and subsequent years, if the change between winter and summer time is maintained:
- Winter time 2023: October 29, 2023
- 2024: October 27, 2024
- 2025: October 26, 2025
- 2026: October 25, 2026
- 2027: October 31, 2027
Winter Time and Daylight Saving Time
Outside Europe, winter time may start at a different time, for example a few weeks earlier or later. For Apple fans it can sometimes be inconvenient if the United States is not exactly in line with Europe, so the time difference is no longer 6 to 9 hours. Normally Apple events start at 7:00 PM Dutch time, but at times when winter time is not exactly synchronized, it can be as early as 6:00 PM.
Please also keep this in mind for software updates, which are normally available at 7:00 PM Dutch time. The updates will therefore appear at 6:00 PM Dutch time from the end of October (winter time Europe) to the beginning of November (winter time US). If you’re never there right away, you won’t notice it. But for Apple events it is important to realize that they are an hour earlier than expected.
