One of the first steps to take when you just bought a new smartphone is to set the clock to either the 12-hour or 24-hour format — also called military time.
But the procedure isn’t only limited to new handsets. If you know how to change your phone to military time, the steps for making the switch will be straightforward for you.
But if you don’t, this post discusses all that’s required to effect the change. Using the settings menu, let’s look at how to change the phone to military time.
How to change the phone to military time
Many phones out there have time, which is displayed at the top of the screen, set in a 12-hour format. However, for one reason or the other, you might prefer to use military time.
If you work with the military or the health sector, you’ll find the 24-hour format ubiquitous.
It’s the international standard notation used to keep track of the time of the day, which is why it’s also the most popular used time notation worldwide in modern times.
You can easily make the switch by using the settings as outlined in the following steps:
For Android
- Open the app drawer and tap on the gear icon to launch the Settings app
- Scroll down and press System
- Tap on Date & time
- Navigate to the Use 24-hour format option and toggle the slider to ON
Depending on your smartphone’s maker and model, the tips on how to change the phone to military time may vary.
Once you complete the procedure, your Android will now show time in the 24-hour format.
For iOS phones
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone’s home screen
- Press General
- Navigate to the middle of your screen and press Date & Time
- Toggle the 24-Hour Time slider to ON
That’s all! Your iOS device will now use the 24-hour time format as desired.
For Apple Watch
The tips on how to change the phone to military time for iPhones are similar to the tips for Apple Watch:
- On the iPhone, launch the Watch app
- Head to the My Watch tab
- Navigate to Clock and tap on it
- Turn on 24-Hour Time
When time is displayed this way in your Android, iPhone, or Apple Watch, simply deduct 12 hours from it to convert it to the familiar 12-hour format on the go.
For example, if you check the phone’s clock, and it reads 18:28 in military format, subtract 12 hours from that time to give you 6:28 PM in the other format that you’re accustomed to.
How to change clock format in Android
Whether you prefer the 24-hour clock or the 12-hour clock, here are the steps to make the change on an Android phone:
- On the home screen, tap on the Clock icon
- Alternatively, open the app drawer and open the Clock app
- Press the More option — the three-dot icon at the top-right part of the screen
- Scroll down and press Change date & time
- Navigate to the Use 24-hour format option and toggle the slider to ON
To reverse the change, repeat the same steps.
How to turn off military time on Android
Once you know how to change the phone to military time, you can easily carry out the reverse procedure to enable you to see 12-hour time on the device.
- Swipe the home screen to access the icons in Quick settings
- Tap on the gear icon to go to your phone’s Settings
- Scroll down and press System
- Tap on Date & time
- Navigate to the Use 24-hour format option and toggle the slider to OFF
For iOS
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone’s home screen
- Press General
- Navigate to the middle of your screen and press Date & Time
- Toggle the 24-Hour Time slider to OFF
Your iPhone will now display time in the 12-hour format.
For Apple Watch
If you use Apple Watch, the tips on how to change your phone to military time are related to those outlined below:
- On the iPhone, launch the Watch app
- Head to the My Watch tab
- Navigate to Clock and tap on it
- Turn on 24-Hour Time
Wrapping Up
The procedures explained above on how to change the phone to military time work for all smartphones — whether running Android OS or IOS — such as TECNO, Infinix, itel, Google Pixel, Apple’s iPhones, and a host of others.
To easily change the time settings on your device to the 12-hour and 24-hour formats, you can use the Settings app or your Clock app.
