To change the city on an iPhone clock widget, touch and hold the widget on your Home Screen, tap Edit Widget, tap the city name, and pick a new one. That works for the small one-city clock. The larger World Clock widgets show the first cities from the Clock app’s World Clock list, so you change them by adding or reordering cities in the Clock app.
Below are the steps for each widget size, for Lock Screen clock widgets, and for adding a world clock widget if you don’t have one yet.
Add a world clock widget to your Home Screen
- Touch and hold an empty area of your Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
- Tap Edit in the top-left corner, then Add Widget. On older versions of iOS, tap the + button.
- Search for or scroll to Clock.
- Swipe through the options. The small City widget shows one clock. The medium and large World Clock widgets show several cities.
- Tap Add Widget, drag it where you want, and tap Done.
Change the city on a small clock widget
- Touch and hold the clock widget.
- Tap Edit Widget.
- Tap the current city next to City.
- Search for the city you want and tap it.
- Tap anywhere outside the widget to save.
You can add several small clock widgets, each with a different city, or stack them in a Smart Stack to save space.
Change the cities on a World Clock widget
The medium widget shows four cities and the large one shows more. They come from the order of cities in the Clock app.
- Open the Clock app and tap World Clock at the bottom.
- Tap + to add a city. Search for it and tap it.
- Tap Edit in the top-left corner.
- Drag cities by the three-line handle so the ones you want on the widget are at the top.
- Tap the red minus button next to a city to remove it, then tap Done.
Go back to your Home Screen, and the widget updates to show the first cities in your list.
Add or change a clock widget on the Lock Screen
- Unlock your iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID but stay on the Lock Screen, then touch and hold it.
- Tap Customize, then choose Lock Screen.
- Tap the widget area below the time, or the area above the time for a small text widget.
- Tap Clock and choose a City widget.
- Tap the new widget to choose its city.
- Tap Done.
To change the city later, customize the Lock Screen again and tap the existing clock widget.
Which clock widget should you use?
| Widget | Cities shown | How to change the city |
|---|---|---|
| Small City (Home Screen) | 1 | Edit Widget |
| Medium World Clock | 4 | Reorder cities in the Clock app |
| Large World Clock | Several, with more detail | Reorder cities in the Clock app |
| Lock Screen City | 1 per widget | Customize Lock Screen and tap the widget |
Tips for tracking time zones
- Use the Clock app’s list as your master list. The World Clock widgets, the Clock app and StandBy mode all use it.
- Check daylight saving changes. The widget adjusts automatically for each city’s daylight saving rules, so it stays right through the year.
- Try StandBy. When your iPhone is charging on its side, StandBy can show the world clock in large type.
- Put the clock in a Smart Stack with your calendar so you can check a colleague’s time before scheduling a call.
If the widget won’t update or shows the wrong city
- Remove the widget and add it again.
- Check that the city is in the Clock app’s World Clock list for the medium and large widgets.
- Restart your iPhone to refresh widgets.
- Make sure Set Automatically is turned on in Settings > General > Date & Time, so your own time is correct.
Related: add a city to the iPhone Clock app.
Related: delete a widget on an iPhone.
Related: Apps like Widgetsmith.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pick which cities appear on the medium World Clock widget?
Not in the widget itself. It always shows the top cities in the Clock app’s World Clock list, so move the ones you want to the top.
Can I have a digital world clock widget?
Apple’s clock widgets are analog style, with a digital time shown in some sizes. For a fully digital look, try a third-party widget app from the App Store.
Why does my world clock widget show the wrong time?
Your iPhone’s own date and time may be set manually. Turn on Set Automatically in Date & Time settings.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.