How to Switch to a 24-Hour Clock in Google Calendar (Web, Android, iPhone)

To switch Google Calendar to a 24-hour clock on a computer, click the Settings gear at the top right, choose Settings, open Language and region under General, and change Time format from 1:00pm to 13:00. The change saves automatically. On a phone, the Google Calendar app follows your phone’s clock setting: turn on Use 24-hour format in Android’s Date & time settings, or 24-Hour Time in Settings > General > Date & Time on an iPhone.

Switch to a 24-hour clock on the web

1. Go to calendar.google.com.
2. Click the Settings gear at the top right, then Settings.
3. Under General, click Language and region.
4. Open the Time format menu and choose 13:00.

This setting applies to Google Calendar on the web for your account. It doesn’t change the phone apps.

Switch to a 24-hour clock on Android

1. Open your phone’s Settings.
2. Go to System > Date & time. On Samsung, go to General management > Date and time.
3. Turn off Use locale default if you see it, then turn on Use 24-hour format.
4. Open Google Calendar. Times now show as 13:00, 14:00, and so on.

Switch to a 24-hour clock on iPhone and iPad

1. Open Settings > General > Date & Time.
2. Turn on 24-Hour Time.

Both the Google Calendar app and Apple’s Calendar app follow this setting. If 24-Hour Time is grayed out, your iPhone may be managed by a work profile or Screen Time settings.

Troubleshooting

• The web still shows am/pm. Refresh the page. If you use more than one Google account, make sure you changed the setting in the right one.
• Your phone app didn’t change. Close and reopen the Google Calendar app after changing the phone’s clock setting.
• Some times still show in 12-hour format. Event descriptions and invitations from other people show the time exactly as they typed it.

Related settings

• Date format: In Language and region on the web, choose how dates look, such as 31/12/2026 or 2026-12-31.
• Week start: Under View options, set Start week on to Monday or another day.
• Time zone: Under Time zone, set your primary time zone and add a secondary one to see both side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Google Calendar use 12-hour time by default?

It follows your language and country. English (US) defaults to 12-hour time, while many other regions default to 24-hour time.

Does changing the time format move my events?

No. Only the way times are displayed changes. Events stay at the same times.

Can I use 24-hour time on the web but 12-hour on my phone?

Yes. The web setting and your phone’s clock setting are separate.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He started on a university help desk, spent years as the IT person for small businesses, and has been writing tech guides full time since 2020. Each guide is checked on a device he owns, and re-checked when a menu moves. More about Kermit.