Gadgets 

How to set the exact time on Android. How to set the time on a tablet? Why does time go wrong?

Changing the date and time on an Android phone and tablet is a simple operation. But only for those who have mastered the device well and know it like the back of their hand. Did the topic make you smile? Completeness, sir: we were all beginners, and what seems elementary to you once seemed incomprehensible and complex.

This article is for those who are just preparing to become the “Smartphone Guru” and the “God of Android OS”, or rather, for beginners. So, read how to change the date in Android, as well as set the time and time zone on it.

How to change the date and time on an Android device

Setting the time and today's date using the system

To change the date and time settings, launch the system settings management tool - the application " Options».

Let's go to the section " date and time" The options that interest us are here. Namely:

  • Automatic time and date settings.
  • Automatic time zone setting.
  • Setting the date manually.
  • Manual time zone selection.

If you want the phone to set the current time and date itself, tap the top button shown in the screenshot above. Choose one of two synchronization methods - via network or via GPS.

For the feature to work, the device must periodically connect to the Internet or cellular operator. Otherwise, it will have nothing to synchronize with.

If the data is displayed incorrectly, change the time zone in the settings of the same section. Click the button Selecting a time zone» and indicate the region you are currently in.

Or activate " Automatic time zone synchronization over the network", as shown in the screenshot below.

When auto-tuning of the current time and date is enabled, the buttons for manually changing these parameters become inactive. To make them available again, synchronization must be turned off:

After that, go to the section “ Setting the date»:

And mark today's date on your calendar. Or any other. To save, click " Install».

If necessary, do the same operation over time.

What to do if the number is wrong and the system clock is rushing or lagging behind

Unnamed devices from the Middle Kingdom often suffer from a similar “disease.” The reason is crooked firmware or low-quality radio elements of the system board. Often nothing can be done about such a defect, since there may not be any other suitable firmware, and repairs will cost more than buying a new device. We have to look for workarounds.

In fact, there is only one way - to install a third-party application that will mask the flaw. My choice fell on ClockSync– a free utility that synchronizes the time and date on the device, regardless of system settings.

The only difficulty in using it , this is the need to obtain root rights (a superuser with access to protected system files and functions). Everything else is very simple - just disable synchronization in the device settings (I described how to do this above) and enable it in the utility itself.

For this:

  • Launch ClockSync and tap the menu button (three dots in the top right corner). Select " Settings».

  • In the menu section " Automatic synchronization» check « Turn on" Below you can set the synchronization time interval, enable high-precision mode, activate options for saving traffic and battery power, enable auto-tuning of time zones, etc.
  • If after this the program shows inaccurate time and date, restart the gadget (turn it off and on). That's it.

When using ClockSync, try to turn off your phone or tablet as rarely as possible and connect it to the Internet at least once a day (so as not to miss synchronization cycles). Then the utility’s readings will be as accurate as possible.

Congratulations! You have taken another step towards mastering the functions of mobile devices. I hope it wasn't difficult. By the way, I received everything as it is written in the article at the link. Perhaps it will be interesting to you too.

Setting the date and time in the Android operating system is a simple thing, but in some cases the user may have difficulties with it. They can be associated both with ignorance of certain things, and with failures of the operating system itself.

How to Set Date and Time on Android

The correct date and time not only helps the user to be more punctual - few people would want to miss the bus because the time was set incorrectly - they are also important for the operation of some applications, which, if the data is incorrect, can begin to crash and work with errors. Therefore, it is strictly recommended to set the correct date and time on the device.

The process of setting the date and time in different versions of Android is approximately the same: except that in new devices the system asks you to set up the data immediately, even before you start using applications. In addition, the names of menu items responsible for time and date may differ slightly from each other in different OS versions.

After these simple manipulations, the date and time should change.

Video: setting time and date

If problems arise

It happens that when setting the date and time, errors occur: changes are not applied, the newly set time and date are reset, or even thrown out of “Settings” with an error. There can be many reasons, but the most common ones are:

  • you have auto-time synchronization enabled, and therefore attempts to manually change will lead to nothing. To disable auto-sync, you need to uncheck “Use network date and time” in the date and time settings;
  • the problem is associated with a single system failure and should stop after a factory reset or reboot;
  • defective device firmware - in this case, if you are not an experienced user, it would be best to contact a technician at a service center, since if you try to reflash the device yourself, there is a high risk of damaging it;
  • there was a conflict between the time zones of the phone and the SIM card (most often this happens with the Tele2 operator).

To fix the time zone and SIM card conflict issue, follow these steps:

Auto date and time synchronization

If you don't want to set the time and date manually, you can use Android's built-in feature to automatically synchronize time with the network. Or, if maximum accuracy is important, its improved version, the implementation of which will require root rights.

Normal auto-sync

To synchronize the date and time with network data, you need to tick just one item located in the “Date and Time” settings menu. It is usually called “Use network date and time”, but the options “Automatic date and time”, “Synchronize with network” and other similar options are also possible.

After checking the box next to this item, the date and time on the phone or tablet are synchronized with the network data and will henceforth be determined automatically. While this feature is enabled, you cannot manually set the date and time.

When the “Use network date and time” checkbox is checked, the system itself checks the date and time with the network

"Smart" synchronization

Standard synchronization is not very accurate and operates with an average error of 500 milliseconds (that's about half a second). This is due to the fact that when it was created, old and rather slow data transfer protocols were used. As a result, information about the current time simply does not have time to arrive on time and is slightly delayed. This leads to an error that is corrected by numerous applications for “advanced” time synchronization.

To work properly, applications need to interfere with Android settings, but by default they do not have this right. Therefore, in order to carry out smart synchronization, you need to have superuser rights, or root rights, on your device.

However, those applications that are the most advanced, with a sin in half, but do without them.

The algorithm for obtaining root access is unique for each phone model, of which there are currently hundreds. There is no general method that would allow you to gain superuser rights on any device: even the most popular applications for “hacking” root rights operate with a limited set of models, and whether a particular application is suitable for you is unknown. To obtain root access on a specific device, you need to read the technical documentation on rooting it on a specialized resource.

There are several smart sync apps, and they are all similar to each other. Let's look at working with them using the ClockSync application as an example.

ClockSync can be downloaded from the official page on Google Play. However, this application is one of the most resource-intensive and multifunctional: for example, it allows you to change the server with which the time is checked. If you are not such an advanced user, then you can use some simpler analogue: for example, Smart Time Sync.

Setting the time zone

You can change the time zone defined on the device in the same settings item, “Date and time”. The “Time Zone” line allows you to change the default zone.

The time zone, just like the date and time, has an auto-synchronization option. You can turn it on if you're unsure about your own time zones, but this setting can sometimes glitch in older versions of Android, so it's recommended to set it manually there.

You can find out which time zone is used in your region using the media at your place of residence, including the Internet. The Moscow belt is GMT+3; in St. Petersburg and central Russia it is also mainly used. In general, time zones from +3 to +12 are used in Russia.

To select a time zone, you need to click on the “Time Zone” button and select from a huge list the one that is used in your region. After this, the time will be set in accordance with the selected zone.

To select a time zone, simply find the one you need in the list and click on it

Time zone gets confused

The time zone can go wrong in several cases: either auto-synchronization is not working correctly (in this case, you need to enable manual zone selection), or the wrong region is set in the settings of your phone or tablet.

In addition, the cause of the failure may be an error in the databases. In this case, only one of the applications for “smart” synchronization, which has already been mentioned, will help; the servers they use usually detect the time zone without errors. However, root access is required to use such applications. In the settings of such applications there is an “Auto-sync” item, which can only be enabled with root. If automatic time zone synchronization is enabled, the application will also determine the time zone automatically - and do so more accurately than the system menu.

In the main settings menu of ClockSync and similar applications there is a button “Auto-sync time zone”

Video: “fixing” the time zone through the application

Setting the time and date on Android is simple - if the phone does not require maximum correctness of the result. If you want your watch to be extremely accurate, you will have to try. In any case, correctly determining the time is a valuable feature of the phone, which is extremely important for its normal operation.

Something as simple as setting the date and time on Android seems like a no-brainer. Indeed, for experienced owners of smartphones or tablets this is a trivial operation. However, for those who are holding a device running this operating system for the first time, setting these parameters may raise questions. Below we will look at how to set the date and time on Android.

Changing the date and time manually

To adjust the time and date manually, you need to enter the device settings. This can be done in two ways:

  1. Open the curtain vertically from the status bar and tap on the icon depicting a gear.
  2. Enter the application menu by tapping on the icon with the image of six dots located in the dock bar. Find the icon with the image of a gear and short-click on it to open the section “ Settings».

Find the item " date and time» and briefly tap on it to open this tab. In some gadgets, the settings menu may look different, and time and date settings should be found in the “ Options».

Manual setting of time and date will be available if the checkbox is unchecked. Automatic time detection" or " Network date and time» is in the off position (depending on the Android version).

  • To change the date, select “ date" or " Set date", where we select the date, month and year and confirm by tapping the "Ok" button.
  • To change the time, you need to select " Time" or " Setting the time", where we set the correct time and confirm by tapping the "Ok" button. Here you can set the time format – 12 hour or 24 hour.

Automatic date and time setting

Android can set the time and date automatically. In this mode, information is synchronized from the operator's network. Naturally, a SIM card must be installed in the device. To automatically set the time and date, you need to check the box " Automatic time detection" Manual installation will then become unavailable.

It happens that the clock on an Android device disappears, for example, after a firmware update. Returning them to the desktop is usually not difficult, since in most cases the widget only stops being displayed on the display, remaining in the device’s memory. We will tell you further how to return the clock to the Android screen or, if necessary, install new ones from the Google application store.

How to return an installed widget

If you accidentally deleted your watch or it disappeared, try displaying it on the screen in the simplest way:

If you deleted the application with the widget, read below on how to install a similar one from Google Play.

Clock widgets

Let us next consider the best programs with graphic modules for the main screen of the gadget from those presented in the official application store. Basically, in addition to displaying the time, they also provide a lot of other information, for example, the weather directly at the user’s location according to data received by the utility via GPS.

Transparent clock and weather

This is one of the most popular free clock widgets with more than 10 million installations. The small program has very flexible settings, as a result of which the owner of the gadget can set the display on the display the way he needs it. Utility features:

  • the presence of various beautiful and informative widgets in sizes 2x1, 4x1-3, 5x3;
  • wide selection of design themes, covers, fonts;
  • displaying, in addition to the exact time, other important information - about the weather, wind direction, humidity and pressure, battery charge, calendar events, etc.

If the owner of the device does not need all this data provided by the utility by default, he can delete it in the settings and leave just the clock. For this:

  1. Tap your finger on the time display on the screen, which will open the settings window.
  2. Go to the "Appearance" section, then to "Advanced Settings".
  3. Uncheck the boxes next to the items displaying information about the current location, system information, battery charge and check the box next to the line “Hide weather”.

After this, a minimalistic clock widget will appear on the screen, the appearance of which you can also change according to your own preferences.

Sense Flip Clock & Weather

This clock widget displaying time and date is suitable for users who like Flip Clock style clocks with turning pages. Features of the utility:

  • selection of widgets of different sizes - 4x1, 4x2 and 5x2;
  • Flipping animation implemented;
  • selection of different skins and icon display;
  • the location is determined automatically, which allows the user to be informed of the most accurate forecast.

The weather display here can also be turned off if necessary, after which only a beautiful retro clock will appear on the screen. You can also test other similar utilities:

Clock on lock screen

If there is a need to change the installed lock screen so that a large dial is displayed on it, then in this case we can recommend the “Luminous Clock Chest”. The utility with such a strange name is free, does not require configuration and does not display any advertising on the lock screen.

As a rule, there is no need to change the time on an Android smartphone or tablet. The time is automatically determined immediately after activating the device and selecting the time zone and, if necessary, adjusted via the Internet. But, if you want your Android device to show a different date, then you can make the appropriate changes in the settings.

So, in order to change the time on Android, you need to open the top curtain with notifications and click on the clock, which is located at the very top.

After this, a window with date and time settings will open in front of you. In order to change the time on your Android device, uncheck the “Automatic time detection” function and then open the subsection called “Set time”.

You can also change the time zone if necessary. To do this, uncheck the box next to the “Automatic time zone detection” function and click on the “Select time zone” link.

After this, a window with a list of time zones will open in front of you. To select one of them just click on it.

I hope this article was useful to you, and now you know how to change the time on an Android smartphone or tablet.