Apple watch time changes when away from the phone

Hi there,

I have the same issue. Iphone X and apple watch 5.

tried rebooting both. I started with the watch first and it was 1 hour ahead. When I started my iPhone, the time on the watch changed to the correct time. Is this a bug with the X phone pairing with the watch?

Thanks!

Hi Jim Dysart,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities! I understand you are experiencing an issue with the time on your Apple Watch. I'd like to help out.

Let's have you check for updated time zone information on your paired iPhone. Follow these steps: How to get updated time zone information for your Apple device - Apple Support. Then, try restarting both your iPhone Restart your iPhone - Apple Support, and your Apple Watch: How to restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support.

If the behavior remains, please make sure your Apple Watch and companion iPhone are running the latest OS versions available, then test for the behavior again please: Update your Apple Watch - Apple Support, and Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support.

Best regards.

JD,

Thanks for the update.

Curious, do you have any other cities added to the World Clock, that match to the time zone difference you are noticing on your Apple Watch? Use World Clock on Apple Watch to check the time in other locations - Apple Support. If so, does the behavior continue when you remove those other cities from World Clock?

Let's also have you confirm your Location Services time zone settings on your paired iPhone: If you can’t change the time or time zone on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch - Apple Support. Please navigate to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services, and make sure 'Setting Time Zone' is selected. Next time you are using your watch away from your iPhone, on your watch please navigate to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services, and see if 'Setting Time Zone' is still enabled.

You may even want to consider toggling 'Setting Time Zone' off, then back on, from the paired iPhone, then, restart both devices, and test again.

Keep us posted on these results, please.

I'm not sure if this is the problem, but it is worth a try.

On you watch, press the Digital Crown and tap Settings. Then select Time (or Clock). Is it set to +0? If not, turn the Digital Crown to that setting.

thanks for the suggestions. I also in the Atlantic time zone. My time clock is also set to 0. I did notice that I had 1 other world clock time setting enabled on the watch, disabled it and it was no longer on the phone. because of daylight savings time, this time zone was 2 hours off, which does not mimic the same problem I was having that was 1 hour off. i will see if restarting both the watch and iphone works.

I have this exact problem as well in the Maritimes of Atlantic Canada, AST. Once the phone is not paired with the watch, it jumps an hour ahead when connected to cellular. I have had Apple download the diagnostics from my phone and watch and send to the engineers. They are puzzled. The only next step we can think is if a patch is made or contact the provider to understand why this is going ahead an hour when on cellular. I love to go for a walk with just the watch and leave the phone at home, then noticed it went an hour ahead. It is not a major issue as it fixes the time when it is picked back up with the phone/wifi, but would be nice to find a resolution sometime soon. This has only happened within the last couple months.

It is also happening to us. We have two iPhones Xs and two Apple Watch series 4 in the Atlantic time zone. Because we both have the same problem, we contacted Apple and Bell.

We followed apple’s troubleshooting steps. The regular reboots and unpair re-pair watches. Did not work. Were told that it was probably a bell issue.

Called bell, they said that everything was normal on their end (time zones and all). They mentioned a hardware issue and to contact Apple. Then we mentioned that it was happening on two identical watches, both on cellular. They admitted that it was strange behaviour. Now they asked us to call Apple and have a diagnostic test done with them and a case ID with Apple. The Bell support want that case ID to investigate on their side.

Jim, i am having the exact same issue with my apple watch 5 (cellular) and iphone 8 plus. I am also Atlantic time zone and it has been happening since the spring time time change. It’s frustrating as **** to look at your watch and not be sure if it’s the correct time or and hour later!!! Since you are also Atlantic Time Zone i was wondering if you were on Bell? Maybe its a cellular issue?

Anyway Apple Support any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated? I have tried restarting both devices and it hasn’t corrected the issue... i am thinking about completely erasing my watch to factory settings and setting up again but that seems excessive! Please Help!

It sounds like we are all in Atlantic Canada on Atlantic time zone and i suspect all on Bell Mobility cellular service. We’ve paid a lot of money for an Apple Watch and a lot of money to Bell mobility for monthly cell service. I hope they work together to fix this issue as soon as possible. Call

me crazy but it doesn’t seem unrealistic to expect my watch to always show the correct time?

Absolutely! My wife and I are on a pair of stainless steel Apple Watch series 4s. We have been joking lately that they are the most expensive watches ever to be off by an hour here and there. Very frustrating as our work places don’t allow us to have phones on us. So we are walking around at work looking at the wrong time all day.

Contacted Apple, and I have a case number for bell now. Waiting on their call back so they can investigate. Not a good look!

Exactly. It's clearly Bell, but they haven't been much help. It's going back and forth. Once connected to cellular, it jumps an hour ahead. This all started happening since the spring time change. Both companies need to work together to make a fix.

So add me to the list of Canadian Maritimes. There are 5 of us in the family with Apple Watch Series 4 and 5 along with iPhones 8, X and 11's. As soon as the watch goes to Cellular.. the watch jumps ahead an hour. Yes, it only started since the time change. We are in NB and all on Bell.