Change your time zone in Outlook settings

Outlook pulls your time zone from your Windows or Mac system settings by default, but you can override it within the app itself. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook desktop, Outlook on the web, or Outlook for mobile — and whether you need to change it for your calendar, email timestamps, or meeting invitations.

The most common reason to change your time zone in Outlook is that you've moved, your device settings are wrong, or you're scheduling meetings across regions and need to see times in a different zone. Changing it in Outlook does not change your device's system time — it only affects how Outlook displays and interprets times.

Key Takeaways

  • In Outlook desktop, go to File > Options > Calendar and change the time zone in the Display Options section.
  • In Outlook on the web, select Settings > View all Outlook settings > Calendar > Regional settings and choose your time zone.
  • On mobile, Outlook uses your device's system time zone and cannot be overridden within the app.
  • Changing your time zone in Outlook affects how meeting times display to you and others, so inform attendees if you change it mid-project.
  • If you work across multiple time zones regularly, you can display two time zones on your Outlook calendar at once.

Change time zone in Outlook desktop (Windows)

Open Outlook and select File in the top-left corner. From the menu that appears, click Options at the bottom of the left sidebar.

In the Outlook Options window, select Calendar from the list on the left. Under the Display Options section, you will see a dropdown labeled Time zone. Click it and select your time zone from the list. The list is organized by region and offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), so search for your city or region name.

Once you've selected your time zone, click OK at the bottom of the window. Outlook will close the Options window and apply the change immediately. Any calendar events you view will now show times in the new zone.

Change time zone in Outlook desktop (Mac)

Open Outlook and click Outlook in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Preferences from the dropdown.

In the Preferences window, find and click Calendar. Look for the Time zone dropdown under the Calendar settings. Click the dropdown and select your time zone. Mac Outlook organizes zones by region, so you can type to search for your city.

Close the Preferences window by clicking the red close button. The change takes effect immediately in your calendar view.

Change time zone in Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account at outlook.com or outlook.office.com. In the top-right corner, click the gear icon to open Settings.

Select View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the menu. In the settings page that opens, click Calendar in the left sidebar, then click Regional settings.

Under Time zone, click the dropdown and choose your zone. Outlook on the web lists zones by UTC offset and region name. After selecting, scroll down and click Save at the bottom of the page. The change applies to your calendar immediately.

Display two time zones on your calendar at once

If you regularly work with people in another time zone, you can show both zones on your Outlook calendar without switching back and forth. In Outlook desktop (Windows), go to File > Options > Calendar and look for the Time zone section. Below the main time zone dropdown, you will see a checkbox labeled Show a second time zone. Check this box.

A second dropdown will appear. Select the additional time zone you want to display. You can also give it a label — for example, "London" or "Pacific" — so you remember which is which. Click OK to save. Your calendar will now show both zones side by side, with the second zone slightly faded.

On Mac, the process is similar: open Outlook > Preferences > Calendar, check the box for a second time zone, and select it from the dropdown. On Outlook on the web, this feature is not available — you can only display one time zone at a time.

What happens when you change your time zone

When you change your time zone in Outlook, the app recalculates all your calendar event times to match the new zone. An event that showed as 2:00 PM in Eastern time will show as 11:00 AM if you switch to Pacific time. The event itself does not move — only how Outlook displays it changes.

If you send a meeting invitation after changing your time zone, the invitation will show times in your new zone. People who receive it will see the time converted to their own zone automatically, so there is no confusion — but if you change zones mid-project and forget to tell attendees, they may show up at the wrong time. Always inform meeting participants if you change your time zone.

Your email timestamps (the time shown on sent and received messages) are tied to your account's time zone setting, not your Outlook app setting. If you need to change when emails appear to be sent or received, you must change the time zone on your Microsoft account itself, not just in Outlook.

Troubleshoot time zone problems in Outlook

If you changed your time zone in Outlook but your calendar still shows the wrong times, check your device's system time zone first. Outlook sometimes reverts to the system setting if there is a conflict. On Windows, go to Settings > Time & language > Date & time and verify the time zone is correct. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Date & Time and check the timezone setting.

If your system time zone is correct but Outlook is still wrong, close Outlook completely and reopen it. Sometimes the app needs to restart to apply the change. If the problem persists, try changing the time zone again — you may have accidentally selected the wrong zone from the dropdown.

On Outlook on the web, time zone changes can take a few minutes to sync across all your devices. If you change it on the web and then open Outlook desktop on another computer, the desktop version may not reflect the change immediately. Wait a few minutes and refresh, or manually change the time zone in the desktop app as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my time zone in Outlook change my computer's system time?

No. Changing your time zone in Outlook only affects how the app displays times. Your computer's clock and system time zone remain unchanged. If you need to change your actual system time, you must do that in your device settings, not in Outlook.

Will people see my calendar in my new time zone?

When you share your calendar with others, they see your events in their own time zone by default. If you have an event at 2:00 PM in your time zone and someone in a different zone views your calendar, they will see it adjusted to their local time. You do not need to do anything special.

Can I change the time zone on Outlook mobile?

Outlook for iPhone, iPad, and Android does not have a time zone setting within the app. It uses your device's system time zone automatically. If you need to change how times display on mobile, change your device's time zone in Settings, and Outlook will reflect that change.

What if I work in multiple time zones — can I set a default?

Yes. Your primary time zone in Outlook is your default, and it is the one used for email timestamps and meeting invitations. You can display a second time zone on your calendar for reference, but you cannot set it as the primary. To switch your primary time zone, change it in your Outlook settings as described above.

Why do my meeting times look different in Outlook than in the calendar invite I received?

This usually means your Outlook time zone does not match the time zone of the person who sent the invite. The invite was created in their time zone, but Outlook is displaying it in yours. Both times are correct — they are just in different zones. Check that your Outlook time zone matches where you actually are, or where you want to schedule meetings.