The Apple iPad is a brilliant device that allows you to do many things, such as surfing the web and playing games. However, when you first turn it on, you may notice that it has no clock or timer. This article will teach you how to set a 12-hour or 24-hour time on your iPad to better track the time. You should note that setting the time on your iPad differs from setting the time on your iPhone, so this article may not apply to you.
You may not be aware of several features on your iPad. The one that you might have missed and may find helpful is the “Set Time” feature. You can set the time for your iPad in Settings, or just press and hold the lower-right corner (right above the home button) until it disappears to reset to 12 am.
Note that this process can be done when you first turn your iPad on or even when you touch any screen (except the home screen), but it will not show up until after a few minutes of inactivity, so do not panic if it does not appear immediately. The time is default set to 12-hour mode at 4:00 pm.
Why Is the Time Wrong on My New iPad?
Whenever you purchase a new Apple device, it will try to set the time during the setup process. However, that can fail if your device does not have an internet connection. Then, you will be asked to enter the date and time manually. If you live in a place with a time different from UTC, the time may seem wrong, and this is because you use the 24-hour format instead of the 12-hour format.
Moreover, your iPad showing the wrong time may also be an error or a bug. When the iPad is connected to the internet, it sets your date and time according to your location and region, which is usually correct. However, it may be possible that your device picked up the wrong place.
Automatic vs. Manual Time Setting
If you have recently bought an iPad and are setting it up, you may notice that the time and date are not according to your region. In that case, Apple gives you two options to set the date and time of your device, automatic and manual.
When comparing the two, it is suggested to consider the automatic setting of the device by selecting your city and region as it is said to be more accurate. However, if you’re more comfortable using manual settings, go for it.
Method #1: Automatic Setting
Below are the steps you should follow.
- Open the Settings app from your iPad.
- Select “General” from the list.
- Tap the “Date & Time” option from the list.
- Turn on the toggle button in front of the “Set Automatically” choice. Time will be set automatically according to your location and time zone.
The above steps allow you to set the time of your iPad automatically.
Method #2: Manual Setting
The second way you can set the date and time of your iPad is by manually adding the details. Following are the steps you should follow for manual settings.
Below are the steps you need to follow.
- Open the Settings app from your iPad.
- Select “General” from the list.
- Tap the “Date & Time” option from the list.
- Turn off the “Set Automatically” toggle switch, and a new field will appear.
- Tap the “Time Zone” option and select your city or state.
- Tap the time in the area below, which will open the calendar and time menu.
- Set your time and select your current date accordingly.
Conclusion
If you cannot set the proper time on your iPad, ensure that your iPad has an internet connection and then try again. You can also try resetting the clock if that does not work.
If your device is still not picking up your location, make sure that it is connected to Wi-Fi and that Location Services are enabled.
It is often possible to fix your iPad’s time by setting it on the time zone or country you are located. However, that may not always work. In some cases, it might be a bug/error. You can also ask Apple support to help you with this problem.
