Facebook is a global social media platform used by billions of people around the world. With users in different time zones, one common question is – what time zone are posts on Facebook shown in? The short answer is that Facebook shows posts in the viewer’s local time zone by default. However, the original posting time is retained and can be seen with additional clicks.
Understanding Facebook’s Time Zone Display
When a user views their Facebook News Feed or goes to a Facebook Page or profile, the posts they see will be adapted to their own time zone. So if a user in New York views a post from a friend in Los Angeles, the timestamp will be converted to Eastern Time.
This allows users to view posts in a time frame that is familiar and relevant to them. It avoids confusion that would occur if posts from friends around the world all showed different time zones.
However, Facebook does save the original posting time. If you click on the timestamp of a post, you’ll see the original time as well as the converted time for your time zone. For example, a post made at 6:00 PM Pacific Time will show “3 hours ago” for a user in Eastern Time. But clicking on it will reveal the original posting time.
Facebook’s servers save posts with UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) timestamps and then convert to the viewer’s local time. UTC does not observe daylight saving time, so it provides a consistent global reference point. Displaying local times while retaining the UTC timestamps enables Facebook to show relevant times to users while still preserving the original post times.
How Time Zones Impact Facebook Pages
The same time zone display applies to Facebook Pages and profiles. Page posts will be shown in the viewer’s local time by default. So a business page in Australia viewed by someone in Canada will have its posts adapted to the Eastern Time Zone.
Page admins can choose to display a static time zone like Eastern Time on their page posts. However, viewers outside that time zone will still see posts converted to their local zone. Again, clicking the timestamp will reveal the original posting time.
Having posts adapt to the viewer’s time zone makes managing global pages easier for admins. They don’t have to consider timing posts for different time zones. Posts will appear at logical times for viewers around the world.
Choosing a Time Zone on Facebook
Every Facebook user has their time zone set in the platform’s settings. This controls the time zone adaptation described above. When you sign up for a Facebook account, it will automatically choose a time zone based on your computer or mobile device’s settings.
To change your Facebook time zone, follow these steps:
- Click the arrow in the top right and go to “Settings”.
- In the left column, click “Language and Region”.
- Under “Region Settings”, click “Edit” next to Time Zone.
- Select your desired time zone from the drop-down menu.
- Click “Save Changes” at the bottom.
Your Facebook feed and all posts will now adapt to the new time zone. Keep in mind if you travel, you can always change this back temporarily to see posts in the local time of places you visit.
Tips for Managing Time Zones on Facebook
Here are some time zone tips for both individual users and Facebook Page admins:
- Double check your time zone if posts seem off. Facebook may not have guessed your zone correctly.
- When scheduling posts on a Page, pay attention to the time zone selected to avoid accidental early or late posting.
- If coordinating a Facebook Event with attendees across time zones, indicate the zone or convert times in the event details to avoid confusion.
- Consider indicating your time zone in your personal bio if you regularly interact with international friends.
Facebook Time Zone Conversions
To demonstrate Facebook’s time zone conversions, here are some examples of how posting times translate across different global cities:
| Original Post Time | Los Angeles | New York | London | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1, 12 PM PST | 12 PM | 3 PM | 8 PM | 5 AM (Mar 2) |
| December 31, 9 PM EST | 6 PM | 9 PM | 2 AM (Jan 1) | 10 AM (Jan 1) |
This table demonstrates how a single posting time can appear localized across time zones. While the underlying UTC timestamp remains the same, the viewed time adapts – enabling intuitive understanding of when posts occurred.
Can You See Original Post Times on Facebook?
As covered earlier, Facebook does save and display the original, unconverted time a post was made in addition to the localized time adapted to your time zone. Here is how to view the original post time on both Facebook’s desktop and mobile apps:
Desktop
On the Facebook website, hover over the timestamp of any post. A tooltip will appear showing both the adapted time in your time zone and the original post time. For example, it might say “March 1 at 12 PM (PST)” indicating when you saw the post vs when it was originally posted.
Mobile App
In the Facebook mobile app, tap on the timestamp of a post. This will open up a details overlay with both the converted time shown to you and the original post time and time zone. For instance, “March 1 at 3 PM EST (Original: 12 PM PST)”.
Being able to see both times can provide context if you ever need to know exactly when something was posted. The adapted local time combined with accessible original time gives the full picture.
Troubleshooting Facebook Time Zone Issues
In certain cases, you may notice Facebook seems to show incorrect times that don’t line up with time zone conversions:
Posts appearing with incorrect local times
This is likely because your time zone setting is incorrect in Facebook’s settings. Go to your account settings and double check that you have the right time zone selected based on your current location.
Original post times are wrong
If the original posting time seems off or inaccurate when you view it, this could be because:
- The user who made the post had the wrong time zone set on their account
- The post was scheduled, and the wrong scheduling time zone was selected
- The user’s device time was set incorrectly when they posted
There is unfortunately no way to change the original timestamp if it is incorrect. But the user who posted it can update their time zone to avoid future incorrect timestamps.
Daylight saving time issues
During the transitions into and out of daylight saving time, some time zone conversions can get confusing. This is often just temporary as the change rolls through world time zones. Re-check post times a day later to see if they have corrected themselves.
Contact Facebook support
For persistent time zone display issues you cannot resolve, you can contact Facebook’s Help Center and submit a report. They may be able to diagnose problems related to specific posts, accounts or Pages displaying time zone conversions incorrectly.
Conclusion
Facebook engineered its system to seamlessly adapt posting times to each user’s individual time zone. This creates an intuitive experience – new posts are displayed at logical times you would expect. Yet the platform still retains and displays original posting times, recognizing users often want to know the exact time something was posted.
Both adapted local times and accessible original UTC timestamps give the full context. And Facebook provides settings to choose your preferred time zone or troubleshoot any conversion issues. So while posts may appear adapted on your News Feed, you can discover the authentic posting time.