Having the wrong time zone set on Facebook can be frustrating. When your Facebook time zone is incorrect, the timestamps on posts and notifications will be inconsistent with your local time. Fortunately, fixing an incorrect time zone on Facebook is usually a quick and easy process.
What causes the Facebook time zone to be wrong?
There are a few common reasons why your Facebook time zone may be set incorrectly:
- You recently moved to a new time zone but didn’t update your settings
- You traveled to a different time zone and Facebook is still set to your home time zone
- You accidentally set the wrong time zone when creating your account
- Facebook automatically detected the wrong time zone based on your IP address or device settings
Facebook tries to automatically determine your time zone when you create an account, based on factors like your computer’s time zone or the location you entered. Sometimes this automatic detection gets it wrong. Traveling can also cause your Facebook time zone to become outdated.
How to change the time zone on Facebook
The good news is that you can manually change your Facebook time zone in just a few steps:
- Log into your Facebook account
- Go to your profile page and click on the down arrow in the cover photo
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu
- On the left sidebar, click on “Settings”
- On the General Account Settings page, find the “Time Zone” section
- Click on the “Edit” button next to your current time zone
- Select your correct time zone from the drop-down menu
- Click “Save Changes”
That’s it! Facebook will now display timestamps converted to your new time zone. The change happens immediately as soon as you save your settings.
Does the Facebook app time zone need to be changed separately?
When you change your time zone on Facebook.com, it will automatically update the time zone used across all Facebook platforms, including:
- The Facebook mobile app for iOS and Android
- Facebook Messenger
- Instagram (owned by Facebook)
- Oculus
So you only need to change it in one place, and it will apply everywhere you use Facebook services. The Facebook app does not have a separate time zone setting.
What to check if Facebook’s time zone is still wrong
If you’ve updated your Facebook time zone but notifications and timestamps still seem off, here are some things to check:
- Make sure you selected the correct time zone – double check that you picked the right city on the time zone list.
- Check if your device time is accurate – an incorrect system time on your phone or computer can make Facebook seem wrong.
- You may be looking at old posts – existing posts won’t change when you update time zones, only new ones will convert.
- The poster’s time zone is different – if a friend in another time zone posts, it will show in their zone first.
- It can take some time to update – give it an hour or two for changes to propagate across Facebook’s servers.
In most cases, the problem is resolved simply by saving your correct time zone in the Facebook settings. Just allow some time for the changes to take effect across the platform.
Should I also update my device time zone?
When fixing time zone issues on Facebook, you may be wondering if you also need to change the time zone on your computer, phone, tablet or other devices.
In some cases, yes it can help to verify your device time zone matches Facebook:
- If your device timezone is wrong, it will make Facebook seem incorrect
- Facebook may partly rely on your device time when you first create an account
- It can fix issues with other apps being off if your device time is wrong
However, in many cases it is not necessary:
- Facebook will override your device time zone when you manually set the time zone
- Traveling will make your device time zone incorrect, but Facebook can handle it
- Some people keep devices set to a home time zone when traveling
So while it sometimes can help to verify your device time zone, you most likely only need to change the time zone on Facebook itself if that is where the incorrect times are appearing.
Tips for avoiding Facebook time zone issues
Here are some tips to prevent getting the wrong time zone on Facebook in the future:
- Double check your time zone when creating a new Facebook account
- Update your time zone after moving to a new location or travel
- Periodically check Facebook’s Settings page to confirm your time zone
- Review notification timestamps if they seem off
- Set devices to update time zones automatically when traveling
Catching an incorrect time zone early and updating it quickly can help avoid confusion on Facebook. Taking a moment to confirm your time zone is correct whenever you move or travel can save hassle down the road.
Can I customize time stamps on Facebook?
By default, Facebook displays timestamps on posts and notifications formatted to your set time zone, such as “3 hours ago” or “Yesterday at 5:00 PM”.
Some users have asked if you can customize or change the time stamp format on Facebook. Unfortunately, Facebook does not currently offer the ability to customize the timestamp or date/time format.
The only option is to change your overall Facebook time zone, which converts the default timestamps. You are not able to tweak the exact text of timestamps themselves.
Facebook could potentially add more options for users to control timestamp formats and preferences in the future. But for now, the time zone controls are the sole way to adjust how times are displayed on Facebook.
Troubleshooting Facebook time zone issues
If setting your correct time zone on Facebook does not seem to fix the issue, here are some troubleshooting steps to try:
| Issue | Troubleshooting Tips |
|---|---|
| Timestamps still wrong |
|
| Time zone keeps reverting |
|
| Can’t find time zone setting |
|
In rare cases, contacting Facebook support directly may be needed if troubleshooting does not reveal the issue. Bugs or glitches could potentially cause time zone weirdness on Facebook that require investigation to resolve.
Conclusion
Having the incorrect time zone set on Facebook can make the experience confusing and frustrating. Thankfully, it is usually an easy fix – just head to your Facebook Settings page and update the time zone to match your current location. Double check that the app time zone matches as well. This should instantly correct any issues with notification and posting times being off. Pay close attention to your time zone when traveling or moving too. With the right time zone in place, you can sit back and enjoy Facebook without any annoying timestamp mixups.