In the US, Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and clocks fall back an hour. Your Apple Watch takes its time from your iPhone, so the change should happen on its own while you sleep. It's still worth a two-minute check this week, especially if you've ever woken up to a watch that's an hour off. And while you're in the Clock settings, there's a little-known option that lets the face run a few minutes fast. This guide follows Apple's support pages.
Step 1: Let iPhone set the time automatically
Apple's advice is to use Date & Time settings so your device adjusts for time zone changes and daylight saving time on its own. On your iPhone:
- Make sure the iPhone is connected to the internet.
- Install the latest software update.
- Open Settings, tap General, tap Date & Time, then turn on Set Time Automatically.
Apple adds a second setting that helps iPhone work out the right time zone from where you are:
- Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services, scroll to the bottom and tap System Services.
- Turn on Setting Time Zone.
Step 2: If the time is still wrong
- You see a message about updated time zone information. Apple says to restart your device and any paired Apple Watch.
- Only the watch is off. Check that it's connected to your iPhone, then restart it.
Do this before Saturday night and you won't have to think about it on Sunday morning.
Step 3: Set the watch face ahead (optional)
Some people like their watch to run a few minutes fast so they're never late. Apple Watch can do this without breaking anything else. Apple notes that your alarms, notifications, World Clock and other times still match the actual time; only the face changes.
- Open the Settings app on your watch, then tap Clock.
- Tap +0 min.
- Turn the Digital Crown and choose how many minutes ahead to set your watch. Apple's user guide says you can go as far as 59 minutes.
- Tap the Done button.
To undo it, go back to the same screen and turn the Digital Crown back to zero.
Bonus: switch to 24-hour time
The same Apple page shows how to use 24-hour time, which some people find easier around a time change:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap Clock.
- Turn on 24-Hour Time.
A quick checklist for the weekend
- Saturday evening: confirm Set Time Automatically is on, and the watch is charged and near your phone.
- Sunday morning: glance at the watch and the phone. They should agree.
- Alarms: they follow the actual time, so a weekday alarm still goes off at the right hour.
- Travelers: if you're on the road for Thanksgiving, the same automatic setting handles new time zones too.
Troubleshooting
- Can't find +0 min: it lives in the watch's own Settings app under Clock, not on the iPhone.
- The face shows a different time than notifications: that's expected when you've set the watch ahead.
- Wrong time after travel: turn on Setting Time Zone in System Services on your iPhone.
Going further with WatchLux
WatchLux is the watch face app I built, and once the time is right, the face showing it can be something you enjoy. It has over 750 faces on both watchOS and Wear OS; on Apple Watch the live designs are videos, so they move. You can browse the styles at customwatchface.com. All artwork is created with generative AI tools.
WatchLux is free to download and preview; subscription unlocks the full catalog and removes ads.
My team specializes in advanced generative AI art and video, and WatchLux and ScreenLux are where we apply it to the watch and the phone.
- iPhone and Apple Watch: WatchLux on the App Store
Sources checked (official help pages, Oct 20, 2026): Apple Support, "Change the time settings on your Apple Watch" (support.apple.com/en-us/105035); Apple Support, "If you can't change the time or time zone on your Apple device" (support.apple.com/en-us/101619); Apple Watch User Guide, "Change Apple Watch faces" (Set the watch ahead) (support.apple.com/guide/watch/change-apple-watch-faces-apda6559ad78/watchos)
Sean McCue, Founder, WatchLux and ScreenLux
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