The Apple Watch allows you to switch between standard 12-hour and 24-hour military time formats easily. If you prefer seeing the 24-hour Clock on your watch face, you can enable this by changing a simple setting.
Military or 24-hour time displays hours from 0 to 23 instead of the standard AM and PM format. Some people find this time format clearer and more convenient to use daily.
While you cannot alter the Apple Watch’s time format directly on the watch itself, it only takes a few taps in the companion iPhone Watch app to toggle between 12 and 24-hour display.
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Changing the Time Format on Apple Watch
To change the time format on your Apple Watch, you need to access the watch settings on your paired iPhone running iOS 16 or later.
Open the preinstalled Watch app, then go to the My Watch tab. Here, you can customize all aspects of your watch.
Steps to Enable Military Time
Follow these steps to make your Apple Watch display military time:
- On your iPhone, launch the Watch app.
- Please tap on the My Watch tab at the bottom.
- Scroll down and select Clock.
- Toggle on the 24-Hour Time option.
This will immediately enable the 24-hour time format on your Apple Watch.
Selecting a Digital Watch Face
With the 24-hour Time setting turned on, you must choose a digital watch face on your Apple Watch to see military time. Analog faces will still display the standard 12-hour Clock with hour and minute hands. Switch to a natively supported digital face like:
- Infograph Modular
- Modular
- Numerals
- Siri
- Timelapse
- X-Large
You can browse and add new watch faces from the Face Gallery section of the Watch app or your Apple Watch.
Turning off 24-Hour Time
If you want to revert to the regular AM/PM format, return to the Watch app’s Clock settings and turn off 24-Hour Time. This will instantly switch your Apple Watch to show 12-hour time.
Syncing with iPhone
Do note that altering the Apple Watch’s time format does not automatically change the time display on your iPhone.
To sync the 24-hour Clock on both devices:
- Go to iPhone Settings > General > Date & Time.
- Enable 24-hour Time here.
Now, your iPhone and Apple Watch will both display military time.
Using Complications for Dual Time Display
With watchOS 9, you can add a World Clock complication on supported watch faces to simultaneously see two different time zones.
Set the watch face to 24-hour mode, then add a World Clock complication in 12-hour format. This allows you to view military and standard time on your watch face using complications.
Other Tips
- Use the World Clock app on your Apple Watch to track multiple international time zones
- Customize digital faces by changing colors, adding complications, etc., via the Watch app
- Enable Always-On Display on Apple Watch Series 5 or later always to see 24-hour time
Switching between 12-hour and 24-hour military time on your Apple Watch only takes a few taps. Just enable the 24-Hour Time toggle under the Clock settings in the iPhone Watch app. Then, pick a digital watch face to display the updated time format.
You can also install watchOS updates, browse new watch faces, and customize your Apple Watch in the My Watch section of the Watch app. Refer to Apple Support articles or provide Feedback if you face any issues.
