On most newer Samsung Galaxy Watches, open Settings → System → Date & time on the watch, then turn on Use 24-hour format. If that option is not available, enable Settings → General management → Date and time → Use 24-hour format on the connected phone instead.
Samsung may label the watch menu General rather than System, depending on the model and software version.
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Change to 24-hour time on the watch
This is the usual method for Galaxy Watch models running Wear OS, including the Galaxy Watch4 and newer generations such as the Watch5, Watch6, Watch7 and Watch Ultra. Menu names can vary by model and software version; Google documents the standard Wear OS path in its Wear OS date and time guide.
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- Swipe down from the top of the screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap System.
- Tap Date & time.
- Turn on Use 24-hour format.
On some Samsung watches, the same control is under Settings → General → Date and time → Use 24-hour format. If you do not see System, look for General.
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Change the setting from a Samsung phone
If the watch does not show the 24-hour option, change the format on the connected Galaxy phone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General management.
- Tap Date and time.
- Turn on Use 24-hour format.
Samsung’s current instructions confirm that this setting is separate from automatic date and time, so you do not need to disable automatic timekeeping to change the display format. A paired watch synchronizes time information with the phone, although the update may take a moment. Changing the phone setting can also change clocks elsewhere on the phone, including some lock-screen and status-bar displays. See Samsung’s date and time instructions.
On a non-Samsung Android phone, search Settings for 24-hour format or Date & time. The menu path may be different.
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Which Galaxy Watch models use these steps?
Galaxy Watch4 and later models use Wear OS, so start with the watch-side path under System → Date & time. The exact labels can still differ after software updates.
The original Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Watch Active2 use older Tizen-based software and may instead use Settings → General → Date and time → Use 24-hour format. Older software can also limit some date-and-time controls while the watch is connected to a phone. If the option is unavailable on an older model, use the phone setting or consult the model’s manual.
For the broadest model-specific guidance, Samsung’s watch date-and-time troubleshooting page and the documented older Galaxy Watch manual show why one menu path cannot be guaranteed for every generation.
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How to check that it worked
The change affects how the time is displayed, not the watch’s time zone or accuracy. For example:
- 1:00 PM becomes 13:00.
- 12:00 AM becomes 00:00.
- 12:00 PM remains 12:00.
AM/PM should disappear from digital clock elements that follow the system format. To refresh the display, open another screen, lock and wake the watch, or restart it.
If one watch face still shows 12-hour time
The system setting does not necessarily control every watch face. A third-party face may have its own 12/24-hour preference, a digital complication may use separate formatting, or the face may be designed to show only one format. These are reported watch-face behavior issues rather than proof that the main setting failed; see the user discussion on Galaxy Watch watch-face formatting.
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Try these fixes:
- Confirm that Use 24-hour format is enabled on the watch or phone.
- Switch temporarily to a Samsung watch face.
- Lock and wake the watch.
- Restart the watch.
- Open or update the third-party watch-face app.
- Check the face’s own customization settings for a 12/24-hour option.
- Confirm that the watch is connected to the phone.
An analog-only face will not visibly demonstrate the difference. A digital complication on the same face may still show either format.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If the time itself is wrong
Changing to 24-hour format changes presentation only. It will not fix an incorrect hour, date or time zone.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchFor a wrong time, check Settings → System → Date & time on a Wear OS watch and verify the separate controls for automatic date and time and automatic time zone. If the watch is paired, check that the phone has the correct time and that the connection is active. Samsung notes that connection problems can contribute to incorrect time displays.
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On a standalone watch, time-zone updates may not occur automatically when you travel. You may need to select the time zone manually or reconnect the watch to a phone. Samsung covers these standalone-watch limitations in its date and time troubleshooting guidance.
How to switch back to 12-hour time
Return to the same setting and turn off Use 24-hour format:
- On the watch: Settings → System or General → Date & time.
- On a Samsung phone: Settings → General management → Date and time.
The display will return to the 12-hour format, usually with AM or PM.
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