Chapter 9. Setting the Date and Time
Your iPad retrieves the date and time each time you hook it up to your computer through its USB cable. However, sometimes you may need to set the date and time manually, such as when you’re away from a computer or just prefer to have the time displayed in 24-hour format rather than 12-hour format.
In this chapter you’ll learn how to set the date and time on your iPad.
Picking a Time Zone
You may want to check to make sure your iPad recognizes which time zone you’re in. Many time zones have daylight saving time, where you need to move clocks an hour ahead or behind. And if you travel across time zones with a Wi-Fi-only iPad, you may need to set the time zone manually.
To define a time zone, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The Settings screen appears.
Tap General. The General settings screen appears.
Tap Time Zone. A Time Zone screen appears, as shown in Figure 9-1.
Tap Clear, which appears as an X inside a gray circle near the top right of the screen. Or tap the Backspace key to clear any text currently displayed, such as Cupertino.
Type the name of the closest big city near your current location. As you type, a list of different city names appears, as shown in Figure 9-2.
Tap the name of the city closest to you. The Date & Time screen displays your chosen city.
Press the Home button.
Setting the Date and Time
The simplest way to set the date and time on your iPad is to make sure your computer has the correct date and time. Then when you connect your iPad to your computer, the iPad will retrieve the correct date and time from your computer. (Of course, if the date and time on your computer is wrong, that incorrect date or time will wind up getting stored on your iPad.)
To set the date and time, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The Settings screen appears.
Tap General. The General settings screen appears.
Tap Date & Time. The Date & Time settings screen appears, as shown in Figure 9-3.
Tap Set Date & Time. A Date & Time picker appears, as shown in Figure 9-4.
Tap Time (which shows the time, such as 2:49 PM), and adjust the picker wheels to choose a time.
Tap Date (which shows the date, such as Saturday, October 30, 2010). The picker displays different months, days, and years.
Adjust the picker wheels to choose the month, day, and year you want to use.
Press the Home button.
Setting (or Turning Off) 24-Hour Time
Some people like having their iPad display time in 12-hour increments where the morning and afternoon times are listed as AM or PM. Other people prefer 24-hour time so 1:30 is obviously in the morning and 13:30 is 1:30 in the afternoon.
To turn on (or turn off) 24-hour time, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The Settings screen appears.
Tap General. The General settings screen appears.
Tap the 24-Hour Time on/off switch. Your iPad immediately displays the current time in the format you chose.
Press the Home button.
Additional Ideas for Modifying the Date and Time on Your iPad
Most of the time, you’ll want your iPad to display the correct date and time. That way when you set up appointments or alarms, your iPad will alert you at the proper time. However, people who feel perpetually rushed often set their watches ahead by a few minutes so they can fool themselves into getting somewhere on time or even early.
If you travel across time zones with your iPad, you may need to reset your time zone so your iPad displays the current date and time. If you let your iPad’s battery run down, it may lose track of the proper date and time. If this happens, you’ll have to set the date and time manually or just connect it to your computer.
Setting the correct date and time may not sound like a big deal, until you suddenly realize you’ve missed an important appointment because you didn’t set the right time on your iPad sooner.