To try a 12-hour time format in WhatsApp on a phone or tablet, switch your device to a 12-hour clock in its date and time settings, then open WhatsApp and check its message timestamps. On iPhone and iPad, turn off 24-Hour Time; on Android, disable the equivalent setting or select 12-hour. This changes your device’s clock format, and the check in WhatsApp shows whether the app follows it.
The short version
- iPhone and iPad: Open Settings > General > Date & Time and turn off 24-Hour Time.
- Android: Follow your manufacturer’s date and time menu, then disable 24-hour formatting or select 12-hour.
- Locale control: If Use locale default controls your Android clock format, turn it off before changing the format.
- Check the result: Open WhatsApp and check its message timestamps after changing the device preference.
| Device or route | Where to go | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Settings > General > Date & Time | Turn off 24-Hour Time |
| iPad running supported WhatsApp | Settings > General > Date & Time | Turn off 24-Hour Time |
| Android devices with these controls | Settings > System > Date & time | Turn off Use locale default, then Use 24-hour format |
| Pixel or compatible device using Google Clock | Clock > More > Settings > Change date & time | Turn off Use locale default if needed, then Use 24-hour format |
| Samsung Galaxy with this menu | Settings > General management > Date and time | Turn off Use 24-hour format |
| Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO with this menu | Settings > Additional settings > Date & time > Time format | Select 12-hour |
| HUAWEI phone with this menu and supported WhatsApp | Settings > System & updates > Date & time | Turn off 24-hour time |
| HONOR phone with this menu | Settings > System & updates > Date & time | Turn off 24-hour time |
| realme editions listed below | Settings, then the route for your edition below | Turn off 24-hour format or Use 24-hour format |
| realme UI 2.0 and later, excluding lightweight editions | Clock > more-options icon > Settings > Date & time | Turn off 24-hour format |
| OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G with OxygenOS 14.0 | Settings > Additional settings > Date & time > Time format | Choose the option for a 12-hour clock |
| Supported iPhone or iPad with English Voice Control listening | Speak the taps for the Apple settings route | Turn off 24-Hour Time if it is on |
| Android with English Voice Access listening and the matching menu | Speak the taps for Settings > System > Date & time | Turn off Use locale default and Use 24-hour format if enabled |
Change the format on iPhone or iPad
On iPhone, open Settings, select General, then open Date & Time. Turn off 24-Hour Time, then open WhatsApp and check the message timestamps.
For WhatsApp on a supported iPad, open Settings > General > Date & Time. Turn off 24-Hour Time and return to WhatsApp to check the result.
Use the Android system or Google Clock route
On Android devices with these controls, open Settings > System > Date & time. Turn off Use locale default, then turn off Use 24-hour format and open WhatsApp. Motorola gives this route for the motorola razr 40 running Android 16; your menu may differ on another manufacturer’s device.
On a Pixel phone or compatible Android device using Google Clock, open Clock. Tap More > Settings > Change date & time to reach your device’s date and time settings. If Use locale default controls the format, turn it off first, then turn off Use 24-hour format.
Change the format on Samsung Galaxy
On Galaxy phones and tablets with this One UI menu, open Settings > General management > Date and time. Turn off Use 24-hour format, then open WhatsApp to check the timestamps. Samsung gives this path for Canadian devices and says regional screens can differ.
Select the format on Xiaomi and OnePlus
On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices with this menu, open Settings > Additional settings > Date & time > Time format. Select 12-hour, then open WhatsApp. If you have a Xiaomi 14T, the date settings page is named Date and time.
On a OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G running OxygenOS 14.0, open Settings > Additional settings > Date & time. Tap Time format and choose the option for a 12-hour clock. These OnePlus steps apply specifically to that model and software version.
Turn off 24 hour time on HUAWEI and HONOR
On a HUAWEI phone that can run supported WhatsApp and has this menu, open Settings > System & updates > Date & time. Disable 24-hour time, then open WhatsApp to check the timestamps.
On an HONOR phone with this menu, open Settings > System & updates > Date & time. Turn off 24-hour time and return to WhatsApp.
Choose the route for your realme version
For realme UI 7.0 or 6.0, open Settings > System & updates > Date & time. Turn off 24-hour format. For realme UI 5.0, 4.0 or 3.0, open Settings, then System or Additional Settings, as realme lists for those versions, and open Date & time. Turn off 24-hour format.
On realme R, Go, S, T or U Edition, open Settings > System > Date & time > Time format. Turn off Use 24-hour format, then open WhatsApp.
You can also enter through Clock on realme UI 2.0 and later; lightweight editions use a different route. Open Clock, tap the more-options icon in the upper-right corner, then select Settings > Date & time. Turn off 24-hour format.
Operate the setting with voice controls
With English Voice Control already configured and listening on a supported iPhone or iPad, open Settings. Say Tap General, then say Tap Date & Time. If 24-Hour Time is on, say Tap 24-Hour Time to turn it off.
With English Voice Access already configured and listening on an Android device using the System > Date & time menu, say Open Settings, then say Tap System, then say Tap Date & time. If Use locale default is on, say Tap Use locale default. If Use 24-hour format is on, say Tap Use 24-hour format. On other manufacturers’ devices, your spoken commands must match the labels displayed.
Check WhatsApp after changing the format
After changing your device preference, open WhatsApp and check the message timestamps. If your Android format control is still governed by Use locale default, turn that setting off before selecting the clock format again.
If WhatsApp still shows 24-hour timestamps, return to your device’s date and time settings and confirm that your selection remains in place. WhatsApp directs you to device settings for timestamp adjustments and does not document a dedicated in-app 12/24-hour switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you change WhatsApp’s language to get 12-hour timestamps?
Use your device’s clock-format setting for this task. WhatsApp offers an Android app-language selector, but does not document changing the app’s language as a way to force 12-hour timestamps.
Will changing your computer’s clock format change WhatsApp Web or Desktop?
You should not assume that changing your computer’s display format will change WhatsApp timestamps. WhatsApp says its web client uses your device’s time and time-zone configuration by default, but that statement does not promise matching 12/24-hour formatting. It also does not describe the Desktop app’s formatting behavior.
Should you disable automatic date and time?
Keep the choice of display format separate from correcting an inaccurate timestamp. WhatsApp recommends automatic date and time configuration when message timestamps are inaccurate.
Can you change WhatsApp timestamps through your watch’s clock setting?
You can change the system clock format on Apple Watch and Wear OS, but that does not guarantee the format inside WhatsApp conversations. Apple and Google describe those controls as watch time settings, without promising how WhatsApp displays its timestamps.