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To change Windows’ clock between 12-hour time with AM/PM and 24-hour time, open Control Panel, go to the regional date and time formats, and set both Short time and Long time. The route is slightly different in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Choose the time format for your Windows version
Windows 11
- Open Control Panel.
- Select Clock and Region, then Change date, time, or number formats.
- On the Formats tab, choose the formats for Short time and Long time from the table below.
- Select Apply, then OK.
Windows 10
- Open Control Panel.
- Under Clock, Language, and Region, select Change date, time, or number formats.
- On the Formats tab, choose the formats for Short time and Long time.
- Select Apply, then OK.
Microsoft documents these Control Panel steps and format choices for Windows 10 and 11 in its 12-hour and 24-hour clock guidance.
Which format strings should you choose?
| Display | Short time | Long time | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-hour | h:mm:tt |
h:mm:ss:tt |
AM or PM; for example, 3:45 PM |
| 24-hour | HH:mm |
HH:mm:ss |
Hours from 00 through 23; for example, 15:45 |
Short and long time are separate settings. Set both to the same style so the clock and displays that include seconds use a consistent format. Enter or select the strings with their capitalization and punctuation as shown.
What this setting changes—and what it does not
This changes how Windows displays times; it does not correct the current time, change your time zone, or configure daylight-saving behavior. For those separate controls, use Settings > Time & language > Date & time, as described in Microsoft’s Windows date, time, and time zone instructions.
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If an app still shows a different time format
Windows’ regional format is not necessarily the only setting an app uses. Microsoft says Outlook uses the computer’s country or region settings for its clock display; the format itself is an operating-system option rather than an Outlook setting. See Microsoft’s Outlook clock-format guidance.
Other apps may apply their own formatting. For example, Excel formats without an asterisk are not changed by Control Panel regional-format settings. If one app differs while Windows uses your chosen format, check that app’s time or regional preferences; that does not necessarily mean the Windows change failed. Microsoft explains this behavior in its guidance on formatting numbers as dates or times.
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