How to Change the Time Zone in Outlook (Every Version, 2026)
Your Outlook calendar time zone determines how meeting times are displayed and stored. If it’s set wrong, every event can look an hour (or several hours) off, and invites you send may arrive at the wrong local time for recipients.
This guide covers every current version: Outlook on the web, the new Outlook for Windows and Mac, and classic Outlook for Windows. It also covers updating your zone when you travel and showing a second time zone alongside your primary one.
1. Change the Time Zone in Outlook on the Web / New Outlook
Outlook on the web and the new Outlook for Windows and Mac share the same calendar settings.
- Click the Settings gear icon (top right)
- Go to Calendar → View
- Find the Time zone dropdown
- Select your correct time zone
- Click Save
Your calendar refreshes and existing events shift to display in the new zone. The underlying meeting times don’t change — only how they’re shown to you.
Note: In new Outlook for Windows, the calendar time zone is tied to your account’s settings and may follow the Windows system clock. If changing it here doesn’t stick, also check your Windows time zone (Step 3).
2. Change the Time Zone in Classic Outlook for Windows
Classic Outlook gives you the most control, including labeling zones and showing a second one.
- Go to File → Options
- Select Calendar in the left pane
- Scroll down to the Time zones section
- (Optional) Enter a Label for your current zone (e.g., “Home”)
- Open the Time zone dropdown and select your zone
- Click OK
Classic Outlook uses the same time zone as your Windows system clock by default. Changing it here changes your Windows time zone too, so all your appointments shift accordingly.
3. Update Your Time Zone When You Travel
When you move between time zones, you want new meetings to be created in your current local time.
The simplest approach — let Outlook follow your device:
- On Windows, go to Settings → Time & language → Date & time and turn on Set time zone automatically, or pick the new zone manually. Classic and new Outlook follow this.
- On Mac, set the time zone in System Settings → General → Date & Time. New Outlook for Mac follows it.
Or change it manually in Outlook: Use Step 1 (web/new Outlook) or Step 2 (classic) to set the destination zone before you start scheduling.
Important for existing events: Meetings already on your calendar keep the absolute time they were scheduled for. A 9:00 AM Eastern meeting will show as 6:00 AM if you switch your calendar to Pacific — which is correct. Don’t manually drag events to “fix” the time, or they’ll be wrong when you return home.
4. Swap Your Two Time Zones (Classic Outlook)
When you travel often between two fixed zones, classic Outlook lets you swap your primary and secondary zones with one click.
- Go to File → Options → Calendar → Time zones
- Make sure both your zones are configured (see Step 5)
- Click Swap Time Zones
- Click OK
This makes your secondary zone the new primary, which is faster than re-selecting from the dropdown each trip.
5. Show a Second (or Third) Time Zone
Displaying multiple time zones side by side helps when you schedule across regions — for example, keeping both your local time and a colleague’s.
Classic Outlook for Windows:
- Go to File → Options → Calendar → Time zones
- Check Show a second time zone
- Enter a Label (e.g., “London”)
- Pick the zone from the dropdown
- (Optional) Check Show a third time zone and repeat
- Click OK
The extra zones appear as additional time columns to the left of your day and week views.
Outlook on the web / New Outlook:
- Go to Settings → Calendar → View
- Under Time zones, click Display multiple time zones (or Add time zone)
- Select an additional zone and give it a label
- Click Save
Quick Reference
| Task | Web / New Outlook | Classic Outlook for Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Change primary time zone | Settings → Calendar → View → Time zone | File → Options → Calendar → Time zones |
| Show a second time zone | Settings → Calendar → View → Add time zone | Options → Calendar → Show a second time zone |
| Swap two zones | Re-select manually | Time zones → Swap Time Zones |
| Follow device automatically | Yes (Windows/Mac clock) | Yes (Windows clock) |
Troubleshooting
All my meetings are showing an hour off.
Your calendar time zone is wrong, often after a daylight-saving change or travel. Reset it in Settings → Calendar → View (web/new) or File → Options → Calendar (classic) to your correct current zone.
I changed the time zone but new Outlook reverted it.
New Outlook for Windows can follow the Windows system clock. Set the matching zone in Windows Settings → Time & language → Date & time so the two agree.
An invite I sent arrived at the wrong time for the recipient.
The meeting was created in your time zone setting at the time. If your zone was wrong when you scheduled it, open the event, confirm the correct start time, and send an update. Going forward, fix your calendar zone first.
Events shifted after I changed my time zone — did I break them?
No. Outlook preserves the absolute time of each event and re-displays it in the new zone. A 2:00 PM Eastern meeting correctly shows as 11:00 AM Pacific. Don’t drag events to “correct” them.
I can’t find the second time zone option on the web.
Multiple-zone display is most fully supported in classic Outlook. On the web and new Outlook, look under Settings → Calendar → View → Time zones; if your tenant doesn’t show it, use classic Outlook for second and third zones.
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More on Outlook: How to add time zones to your Outlook calendar · How to share your Outlook calendar · How to set your working hours · How to set up recurring meetings · How to color-code your Outlook calendar · How to overlay calendars in Outlook
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