Frequently asked questions

Time Nearby uses the time zone set on your device. If you changed that setting manually, it may differ from where you actually are. Knowing your time zone does not reveal your exact city.

To suggest a city name, the site can look up an approximate location from your network address. This guess can be wrong; you can always choose a different city or use “Use my location” in the city window, which asks your browser for permission first.

Press “Change city” next to the main clock and search for the city you want. You can also open any city from the city catalogue.

Open “Change city” and choose the “Your local time” card at the top of the window. It shows the time from your device's time zone and is marked “Detected automatically”.

The main clock shows the city you selected, or the city suggested from your approximate location. This choice does not change where you are or the time settings of your device. To return to automatic mode, select “Your local time” in the city window.

When the page opens, your browser asks our server for the current time several times and keeps the fastest answer, allowing for network delay. From then on the clock counts with your browser's internal timer, so later changes to your system clock do not affect it.

If the server cannot be reached, the site falls back to your device clock, and accuracy then depends on your system time being correct. Expect accuracy within a fraction of a second on a normal connection; the site does not claim atomic-clock precision.

No. Choosing a city and changing clock settings only affect how time is displayed on this site.

Yes. Times are calculated with your browser's built-in time zone database (the IANA time zone rules). For each date, the rules in force for that zone are applied, so the difference between two cities can change during the year.

It appears when the selected city will change its clocks within the next 14 days. It shows the date and time of the change and whether the clocks move forward or back. If two cities change on different days, their usual difference is temporarily different. All upcoming changes are listed in the Daylight saving time tracker.

Add cities in the Compare time section. Each row shows the local time of one city for the same selected moment.

Drag a row by its six-dot handle, or use the up and down arrow buttons on each row. With the keyboard, focus the handle and use the arrow keys. The order is saved in your browser and does not change the selected time or the main clock.

Moving the vertical line selects one moment, and every row shows what local time it is in that city. You can grab the line anywhere along its height, including the time labels and the handle at the top. It moves in 15-minute steps; the ±15 minute buttons and the time field also adjust it. The main clock keeps showing the current time.

The same moment can fall on different calendar days. For example, it may still be Monday evening in one city and already Tuesday morning in another.

Cities can switch to and from daylight saving time on different dates, and some regions do not change their clocks at all. When planning a meeting, check the difference for its actual date.

The range (6, 12 or 24 hours) sets how many hours are visible at once. The 12/24-hour format sets how times are written, for example 2:00 PM or 14:00. Changing one does not affect the other.

Move the slider, then press “Select time” below it. The selected date and time appear in the “Add an event to your calendar” section. Enter a title, check the start and end, then choose how to add the event.

If the selected moment has already passed, the site shows “This time has already passed. Choose a future time.” and blocks calendar export for that time. Choose a future date and time. The check uses the selected time zone and the synchronised current time.

Google Calendar and Outlook open in a new tab with the event already filled in; you then confirm saving it there.

Apple Calendar uses a downloaded .ics file: open the file and your Calendar app offers to add the event. “Download .ics file” gives the same file for any other calendar that can import it.

Yes, when exported correctly the event keeps the same absolute moment. Each person's calendar shows it in their own time zone. Before saving, it is worth checking the date, time and calendar settings.

No. Adding the event to your own calendar does not send invitations to anyone. You can add participants in your calendar app.

A short link stores a snapshot of the comparison: the selected cities and their order, the main city, the selected moment, the duration, the comparison mode and the language. Event titles and descriptions are not included.

The snapshot is fixed when the link is created; later changes on your side do not update it. Anyone who has the link can open it.

Yes, in this browser on this device. The site remembers your language, clock colour, digital or analog display, both time formats, the timeline range, the chosen city or automatic mode, the comparison cities and their order, saved countdowns and hidden notices.

If you clear site data or use private browsing, these settings can be lost.

No. All features work without an account. Because settings are stored locally, they are not transferred between devices automatically.

The main clock and the comparison have separate formats. Change the main clock's format under “Time format” in the clock settings, and the comparison's format with the “Time format” switch (12 h / 24 h) in the Compare time section. Changing one leaves the other unchanged.

Open the clock settings. Under “Clock colour” choose Light, Graphite, Forest, Midnight or Sand; under “Clock display” choose Digital or Analog. The colour applies only to the main clock panel and the full-screen clock; the rest of the site stays light.

Press “Full screen” next to the main clock. To leave, press “Exit full screen” or the Escape key on a computer.

It returns the clock to Light colour, Digital display and 24-hour time, and sets the timeline range back to 12 hours. Your cities, language and meeting details are kept. Right after the reset, press “Undo” in the notification to bring your previous settings back.

Use the language switcher in the header or the language buttons at the bottom of the page. English, Español, Français, Deutsch and Русский are available. Your choice is saved in the browser, and you stay on the same page.

Open the tools catalogue. For example: the time zone converter, the date calculator, the countdown timer and the business days calculator.

Yes. In the widget builder choose the widget type, city, colours and size, check the live preview and copy the ready-made code. The website you paste it into must allow embedded frames (iframes).

It is an educational section about time and calendars in books and films. Depending on the world, calculations rely on information from the work, on an assumption made by the site, or on a plain calculation; each world page explains which is which.