How to Set 12-Hour Clock in Windows 10/11 (From 24-hour)

If you like to set 12-hour from the 24-hour clock or vice versa in Windows 10/11, then the below steps will be helpful. Also, you will learn how to display the AM or PM symbol and customize it in the system tray.

We have already published a guide about changing the date format in Windows 10 and other versions. This guide shows how to play around with the time format and change to the 12-hour or railway time format on your Windows 10/11, 8.1 and 7.

If you are new to Windows 11 and wondering how to display the ‘My Computer’ (This PC) icon on the desktop, here is the guide.

How To Change Laptop Time To 12-Hour

It doesn’t matter whether you use a desktop or laptop; changing the time format to the 12-hour clock is the same on Windows 10/11. Follow the below steps:

• Search for ‘date’ in Windows search (or Cortana), and select ‘Change date and time formats.’
• In ‘Short time’ format, click the drop-down and select the time with the Symbol (AM to PM) to change the laptop time to the 12-hour clock.
• Selecting the time format without AM or PM will make the format 24-hour on your computer.

Hint: ‘Railway time’ generally refers to the 24-hour time format. So, if you want railway time format on your Windows 10/11 desktop/laptop computer, change the time format to 24 hours, as shown above. Select the short or long time format without AM symbol.

You need to use the classic control panel on Windows 8.1 and 7 to change the clock formats.

Related: How to change the Sticky Notes font site

With the 24-hour clock format, the system tray time will look like below.

How to Set/Change 12-Hour in Windows 10

The below steps and screenshots are taken from Windows 10, but also Windows 8.1/8 and Windows 7 will have similar settings except for how you access the control panel. Hence the same steps are applicable for the older version of Windows OS.

Also, the settings app regional format change methods are applied to Windows 11 and Windows 10.

1) Visit Control Panel. You can search for it in Windows 10 search easily to access the classic Control panel.

2) In the category view of the control panel, click on the ‘Change date, time, or number formats’ as shown below.

3) You can change the settings for a short and long time. If your Windows 10/11 computer is showing a 24-hour clock, then the format settings would be in ‘H’.

‘H’ means 24-hour, and ‘h’ means a 12-hour clock format.

Click on the drop-down menu of the short and long-time format and change it to a 12-hour format by selecting the ‘h’ in the hours.

The ‘tt’ means AM or PM. When the time format is set to a 24-hour clock, it can’t show the AM or PM. When the 12-hour format is placed, you can select the ‘tt’ to show the AM or PM in Windows 10 or 8.1/7.

Press Apply to make the changes.

Your time format will change to a 12-hour format and show the AM or PM symbol.

Set 12-Hour Clock in Windows 11/10 by Settings App

By the way, changing the time format can also be done in the Windows 10/11 settings app.

1. Search for date settings below and select ‘Change the date and time formats’.

2. Select the format with the AM or PM symbol on the next screen. The time format with AM/PM is the 12-hour clock; the other one without the emblem is the 24-hour clock.

You must visit the classic control panel to customize the AM/PM symbol to any letters.

Change the AM/PM Symbol in Windows 10/11

Do you want to change the AM or PM symbol to something else? If yes, you can do that too. Most of the Windows Operating Systems allow changing this symbol.

Click on the Addition Settings in the formats settings, then select Time.

In the Time tab, type the text you want to display in the AM/PM symbol.

Once you press Apply, you can see the change in the system tray.

Credit to ASKVG for the hint.

How to Show Seconds in Windows 11 Clock?

Unfortunately, this feature is not supported in Windows 11. Microsoft removed the option (even via the registry modification) to display seconds in the taskbar clock. Microsoft claims that this option is not available due to performance considerations.

We can show the seconds in Windows 11 taskbar using third-party applications.

ElevenClock is one of the tools you can use for this purpose. It is a simple program to download and customize. It can show the date with month and year and the time with seconds in Windows 11/10 taskbar.

Q: Can I switch between 12 hour clock and 24 hour clock formats easily?

A: Yes, you can easily switch between 12 hour clock and 24 hour clock formats by accessing the Date & Time settings in Windows 11 and selecting your preferred format.

Q: Is there a method to change the time format via the lock screen settings?

A: No, the lock screen settings do not provide an option to change the clock format. You must change the time format via the Date & Time settings in the main Settings menu.

Q: Does changing the clock format affect the short time display settings?

A: Yes, changing the clock format will also change the short time display settings, ensuring consistency across the user interface.

Q: Can I save the changes made to the clock format?

A: Yes, after selecting your preferred clock format, simply exit the settings, and the changes will be saved automatically.

Q: Will changing the time format to 12 hour clock affect my language and region settings?

A: No, changing the time format will not affect your language and region settings. It only modifies how time is displayed on your device.

Q: Can I customize the clock format for different user accounts?

A: Yes, each user account can have its own preferences for clock format. Changes made to the clock format will apply only to the specific user account that is currently logged in.

Q: What is the default clock format in Windows 11?

A: The default clock format in Windows 11 is typically set to the 24 hour clock format, but this can be changed to 12 hour clock format at the user’s preference.