How to Change to 24-Hour Time in Windows 11: A Simple Guide

Switching your Windows 11 clock from the usual 12-hour format to the 24-hour style is pretty straightforward, but sometimes it feels like Windows makes it more complicated than it needs to be. Maybe your taskbar still shows AM/PM, or some apps just won’t play ball and switch over properly. This guide’s here to sort that out. We’ll dig into the settings, get everything aligned, and hopefully avoid those weird quirks that keep your time display out of sync. Perfect if you’re working with international mates, dealing with timezone stuff, or just plain over seeing “PM” all the bloody time for no good reason. Follow these steps, and your system should reliably show the time in 24-hour format everywhere.

Just a quick heads-up — these steps can sometimes act a bit odd. One time, it might work straight away; another, a reboot might do the trick. Windows still has a few quirks with regional formats, so a bit of patience is the go.

How to Switch to 24-Hour Format in Windows 11

Method 1: Jump into Settings and tweak Regional format

This is the easiest way, probably what most get started with. Windows stores your time format in the regional settings, so changing that should do the job. It’s a bit quirky, but it works—especially if you’re used to toggling other regional stuff too.

Why it helps? Because Windows tends to remember your preferred regional format separately from the language or timezone, and that’s what determines whether you see AM/PM or 24-hour time — on the taskbar, clock widget, system tray, whatever.

When should you try this? If your clock still shows AM/PM after usual fixes, or some apps won’t switch over. Expect your taskbar and other apps to display 24-hour time without extra fuss.

Go to Start Menu and select Settings (the gear icon).
Click on Time & Language — this is where all the clock settings are.
Choose Region on the left.
Click on Change formats at the bottom or side — depends on your build.
Look for Regional format, then click Change data formats or similar. Find “Short time” and “Long time.”
Set both to HH:mm (or HH:mm:ss if you want seconds). This gives you the 24-hour format without AM/PM. Sometimes you’ll see options like “13:00” or “15:30”.
Close the settings. The time should refresh, or you’ll need to restart.

Sometimes, it won’t change straight away — a reboot might be needed. No worries, it’s just Windows being a bit finicky.

Method 2: Tweak the Registry (if all else fails)

Of course, Windows likes to hide some options in the registry. If the above doesn’t do the trick, mucking around the registry can help. But — a word of warning — be careful. Messing up there can cause issues. Back up the registry first, just in case.

This method changes the deep-down setting that controls your time format across the system, forcing Windows to stick with 24-hour mode.

Why try this? When regional settings are stubborn as a mule, tweaking the registry clears the confusion. It’s a last resort, but it’s been known to do the job when nothing else works.

Hit Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Run as administrator if prompted.
Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International
Look for the string named TimeFormat or related entries like sShortTime.
Double-click and change the value to HH:mm or HH:mm:ss.
Close Registry Editor and restart your PC or log out and back in to see the changes.

Heads up: registry tweaks can sometimes trip you up if your regional or system language is different. If that happens, back out and try the normal method again.

Method 3: Use PowerShell or Command Prompt for a quick switch

If you’re into scripting or want to switch formats on the fly, this might help. It’s a bit fiddly, but some folks say it works nicely.

Sample command:

Set-Culture en-US

Or to tweak the time format specifically, you can try:

Get-WinUserLanguageList | ForEach-Object { $_.InputMethodTips = '0409:00000409'; $_.Locale = 'en-US'; $_.TimeFormat = 'HH:mm'; } | Set-WinUserLanguageList -Force

This is more advanced and depends on your setup. Usually, stick to the GUI, but if you’re after automation, these commands can do the trick. Just remember to run PowerShell as an admin, and give it a sec — reboots or signing out might be needed for things to kick in.

Tips to Keep Your Time Format Sorted

After changing the settings, restart your PC or at least sign out and back in so the changes stick.
If some apps still show AM/PM, check their individual settings — some override system defaults.
Bear in mind, changing regional formats can also affect date and currency, so tweak those separately if needed under Change formats or advanced regional settings.
Quick fix: hop into Date & Time settings and adjust the clock there if you need it faster.
If all else fails, you can uninstall and reinstall language packs or regional prefs — Windows can be a bit stubborn.

Common Questions

Why would I want to switch to a 24-hour clock?

Mostly for clarity, especially if you’re dealing with international colleagues or prefer a format that’s less ambiguous. No more worrying whether 2 PM means morning or evening.

Can I change it back later if I don’t like it?

Absolutely. Just follow the same steps but select the 12-hour format. It’s all reversible — no dramas.

Will changing the time format mess up my files or schedules?

Nah. It just changes how your system shows the time — your files and calendars stay the same.

Can I customise other parts of the time format?

Yes! Windows lets you fine-tune formats under Change formats, so you can add seconds or whatever else you need.

Wrap-up

Head into Settings > Time & Language > Region.
Click Change formats.
Select 24-hour options for Short and Long time.
Reboot if needed — sometimes Windows takes a moment to get it right.

All Done and Dusted

Switching from 12-hour to 24-hour time in Windows 11 isn’t too tricky once you know where to look. The regional settings are the main thing, and if they’re being stubborn, registry tweaks or PowerShell scripts can help. Just remember, Windows often needs a reboot or re-login for changes to fully stick. Hope this saves you some hassle and makes your time management a bit easier. Fingers crossed, you’re out of the AM/PM trap and into a neat 24-hour format, mate.