How to Change Time Zone in Outlook (New and Classic)

If your Outlook meetings are showing at the wrong time, or you've moved, or you work with people abroad, the time zone setting is where to look. There are two versions of Outlook for Windows now, new and classic, and the setting sits in a different place in each. Here's how to change it in both, add a second zone, and avoid the travel trap.

Which Outlook do you have?

Microsoft's own help splits the steps by version. The quick check: if you see a File tab at the top, you're in classic Outlook. If you don't, you're probably in new Outlook. Microsoft says that if the new Outlook steps don't work for you, you may not be on new Outlook yet, so follow the classic steps instead.

Change your time zone in new Outlook

1. Select Settings.
2. Choose Calendar, then View.
3. Under Time zones, open Display my calendar in time zone and pick your zone.
4. Add a Label if you like, such as 'London' or 'Home'.
5. Select Save.

There's also a box to tick so Outlook asks whether to update your time zone when you travel. Useful if you travel for work and want your calendar to follow you; less useful if you'd rather keep everything on home time.

Change your time zone in classic Outlook

1. Click the File tab.
2. Select Options, then Calendar.
3. Under Time zones, type a name in the Label box.
4. Choose your zone from the Time zone list and click OK.

Add a second time zone

If you work with clients or colleagues in another country, showing their time zone alongside yours saves endless mental arithmetic. In new Outlook, go to Settings, Calendar, View, select Add time zone, search for a city, add a label and tick Show in calendar. Use Move up, Move down or Remove to tidy them later.

Outlook version	How many time zones you can show
Classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 (latest)	Up to three
Outlook 2019 LTSC and Outlook 2016	Two
New Outlook	Add extra zones under Calendar, View

In classic Outlook, go to File, Options, Calendar, tick Show a second time zone (and a third, if your version allows), and use Swap Time Zones to change which is the main one.

The travel trap

Changing your time zone shifts how your whole calendar displays, which can make a 9am meeting suddenly look like a 4pm one. That's correct, but alarming if you weren't expecting it. If you're only travelling for a few days, many people find it easier to add the destination as a second time zone rather than switching their main one, so meetings still read in the time they were booked.

A time zone change that affects real places

Time zones themselves change from time to time. Microsoft has published guidance that, effective November 1, 2026, users in British Columbia and Alberta will stay on permanent daylight saving time. If you or your clients are there, you'll need to switch Outlook to the updated zone, and Microsoft warns that updating the time zone on a recurring meeting series resets any exceptions in it, such as a one-off moved session. Check those afterwards.

Name your time zones clearly

The Label field is small but useful. Microsoft's steps include adding a label for each zone, and it's worth doing: 'Me (London)' and 'Client (Sydney)' are far quicker to read at a glance than two lists of hours. If you work with several regions, label by the person or team rather than the city, so you instantly know whose working day you're looking at when you're booking a call. Swap the order whenever your main focus shifts, for example during a project with a single overseas client.

If meeting times still look wrong

• Check your computer's own time zone and clock are correct, as they affect what Outlook shows.
• Make sure you changed the setting in the Outlook version you use: new and classic keep separate settings screens.
• On the web version of Outlook, the same setting lives under Settings, Calendar, View.
• If a meeting was set up in another time zone, open it and check the zone it was created in.

Working across time zones without the headaches

Show your clients' zone next to yours, put the time zone in any meeting invite you send ('3pm UK / 10am New York'), and let people book into your calendar rather than emailing back and forth. My office productivity hacks include a few more habits for remote working, and if your emails keep landing in the middle of someone's night, my piece on AI email summaries is a reminder that timing affects how people read your messages.

My verdict

New Outlook: Settings, Calendar, View, Display my calendar in time zone, Save. Classic Outlook: File, Options, Calendar, Time zones. Add a second zone for clients abroad, think twice before switching your main zone for a short trip, and recheck recurring meetings after any zone change.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change the time zone in new Outlook?

Select Settings, then Calendar, View, choose your zone from Display my calendar in time zone and select Save.

How do I change the time zone in classic Outlook?

Go to File, Options, Calendar, and choose your zone under Time zones.

Can Outlook show two time zones?

Yes. Classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 shows up to three; Outlook 2019 LTSC and 2016 show two. New Outlook lets you add time zones under Calendar, View.

Why are my Outlook meeting times wrong?

Your Outlook time zone or your computer's clock may be set incorrectly. Check both, and the zone the meeting was created in.

Does changing time zone affect recurring meetings?

Microsoft warns that updating the time zone of a recurring meeting series resets any exceptions in that series.