How to Change Time Zone in Google Calendar (and Show Two)

Time zones cause more missed meetings than almost anything else, especially if you work with clients abroad or travel for work. Google Calendar handles them well once it's set up, and it has a few features that make juggling zones much easier. Here's how to change your main time zone, show more than one, and schedule events for people somewhere else.

Change your main time zone

1. Open Google Calendar on your computer.
2. Click the Settings gear at the top right, then Settings.
3. On the left, under General, click Time zone.
4. Under Primary time zone, search for a city or country.
5. Select the time zone you want.

While you're there, consider ticking Ask to update my primary time zone to current location. Google says this lets Calendar confirm your time zone when you travel, which is a nice safety net.

How Google handles time zones for you

• When you create an event, it appears in your local time zone, and Google shows it in each guest's local time zone too.
• When you travel to another time zone, your calendar shows events in the local time.
• Tasks adapt to the new time zone if your calendar's time zone changes after you create them.

That first point is the one people worry about unnecessarily. If you book a call for two in the afternoon your time with someone in New York, they see it at the right time in theirs. You don't need to do the maths for them.

Show two or three time zones side by side

This is my favourite hidden feature for anyone with international clients. Google lets you add a secondary and a tertiary time zone, and they appear on the left of your calendar grid.

1. Go to Settings, then General, then Time zone.
2. Tick Show additional time zones.
3. Choose a Secondary time zone, and a Tertiary time zone if you want one.

Now you can see at a glance that a morning slot for you is the middle of the night for your client, before you suggest it.

Set a time zone on one event

Booking a flight or a meeting in another country? Set the event's own time zone so it sits correctly in your calendar however you travel.

1. Click Create, then the option to create an event, then More options.
2. Next to the time, click Time zone.
3. Search for a city or country and select it.
4. Save the event.

Change the time zone of one calendar

Each calendar can have its own time zone, which is handy if you keep a calendar for a team or project based elsewhere. Under My calendars, point to the calendar, click the three dots, choose Settings and sharing, then Time zone.

One limit Google points out: if you're not the owner, you can't change a calendar's time zone. For a shared calendar, ask the owner.

Which setting do you need?

Situation	What to change
You've moved or your clock is wrong	Primary time zone
You travel often	Tick ask to update to current location
You work with clients abroad	Show additional time zones
One event happens somewhere else	That event's time zone
A team calendar runs on another zone	That calendar's time zone (owner only)

Time zones on your phone

In the Google Calendar app, open Settings and look at the time zone options under General. Many people let the app use the phone's time zone, which updates automatically as you travel. If you'd rather your calendar stayed fixed to home time while you're away, switch that off and pick a time zone yourself.

Travelling for work

If you're away for a conference or a trip, decide before you go whether you want your calendar in local time or home time. Local time is easier for meetings where you are; home time is easier if you're still serving clients back home. Either way, set events booked abroad to their own time zone, so they don't drift when your calendar's zone changes. Your flight times then stay correct however you set things up.

Avoid time zone mix-ups with clients

• Always send calendar invites rather than writing times in emails.
• When you do write a time, add the time zone or city.
• Use additional time zones on your grid for your main client locations.
• Double-check daylight saving changes, when the gap between countries shifts.

If you schedule a lot of calls across zones, my thoughts on the AI meeting notetaker problem are worth a read, and a weekly content batching template helps you protect working hours that suit your own time zone.

My verdict

Settings, General, Time zone, then set your Primary time zone. Tick the option to update when you travel, add a secondary time zone if you work across borders, and set the time zone on individual events booked abroad. Google shows invites in each guest's local time, so you don't need to convert for them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my time zone in Google Calendar?

On a computer, go to Settings, General, Time zone and set your Primary time zone.

Can Google Calendar show two time zones?

Yes. Tick Show additional time zones and choose a secondary, and optionally a tertiary, time zone.

Do guests see my event in their own time zone?

Yes. Google shows events in the local time zone of anyone you invite.

Why can't I change a calendar's time zone?

Google says if you're not the owner, you can't change the time zone of a calendar.

How do I set a different time zone for one event?

Create the event, open More options and click Time zone next to the time.