How to Change Date and Time Format in Windows 11

Don’t like the default date and time format? Here is a simple way to change the date and time format in Windows 11 operating system.

On Windows 11, it will automatically set the date and time formats based on your location. Generally, you will give this location information by choosing the country you live in while setting up Windows 11. As most of you know, almost every country follows its own date and time formats. For example, where I live, the date format is DD-MM-YYYY. For you, it might be different.

The default date and time format is good enough for most people. However, if the default Windows Date or Time format is not to your liking or if you want to change it to something logical or readily understandable, you can do that by modifying the regional settings. For example, maybe you want to show weekdays next to the date, switch from 12-hour to 24-hour time format, etc. One of the best things is that Windows provides extensive customization options to modify the date and time formats.

No matter the reason, if you ever want to change the date or time format in Windows 11, follow the steps given below. It will be done in no time.

Jump to:

• Change date format in Windows 11
• Change time format in Windows 11
• Set custom date and time format

Change date format in Windows 11

You can change the date format from the Windows 11 Settings app. Here is how to do it.

1. Right-click on the date and time on the taskbar.
2. Select “Adjust date and time.”
3. Click on “Language and region” at the bottom.
4. Scroll down and click on the “Regional format” option.
5. Click the “Change formats” button.
6. Select a date format from the “Short date” dropdown menu.
7. Close the Settings app.
8. With that, you’ve changed the date format in Windows 11.

First, right-click on the date and time on the taskbar and select the “Adjust date and time” option.

Now, click on the “Language and region” option under the “Related Links” section. Next, scroll down, click on the “Regional format” option, and click on the “Change formats” button.

Now, select a date format of your choice from the “Short date” dropdown menu. In Windows 11, changing the “Long date” will do nothing because there is no date in the calendar flyout.

As soon as you select the date format, it will be instantly applied to the taskbar.

If you are wondering, the new Settings app doesn’t allow you to set a custom date format. You can only select from the pre-defined formats. If you want to set a custom format, follow the third section.

Change time format in Windows 11

To change the time format in Windows 11, follow the steps given below.

1. Right-click on the date and time on the taskbar.
2. Select “Adjust date and time.”
3. Click on “Language and region” at the bottom.
4. Scroll down and click on the “Regional format” option.
5. Click the “Change formats” button.
6. Select a date format from the “Short time” dropdown menu.
7. Close the Settings app.
8. With that, you’ve changed the time format in Windows 11.

Keep in mind that the new Settings app doesn’t allow you to set a custom time format. You can only select from pre-defined formats. This is because the “Long time” no longer appears in the calendar flyout. If you want to set a custom format, follow the third section.

Set custom date and time format

If you want to set a custom date and time format, you have to use the good old control panel. For example, I want to show the weekdays in the date format. That means I have to use a custom date format. Here is how to do it.

First, search for “Control Panel” in the Start menu and open it. Next, set the “View by” to “Large icons” and find & click on the “Region” option.

Now, make sure you are in the “Formats” tab and click on the “Additional settings” button at the bottom.

Go to the “Time” tab and set the custom time format in the “Short time” field. You can use the below notations to set the time format.

• hh = hour (12-hour format)
• HH = Hour (24-hour format)
• m = minute
• tt = A.M or P/m

To set a custom date format, go to the “Date” tab. Next, set the custom date format in the “Short date” field. Use the below notations to set the custom date format.

• d, dd = day
• ddd, dddd = day of week
• M = month
• y = year

For example, to show weekday before date, you set the date format to something like “ddd, dd-MM-yy.”

Note: You cannot set “Long date” or “Long time” because Windows 11 no longer supports date and time in the calendar flyout.

Finally, click the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons to save the changes.

Close the control panel.

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That is it. It is that simple to change the date and time format in Windows 11.

I hope that helps.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.