Set Date and Time Automatically Mac Not Working

Our recommendation when you notice the time and date aren’t updating automatically on Mac is to ensure the feature is enabled. Go to General > Time & Date in System Settings and turn on Set time and date automatically.

Why is your date and time set automatically not working on Mac

We’ve found there can be many reasons why you might see MacBook “set date and time automatically” not working. The most common causes are usually:

• macOS glitches: Stuck processes, bugs, and other mysterious macOS glitches can prevent the time and date from updating, but a quick restart usually gets everything working again.
• Incorrect time zone preferences: If your Mac’s time zone has somehow changed, this will cause macOS to display the wrong time for your location.
• Location services errors: We sometimes find that location services on Mac randomly get disabled. This can prevent your Mac from recognizing which time zone it’s in.
• Outdated macOS versions: Odd bugs and errors in macOS, including time and date issues, are often caused by running outdated macOS versions because your Mac can't connect to the Apple software update server.
• Wi-Fi outages: Your MacBook needs an active internet connection to fetch and update the correct time and date. Wi-Fi outages will prevent this from happening.
• “Set Date and Time Automatically” gets disabled: Although it’s usually quite rare, we’ve seen this feature will sometimes turn itself off for no apparent reason.

A note from our experts: 

 

If you can’t figure out why “set date and time automatically” on Mac is not working, and it seems like there is no fix, don’t worry. MacKeeper’s Premium Services are available 24/7 to help you solve almost any macOS problem.

 

Here’s how to contact our team of Mac gurus:

1. Download MacKeeper and install it.
2. Click Premium Services in the MacKeeper sidebar, then select Chat Now.
3. In the chat box, describe the problem you’re facing to get support right away.

How to fix "Set date and time automatically" not working on Mac

The first step your MacBook “set date and time automatically” is not working is to confirm the feature is still enabled. When that doesn’t work, we can try rebooting, updating macOS, and checking Wi-Fi.

Fortunately, when you want to know how to fix a clock error on Mac, there are several effective solutions you can try. Here are the best fixes we recommend:

1. Restart your Mac.
2. Verify time zone settings.
3. Restart location services.
4. Upgrade macOS.
5. Inspect Wi-Fi connection.
6. Enable “Set Date and Time Automatically” in System Settings.

1. Restart your Mac

Whenever you encounter an issue with your Mac, a system restart is always the first thing you should try. A restart kills stuck processes that can cause all kinds of glitches. Try this:

1. In the Apple menu, click Restart.
2. Select Restart to confirm.

2. Verify time zone settings

If your MacBook thinks it’s in a different time zone, it obviously won’t show the correct time for your actual location. We can verify time zone settings like so:

1. In System Settings, go to General > Time & Date.
2. Enable Set time zone automatically using your current location.
3. If this doesn’t work, and you still see the wrong time zone, disable this feature, then click Closest city and choose a relevant location.

3. Restart location services

The most common reason why our Macs will sometimes end up using the wrong time zone is because location services have been disabled. This prevents macOS from confirming your system location, but we can restart location services with these steps:

1. Open System Settings to choose Privacy & Security > Location Services.
2. If Location Services are disabled, enable them.
3. Click Details next to System Services, then confirm Settings time zone is enabled.
4. If these options are already enabled, disable them, wait a few seconds, then enable them.

4. Upgrade macOS

Some Mac issues occur when we need to upgrade macOS. You don’t necessarily have to be running Sonoma or Sequoia if your system isn’t compatible, but our advice is to always ensure your Mac is using the latest available macOS release, like so:

1. In System Settings, select General > Software Update.
2. If a macOS update is available, choose Update Now or Upgrade Now.

Friendly advice from our team: 

 

If your Mac won’t update properly, it may be that an error occurred while preparing the installation. Restart your Mac, ensure you have enough space to download the update, and use a stable Wi-Fi connection.

5. Inspect Wi-Fi connection

If your internet is unstable or not working properly, your Mac won’t be able to connect to Apple’s server to update the time and date. Inspect your Wi-Fi connection like so:

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the Mac menu bar and confirm you’re using the right network.
2. Open Safari and try visiting a webpage like speedtest.net to check your Wi-Fi is working and monitor your connection speed and stability.

If your Wi-Fi speed is poor or unstable, your MacBook may not be able to connect to the Apple server. Try again when your Wi-Fi is more stable, or use another network if possible.

6. Enable “Set Date and Time Automatically” in System Settings

We often find that a Mac stops displaying the correct date and time when automatic updates have been inadvertently disabled. Here’s how to enable “Set Date and Time Automatically” in System Settings:

1. Go to General > Date & Time in the System Settings app.
2. Enable Set Date and time automatically.
3. Click the Set button to force a date and time update immediately.

Conclusion

It’s sadly not uncommon to experience “set date and time automatically” on Mac not working. The good news is that there are several effective ways you can fix this issue, from a simple restart to updating macOS, and restarting location services.

When you can’t get this feature working again yourself, you can rely on our team of macOS experts for support. Contact us through MacKeeper’s Premium Services and we’ll help you figure out what’s causing problems on your system—and most importantly, what you need to do to fix them.