How to Change the Clock to Military Time in Windows 11 and 10

Aseem Kishore
·
3 min read

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Man adjusts a wall clock while a laptop shows time settings; large 'Military Time' title overlays the scene.

Your Windows clock shows 12-hour time with AM or PM, but you want military time. The promising fix is to select time formats without AM or PM; you don’t need to change the clock or time zone.

Fix #1: Change Windows 11 to military time in Settings

Windows 11 controls the taskbar clock through its regional formats. Change both time options so apps and system dialogs use the same format.

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
Windows 11 Settings home page with Time & language highlighted
  1. Select Time & language.
Windows 11 Settings > Time & language page with Language & region highlighted
  1. Select Language & region.
Windows 11 Settings > Time & language > Language & region with the Regional format section visible
  1. Expand Regional format, then select Change formats.
Windows 11 Language & region page with Regional format expanded and Change formats highlighted
  1. Open Short time and choose a format without AM or PM, such as 09:40.
Windows 11 Change formats page with the Short time dropdown open and a 24-hour option such as 09:40 highlighted
  1. Open Long time and choose a format without AM or PM, such as 09:40:00.
Windows 11 Change formats page showing 24-hour selections for both Short time and Long time

The taskbar should switch to 24-hour time immediately. If it does, so far, so good; Windows apps that follow the system format should use it too.

Fix #2: Change Windows 10 to military time in Settings

The Windows 10 labels vary slightly by build, but the setting remains under the region options.

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Select Time & Language.
  3. Select Region. On some builds, this section appears as Region & language.
Windows 10 Settings > Time & Language with Region selected and regional format options visible
  1. Select Change data formats or Change formats, depending on the label displayed.
Windows 10 Region settings with the link for changing regional data formats highlighted
  1. Set Short time to a format without AM or PM, such as 09:40.
  2. Set Long time to a format without AM or PM, such as 09:40:00.
Windows 10 Change data formats page showing 24-hour options selected for Short time and Long time

The taskbar clock should now display military time. Setting both formats also prevents dialogs from continuing to show AM or PM.

Fix #3: Set a custom 24-hour format in Control Panel

Use Control Panel if Settings doesn’t offer the format you want. This method also works in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.

  1. Open Start, type Control Panel, and select Control Panel.
  2. Select Clock and Region.
Control Panel in Category view with Clock and Region highlighted
  1. Select Change date, time, or number formats.
  2. On the Formats tab, set Short time to HH:mm.
  3. Set Long time to HH:mm:ss.
Region dialog on the Formats tab with Short time set to HH:mm and Long time set to HH:mm:ss
  1. Select Apply, then select OK.

The capital HH uses a 24-hour clock with a leading zero. A lowercase h or hh uses 12-hour time and normally includes AM or PM.

Fix #4: Refresh clocks that still show AM or PM

The taskbar may update while the lock screen or an open app retains its previous format. Refresh your session before changing more settings.

  1. Confirm that both Short time and Long time use formats without AM or PM.
  2. Save your open work.
  3. Sign out of Windows, then sign back in.
  4. Reopen the affected app and check its clock.

The lock screen and built-in Windows apps should now follow the system format. If one app still shows 12-hour time, check that app’s own calendar or clock settings.

When the Change Formats Option Is Missing

If the region controls are disabled on a work or school PC, your organization may manage them. Contact your IT administrator rather than editing policies yourself.

Conclusion

Fix #1 is the solid choice for Windows 11, while Fix #2 usually handles Windows 10 without trouble. I’d use Control Panel only when Settings lacks the format you want or AM/PM keeps appearing in some Windows dialogs. For more information on 24-hour clocks, you can visit Wikipedia.