Android can now give you a heads up when your phone’s time zone changes

Joe Maring / Android Authority

TL;DR Android can now alert you when your device’s time zone has been automatically updated.

This alert will come in the form of a notification, but you have to opt-in, first.

The feature is live in the July 2025 Android Canary release and may roll out in the Android 16 QPR2 stable update.

Update 1, August 6, 2025 (02:15 PM ET): The “time zone change” feature described below didn’t go live in the stable release of Android 16, but it’s finally available in the July 2025 Android Canary release. It may roll out to users in the second quarterly release of Android 16, which is scheduled to roll out in December 2025. Original article, February 8, 2025 (06:00 AM ET): Telling you what time it is is one of the important functions of a mobile device, and fortunately, they’re all really good at it. Using location data derived from your phone’s mobile network, Wi-Fi, or GPS, your phone can even automatically adjust the time when you enter a new time zone. Sometimes, though, you may want a heads up when your phone’s time zone has been automatically updated, which is why Google is working on a new feature for Android 16 that does just that.

While I was digging through Android 16 Beta 1, I found some strings for a new “time zone change” feature that is supposed to show up under Settings > System > Date & time. The description says that the feature will let you “receive a notification when your time zone is automatically updated.”

Code Copy Text Receive a notification when your time zone is automatically updated Time zone change

With some tinkering, I managed to get the “time zone change” toggle to appear in the Settings app. Here’s a screenshot:

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

However, I don’t have a screenshot of the notification itself that will appear, as I haven’t been able to travel outside of my time zone since enabling the feature. Fortunately, I know what it will say, as Android 16 Beta 1 also added strings pertaining to that. The title of the notification will explain that “your time zone changed” and the body of the notification will include exactly what time zone you’re now in.

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