Why Is My Messenger Time Wrong?

How frustrating is it when you send a message at 5 p.m., but your Messenger shows it as 5 a.m.?

Does it seem your Messenger is following some other time zone than yours?

If you also encounter a situation as frustrating as the incorrect time on Facebook Messenger, do not worry!

Take a deep breath, and let us map out the reason and possible fixes for this ridiculous time error.

Timestamp lets you know when a message was sent and received on Messenger to help you keep track of the conversation. If the timestamp of Messenger somehow messes up, do not worry! Read our article to learn how to fix messed up Messenger time.

The Reason Messenger Shows Incorrect Time

When Facebook Messenger shows an incorrect time for messages sent and received by you, then know there is one possible explanation for it — there is something wrong with your device’s time.

It is because Facebook and Messenger align their time with your device’s time and time zone.

For example, if you live in the Central Standard Time Zone (CST) and your Messenger shows messages with time following the GMT zone, know that this time zone must be set in your device’s settings.

So, you need to update your device time and time zone to view the correct time on Messenger. 

Facebook Messenger is just following what your device is feeding it, as it does not have an internal clock that it follows.

So, to fix this incorrect time, update the time and time zone in your device settings.

For each device, go like this.

On iOS

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select “General.”
3. Tap on the “Date & Time” option.
4. Turn off the toggle next to “Set Automatically” to manually update time.
5. You can manually select “Time Zone” and modify the time and date.

On Android

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to “System management” and tap on it.
3. Select “Date and time.”
4. Turn off the toggle next to “Set automatically” (or “Auto“) to manually set the time.
5. Now, you can update your time zone and time.

On Windows PC

If you are using the web version or desktop client of Messenger, you need to update the clock settings of your Windows PC to reflect the correct time on Messenger.

Follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start icon.
2. Click on the “Settings” option at the bottom.
3. Select the “Time & language” option from the left panel.
4. Select the “Date & time” option.
5. Turn off the toggle for “Set time automatically.”
6. To manually set the time, tap the “Change” button.
7. Change the incorrect date and time and hit “Change” to update it.
8. Similarly, you can adjust the time zone if needed.

Now, relaunch Messenger and check. 

Hopefully, your issue is resolved.

On Mac

Follow these steps:

1. Open Apple’s Menu.
2. Click on “System Settings…“
3. Select the “Date & Time” option.
4. Turn off the switch for “Set time and date automatically.”
5. Modify the clock and time zone to set the correct time.
6. Tap on the “Set” button.

Wrap Up

If your Messenger shows ridiculous times for your messages, do not be angry on Messenger or Facebook; check your device time instead. 

Messenger uses your device’s time and time zone and displays it on a timestamp for each message.

So, update your time from your device settings using our guide.

Hopefully, this fixes your issue, and you can finally see the correct timestamp for each message on Messenger.

FAQs