clock app world clockSource: iMore

About to call the grandparents back home but aren't sure if it's the middle of the morning or the middle of the night? Long-distance romance? About to travel and want to keep track of the time where you're going even if you haven't gotten there yet? Office around the world and meetings you need to make? Don't worry — the World Clock for iPhone and iPad has you covered!

There are a lot of reasons to want to keep tabs on the time zone in another location and, fortunately, one of the best iPhone apps for doing so is built right into iOS.

How to add a new city to the World Clock on your iPhone or iPad

It's easy to keep tabs on various times zones using just the Clock app on your iPhone or iPad. Here's how.

  1. Launch the Clock app from your Home screen.
  2. Tap on the World Clock tab. It's the globe in the bottom left corner of your screen.

  3. Tap on the Add button. It's the + in the top right corner of your screen.

    Add a city to the World Clock: Launch the Clock app, tap the World Clock button at the bottom left of your screen, tap the Add button on the top right

  4. Tap on the Search bar at the top of your screen.
  5. Type the name of the city you want. Alternatively, you can scroll through the entire list if you feel like going around the world in 80 seconds.

  6. Tap on the city you want from the list below.

    Add a city to the World Clock: Tap the search bar, type the name of a city, tap the city

The new clock will now be on the main screen in the World Clock. As well as showing the time in your selected destination, the World Clock will also tell you how many hours behind or ahead that location is from your current timezone. There is absolutely no limit to the number of clocks you can add, so go nuts!

How to remove a city from the World Clock on your iPhone or iPad

Your best friend is finally home from her vacation in Japan and you no longer need to keep track of the time in Tokyo. Luckily for you, getting rid of a city in the World Clock is just as easy — or even easier — than adding one.

  1. Launch the Clock app from your Home screen.
  2. Tap on the World Clock tab. It's the globe in the bottom left corner of your screen.
  3. Swipe left on the city you wish to remove.

  4. Tap the red Delete button to the right of the city.

    Remove a city from the World Clock: Launch the Clock app, tap the World Clock button, swipe left on the city you want to delete, tap DeleteSource: iMore

It's as simple as that. Now you can focus on the times that are truly important.

How to re-order the cities in the World Clock on your iPhone or iPad

By default, the World Clock will display all the cities you added in the order you added them. You can rearrange the order of the list at any time. It's a good way of keeping the times you truly care about the most visible.

  1. Launch the Clock app from your Home screen.
  2. Tap on the World Clock tab. It's the globe in the bottom left corner of your screen.

  3. Tap on the Edit button. It's in the top left corner of your screen.

    Re-order the cities in the World clock: Launch the Clock app, tap the World Clock button, tap EditSource: iMore

  4. Tap and hold the ☰ Re-order button on the city you want to move. It's the three horizontal lines on the right side of the screen.
  5. Drag your finger up or down to your desired spot in the list.
  6. Let go of the screen.

  7. Tap on the Done button. It's in the top left corner of your screen.

    Re-order the cities in the World clock: Tap and hold the reorder button, drag the city to where you want it in the list, release, tap DoneSource: iMore

Alphabetical, east-to-west, or haphazardly; however you want to organize your list of locations is up to you.

Always the right time

By adding different time zones to your Clock app you'll never not know what time it is in the various locations that are important to you. That means no more mistimed work meetings, getting caught out by seasonal time changes, or annoyed relatives woken up in the middle of the night!

Updated March 2022: Updated for iOS 15.