Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, El Capitan Edition

Date & Time

Your Mac’s conception of what time it is can be very important. Every file you create, save, or even open is stamped with this time, and every email you send or receive is marked with it. As you might expect, setting your Mac’s clock is what the Date & Time pane is all about.

Date & Time Tab

Click the Date & Time tab. If “Set date & time automatically” is turned on, your Mac sets its own clock by consulting a highly accurate online scientific clock. (No need to worry about daylight saving time, either; the time servers take that into account.)

Note

You have to authenticate yourself before making any Date & Time adjustments. Click the little and enter your administrator’s account password.

If you’re not online and have no prospect of getting there, you can also set the date and time manually. To change the month, day, or year, click the digit that needs changing and then either (a) type a new number, (b) press the or keys on the keyboard, or (c) click the little arrow buttons. Press the Tab key to highlight the next number. (You can also specify the day of the month by clicking a date on the minicalendar.)

To set the time of day, use the same technique—or, for more geeky fun, ...