How to Adjust Your Clock for Daylight Saving Time

In the UK the clocks go back by one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October, when British Summer Time ends and the country returns to Greenwich Mean Time. You do not need to do anything to the time itself: you simply reset the clocks and watches that do not update on their own.

• Your calendar, if you want to add future clock changes. GOV.UK offers a calendar file (ICS, 2KB) for UK clock changes.

1. Note the date of the change: the clocks go back on the last Sunday in October. In 2026 that is 25 October, and in 2027 it is 31 October.
2. Leave devices with an internet connection, such as smartphones, computers and other digital devices, to update automatically.
3. If you want advance warning of future changes, add the clock changes in the UK to your calendar using the ICS file on GOV.UK.

In the UK the clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March and back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October. The period when the clocks are one hour ahead is called British Summer Time (BST). When the clocks go back, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

An easy way to remember which way the clocks change is to think of the seasons: in spring the clocks spring forward, while in autumn they fall back. Going back means an extra hour in bed.

The change is made on a Saturday night and Sunday morning because that is the least disruptive option for schools and businesses.

If you are working when the clocks go back, you may find yourself working an extra hour. Night workers are often advised to check their contracts and discuss the situation with their employer. By law, night workers must not work more than an average of eight hours in a 24-hour period.

Most devices with an internet connection, such as smartphones, computers and other digital devices, should update automatically. Some watches and clocks, including those in cars and kitchens, may not change on their own, so be ready to wind them back.

About 70 countries have some form of daylight saving time, but it varies from region to region. Much of Europe and North America, as well as parts of South America and Australasia, change their clocks, while many countries in Africa and Asia around the equator do not.

When do the clocks go back in 2026? The clocks go back in the UK on Sunday 25 October 2026 at 2am.

When do the clocks go forward again? The clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March. In 2027 that is 28 March.

Will my phone update on its own? Most devices with an internet connection, such as smartphones, computers and other digital devices, should update automatically. Watches and clocks in cars and kitchens may not.

What time zone is the UK on after the clocks go back? When the clocks go back, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Do other countries change their clocks on the same date? About 70 countries have some form of daylight saving time, but it varies from region to region, and many countries in Africa and Asia around the equator do not change their clocks at all.