SharePoint is showing file timestamps not matching the user's time zone

Question

Some users in our organization (not all) notice a problem with timestamps of files in SharePoint Online sites - they are shown with the offset of -9 hours. The absolute timestamps are displayed when you hover you mouse over the value in Modified column:

I checked the regional settings of the SharePoint sites (https://<tenant>.sharepoint.com/sites/<site>/_layouts/15/regionalsetng.aspx) and they have our local time zone: UTC+01:00 (Central European Time).

The users in their MS365 account settings > Settings & Privacy > Language & Region (https://myaccount.microsoft.com/settingsandprivacy/language) also have the same time zone UTC+01:00.

In Exchange PowerShell I checked the time zone settings of the user mailbox with Get-MailboxRegionalConfiguration command and it also returned Central European Standard Time as the time zone.

In Outlook and Teams web applications the users see correct timestamps of the received and sent messages/posts.

Users' PCs with Windows 11 are also set to UTC+01:00 time zone.

So, I can't figure out why for the SharePoint sites some users get timestamps in Pacific Time Zone. How to fix this?

-- rpr.

Answer 1

Hi,

The issue you're experiencing, where SharePoint Online displays file timestamps in Pacific Time (UTC-8) despite correct regional settings, is a known behavior rooted in SharePoint's default configurations. By default, SharePoint Online sites, especially those associated with Office 365 Groups or Teams, are provisioned with the time zone set to Pacific Standard Time (PST). ​Petri IT Knowledgebase

Understanding the Impact of Time Zone Settings:

SharePoint utilizes both site-level and user-level time zone settings:​

• Site-Level Time Zone: Determines the time zone for all users accessing the site.​

User-Level Time Zone: Overrides the site setting for individual users, allowing them to view timestamps in their local time zone.​

If a user's personal time zone is set differently from the site's time zone, SharePoint adjusts the displayed timestamps accordingly. However, if a user's time zone is not configured (as might be the case for external or unlicensed users), SharePoint defaults to the site's time zone setting. ​SharePoint Maven

Steps to Resolve the Time Zone Discrepancy:

Verify and Update Site Time Zone Settings:

Navigate to the SharePoint site in question.​

  Click the gear icon (⚙️) and select **Site settings**.​
  
     Under the **Site Administration** section, click on **Regional settings**.​[Microsoft Learn+2rishandigital.com+2SharePoint Diary+2](https://rishandigital.com/sharepoint-online/sharepoint-time-zone-for-users/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
     
        Ensure the **Time Zone** is set to your organization's standard (e.g., UTC+01:00 for Central European Time).​[SharePoint Maven](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
        
           Click **OK** to apply the changes.​
           
           *Note: Time zone settings are not inherited by sub-sites; each site requires individual configuration.* ​[rishandigital.com+1SharePoint Diary+1](https://rishandigital.com/sharepoint-online/sharepoint-time-zone-for-users/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
           
           **Set the Default Time Zone for New Sites (Tenant-Wide Setting):**
           
              Go to the SharePoint Admin Center.​[SharePoint Maven+1Laura Anderton+1](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
              
                 Under **Settings**, select **Site creation**.​[Microsoft Learn+3Laura Anderton+3SharePoint Maven+3](https://www.lauraanderton.com/blog/setting-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites-in-your-tenant?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                 
                    Choose the appropriate time zone for your organization.​[SharePoint Maven+1Laura Anderton+1](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                    
                       Click **Save**.​[SharePoint Maven](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                       
                       *Note: This setting applies only to newly created sites; existing sites will retain their current time zone settings.* ​
                       
                       **Ensure Consistent User Time Zone Settings:**
                       
                          Instruct users to log in to their Microsoft 365 accounts.​
                          
                             Click on their profile picture and select **My Office profile**.​[Microsoft Answers](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/sharepoint-online-time-zone-incorrect/b25ebaec-e84f-4883-9ba2-1d85bb28a507?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                             
                                Navigate to **Settings & Privacy** > **Language and regional settings**.​
                                
                                   Verify that the **Time zone** matches your organization's standard.​
                                   
                                      Save any changes.​
                                      
                                      *Note: For users without personal time zone settings (e.g., external or unlicensed users), the site's time zone setting prevails.* ​[Microsoft Answers](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/sharepoint-online-time-zone-incorrect/b25ebaec-e84f-4883-9ba2-1d85bb28a507?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                                      
                                      **Address Potential Service-Related Issues:**
                                      
                                         If the problem persists across multiple users, check the Microsoft 365 admin center for any service advisories or incidents related to SharePoint Online.​[Microsoft Answers](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/sharepoint-online-time-zone-incorrect/b25ebaec-e84f-4883-9ba2-1d85bb28a507?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                                         
                                            If no issues are reported, consider submitting a support request to Microsoft for further assistance.​
                                            

By ensuring that both site and user time zone settings are correctly configured, you should resolve the discrepancies in file timestamps within SharePoint Online.The issue you're experiencing, where SharePoint Online displays file timestamps in Pacific Time (UTC-8) despite correct regional settings, is a known behavior rooted in SharePoint's default configurations. By default, SharePoint Online sites, especially those associated with Office 365 Groups or Teams, are provisioned with the time zone set to Pacific Standard Time (PST). ​Petri IT Knowledgebase

Understanding the Impact of Time Zone Settings:

SharePoint utilizes both site-level and user-level time zone settings:​

Site-Level Time Zone: Determines the time zone for all users accessing the site.​

User-Level Time Zone: Overrides the site setting for individual users, allowing them to view timestamps in their local time zone.​

If a user's personal time zone is set differently from the site's time zone, SharePoint adjusts the displayed timestamps accordingly. However, if a user's time zone is not configured (as might be the case for external or unlicensed users), SharePoint defaults to the site's time zone setting. ​SharePoint Maven

Steps to Resolve the Time Zone Discrepancy:

Verify and Update Site Time Zone Settings:

Navigate to the SharePoint site in question.​

  Click the gear icon (⚙️) and select **Site settings**.​
  
     Under the **Site Administration** section, click on **Regional settings**.​[Microsoft Learn+2rishandigital.com+2SharePoint Diary+2](https://rishandigital.com/sharepoint-online/sharepoint-time-zone-for-users/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
     
        Ensure the **Time Zone** is set to your organization's standard (e.g., UTC+01:00 for Central European Time).​[SharePoint Maven](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
        
           Click **OK** to apply the changes.​
           
           *Note: Time zone settings are not inherited by sub-sites; each site requires individual configuration.* ​[rishandigital.com+1SharePoint Diary+1](https://rishandigital.com/sharepoint-online/sharepoint-time-zone-for-users/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
           
           **Set the Default Time Zone for New Sites (Tenant-Wide Setting):**
           
              Go to the SharePoint Admin Center.​[SharePoint Maven+1Laura Anderton+1](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
              
                 Under **Settings**, select **Site creation**.​[Microsoft Learn+3Laura Anderton+3SharePoint Maven+3](https://www.lauraanderton.com/blog/setting-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites-in-your-tenant?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                 
                    Choose the appropriate time zone for your organization.​[SharePoint Maven+1Laura Anderton+1](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                    
                       Click **Save**.​[SharePoint Maven](https://sharepointmaven.com/how-to-set-the-time-zone-for-all-sharepoint-sites/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                       
                       *Note: This setting applies only to newly created sites; existing sites will retain their current time zone settings.* ​
                       
                       **Ensure Consistent User Time Zone Settings:**
                       
                          Instruct users to log in to their Microsoft 365 accounts.​
                          
                             Click on their profile picture and select **My Office profile**.​[Microsoft Answers](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/sharepoint-online-time-zone-incorrect/b25ebaec-e84f-4883-9ba2-1d85bb28a507?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                             
                                Navigate to **Settings & Privacy** > **Language and regional settings**.​
                                
                                   Verify that the **Time zone** matches your organization's standard.​
                                   
                                      Save any changes.​
                                      
                                      *Note: For users without personal time zone settings (e.g., external or unlicensed users), the site's time zone setting prevails.* ​[Microsoft Answers](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/sharepoint-online-time-zone-incorrect/b25ebaec-e84f-4883-9ba2-1d85bb28a507?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                                      
                                      **Address Potential Service-Related Issues:**
                                      
                                         If the problem persists across multiple users, check the Microsoft 365 admin center for any service advisories or incidents related to SharePoint Online.​[Microsoft Answers](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/sharepoint-online-time-zone-incorrect/b25ebaec-e84f-4883-9ba2-1d85bb28a507?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
                                         
                                            If no issues are reported, consider submitting a support request to Microsoft for further assistance.​
                                            

By ensuring that both site and user time zone settings are correctly configured, you should resolve the discrepancies in file timestamps within SharePoint Online.