Fixing Time Zone Issues in Microsoft 365 (Teams, Outlook, Bookings, etc.) on Windows and Mac
Why Does This Happen?
Microsoft 365 uses the time zone from multiple sources:
- Your computer or device settings.
- Your Microsoft 365 account settings (Outlook).
If these don't match, meeting times, calendar events, and bookings may appear incorrectly.
Quick Checklist
- Device time zone matches location
- Outlok web time zone is correct
- Booking page set to business time zone.
- Apps restarted.
- Cache cleared.
- Updates installed.
Important Notes
- Marquette University is located in the Central Time zone. Microsoft systems label this as (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada).
- Microsoft apps do not have separate time zone settings once corrected in step 2 (except Shared Bookings business hours).
- Always keep your device, Outlook, and Bookings settings consistent.
- Cached data often causes lingering issues - clearing cache usually resolves them.
Troubleshooting Steps
Step 1: Check Your Computer's Time Zone
-
Windows:
- Go to Start > Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time.
- Verify the time zone matches your current location.
- Enable set time zone automatically using current location, or turn off to select manually. You may also need to enable location access for system settings for the automatic function.
-
Mac:
- Go to Apple > System Settings > General > Date & Time.
- Verify the time zone matches your current location.
- Enable set time zone automatically using current location, or turn off to select manually. You may also need to enable location access for system settings for the automatic function.
Step 2: Check Your Outlook Settings Online
- Sign in at https://outlook.office.com in a web browser
- Click Settings Gear in the top right > General Tab > Language and time.
- Confirm the correct time zone, or click "Change" and select the correct time zone and click Save.
Step 3: Check Shared Bookings Settings for Booking Creator
- Go to Microsoft Bookings (https://book.ms).
- Open your Booking Page Settings by clicking on the Shared Bookings Page > Booking page Tab > Region and time zone settings > "Always show time slots in business time zone."
Step 4: Restart Apps
- Quit and restart Teams, Outlook, and Bookings.
- Sign out and back in after restarting your computer.
Step 5: Clear Cache (If Issue Persists)
Teams:
-
Windows:
- Close Teams
- Press Windows + R, Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and delete the files.
- Restart the computer after clearing the cache for the full effect.
-
Mac:
- Close Teams
-
Go to ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams and delete the files.
- Restart the computer after clearing the cache for the full effect.
Outlook (Desktop):
- Close Outlook and navigate to %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook-> Delete .dat files (or use File > Options > Advanced >Empty Auto-Complete List)
- Restart Outlook after clearing temporary files.
- Restart the computer after clearing the cache for the full effect.
Bookings:
- Refresh the browser cache or try in a private/incognito window.
- Restart the computer after clearing the cache for the full effect.
Other Troubleshooting Tips
Teams inherits the system time zone; if issues persist after clearing the cache, confirm that Teams is up to date.
-
Verify Regional Settings in Microsoft 365 Profile
- Check Microsoft 365 settings under My Account > Settings & Privacy > Language and Regions to ensure consistency.
-
For Mobile Devices:
- Ensure the phone's time zone matches and automatic time zone is enabled.
-
Browser Time Zone
- For Bookings, if using Chrome/Edge, verify the browser's time zone settings or disable extensions that override the time zone.
Still Not Fixed?