Numbers is inserting the wrong date/time into my spreadsheet

Hi there,


I have a problem with one of my spreadsheets where when I use the Table > Insert Current Time function, it seems to insert the current time in a different time zone than where I am.


I have been using this spreadsheet for a few years to track when I take some regular medical doses. Since the beginning, I have used the auto insert function in Numbers (Table > Insert Current Time) to automatically insert the current date & time. I recently came back from a trip where I was in a different country/time zone for a few weeks. Ever since returning from that trip, now when I use that function in Numbers the date/time that is inserted seems to be the date and time that it would currently be in that location that I travelled to, not the country/location of where I am now.


Here are some of the many steps I've taken to try and troubleshoot the issue:


  • I have checked and double-checked my Mac time zone, and that has correctly updated back to my home time zone.
    • I've updated the time zone, turned off the automatic time zone and set it manually and then turned the auto time zone back on.
  • I have checked the File > Advanced > Language & Region setting in Numbers and that is also set to the correct regional settings.
  • I tried creating a new spreadsheet and using the same insert function, and in that spreadsheet it did insert the current date/time in my current location/time zone.
  • I tried editing this spreadsheet on my iPhone and found that using the insert function from that device also inserts the time in the wrong time zone. But when I do the same function on a new spreadsheet on that iOS device, the date and time inserted is correct.
  • I tried adding a new column in the affected spreadsheet and formatting that as a Date & Time column and then using the same insert function, and again it inserts the date & time that it would be in the country that I travelled to.


With all of that in mind, I have concluded that this is an issue isolated to this specific spreadsheet, not this device. Any ideas for how to resolve this? Is there a time zone setting for the spreadsheet/document/column that I can adjust?


Thanks!

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on May 22, 2023 07:29 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 13, 2023 12:14 AM

You have described a characteristic which has affected my most frequently used Numbers spreadsheet. I enter a new reading once each day.


i started the sheet some five years ago and have missed very few daily readings.


To insert the date and time I use my iPhone keyboard with the calendar symbol selected. The keyboard key symbol ‘Now’ inserts the current time. However the current time which appears in the cell is the same as my iPhone’s current time only when I am in France: but an hour out when I am in the United Kingdom.


To correct the error I have to edit the cell.


For years Numbers behaved correctly, inserting the current local time. The error started earlier this year. It is a repeatable, consistent error.


Neither restarting my iPhone nor upgrading iOS has changed this behaviour.

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3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 13, 2023 12:14 AM in response to aslam

You have described a characteristic which has affected my most frequently used Numbers spreadsheet. I enter a new reading once each day.


i started the sheet some five years ago and have missed very few daily readings.


To insert the date and time I use my iPhone keyboard with the calendar symbol selected. The keyboard key symbol ‘Now’ inserts the current time. However the current time which appears in the cell is the same as my iPhone’s current time only when I am in France: but an hour out when I am in the United Kingdom.


To correct the error I have to edit the cell.


For years Numbers behaved correctly, inserting the current local time. The error started earlier this year. It is a repeatable, consistent error.


Neither restarting my iPhone nor upgrading iOS has changed this behaviour.

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Numbers is inserting the wrong date/time into my spreadsheet

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