TLDR: To set the time on your dash cam, use your model's time zone and daylight-saving instructions, then check the date and time in a new recording. Save important footage before changing settings. GPS syncing can help, but the local-time controls differ between cameras.
Your car's dashboard clock looks right. Your phone looks right. But have you opened a dash cam recording to check its time?
That's the check we'd make before the clocks change. In US areas that observe daylight saving, clocks go back at 2 a.m. local time on November 1, 2026, according to NIST. Hawaii, most of Arizona and other non-observing areas keep their usual local time.
Canadian readers should follow their province or territory's local time. Most of B.C. will keep the same time on November 1, 2026, with existing local mountain-time arrangements unchanged. If your area keeps the same time year-round, check that an automatic seasonal rule hasn't moved your recording clock back.
A camera can have GPS and still need the right local-time settings. Check how your model handles the change before adding or subtracting an hour. Then open a fresh clip. Knowing when a recording happened makes it easier to find and understand later.
While safely parked, open a recent clip whose recording time you know. Compare the date and time shown in the video with your local time. Checking the dashboard clock or the phone alone doesn't tell you what the dash cam recorded.
Save important original files first. Our guide to keeping original dash cam footage explains why we'd keep the untouched recording.
Find your brand below. Menu names vary by model, and an automatic daylight-saving rule works differently from an on/off switch. Make the seasonal adjustment after the clocks change, unless your camera already follows an automatic rule.
Check Time Zone and the available daylight-saving setting first, then let GPS update the clock. VIOFO's time-setting guide recommends starting with the time zone when a GPS-equipped camera shows the wrong time.
If your VIOFO offers a United States daylight-saving rule, use it only where that rule matches your location. If it's already selected, check the next recording before manually subtracting an hour too. With GPS disabled or a non-GPS mount, use the camera's manual date-and-time settings.
In THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK, connect to your camera and open Dash Cam Settings > System Settings. Check the time zone and the separate daylight-saving switch. Thinkware's DST instructions say this switch needs to be enabled and disabled during the year.
For a US location returning to standard time on November 1, disable that seasonal DST switch after the transition and save the change. Other Thinkware apps or models may put these controls elsewhere; use the instructions for the app paired with your camera.
Open your camera's time settings in the BlackVue app or Viewer. For a GPS-equipped model, check the local time zone, GPS time sync and daylight-saving setting. BlackVue's date-and-time guide also covers manual time for cameras without GPS.
We'd check those settings before changing the clock by an hour. Follow your model's save and restart steps. If its instructions require formatting the card, copy the footage you need first.
For the GPS-equipped cameras covered by Garmin's timestamp support guide, give the camera time to pick up a GPS signal. Garmin says this corrects the date and local time, including time-zone and daylight-saving changes. Use Automatic where that time setting is available; the X series assumes automatic time and does not show that choice.
Mini owners should follow their own app instructions instead of the GPS-camera steps. For example, Mini 3 settings are managed through Garmin Drive.
Look for Time & Date under System Setup. In Vantrue's N4 instructions, GPS auto-update uses the time zone you select. You can also turn GPS auto-update off and set the date and time manually.
The N4 Pro manual adds a Summer/Winter time auto switch, which is off by default and intended only for North America. If your camera has it and your location follows those seasonal changes, use that option with the correct time zone. The available controls depend on your Vantrue model.
The recording is the final check. Once you have followed your camera's settings, use this sequence while safely parked.
If you have turned the timestamp overlay off, use your model's playback instructions to find the recording time. Don't rely on the file date shown by your phone.
In Thinkware's official U3000 Pro daytime footage below, look along the bottom of the picture for the recording's date and time. Use that part of your own new clip for the comparison.
Check again after November 1. A correct recording before the clocks change does not tell you whether the camera handled the transition afterwards.
If it is one hour off, revisit the time zone and daylight-saving controls before changing anything else. VIOFO's time-setting support guide also explains checking the time zone and allowing GPS to update the clock. Make another new clip after the correction.
If the date repeatedly resets, take the model name, firmware version and an example recording to the manufacturer or our support team. BlackVue's date-and-time troubleshooting covers firmware and settings causes. The symptom alone does not tell you that a particular component needs replacing.
A clock setting alone is not a reason to replace a working camera. If you're already shopping, we'd compare these current front-and-rear options around the recording and access you want.
We'd choose this for front-and-rear recording with files on your own storage. It records 4K front and 2K rear video, and Wi-Fi 6 lets you download clips to a nearby phone.
Add a compatible memory card. If you want parking recording too, choose the correct optional power setup.
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We'd consider this if you also want radar parking recording. It records 4K front and 2K rear video, with radar in both cameras.
The included OBD-II cable needs a compatible vehicle and setup. Check those details before choosing the kit.
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We'd compare this for 4K recording from both cameras and optional remote Cloud access. It suits drivers who want to plan for access while away from the car.
Cloud features need internet and an applicable service plan. LTE is not built in; the optional LTE module and data service are separate.
Shop nowChanging the camera's settings affects new recordings. It does not rewrite a timestamp already visible in an old video. Keep the original file and note any known time difference separately.
Use your area's actual local time and your camera's relevant daylight-saving setting. Do not apply a seasonal change simply because another US state does.
Use the support steps above if the date keeps resetting. Include a sample recording so the support team can see what is happening.
Find your model in our manuals and firmware resources, check its time settings and open a new clip. Knowing the date and time are right is one less thing to figure out when you need the footage.
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