How to Change Time and Time Zone in iPhone Simulator

How to Change Time and Time Zone in iPhone Simulator

28 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Xcode

When developing iOS applications, testing across different time zones and times can be essential for ensuring your app behaves correctly in various geographical settings. Here, we provide a comprehensive guide on how to change the time and time zone in the iPhone Simulator, using methods that are both effective and easy to implement.

Using System Preferences

The simplest method to change the time and timezone in the iPhone Simulator is by altering your Mac’s system preferences. This method is straightforward but affects the entire system:

  • Open System Preferences on your Mac.
  • Select Date & Time.
  • Go to the Time Zone tab and make the necessary adjustments.
  • Restart the Simulator to see the changes take effect.

Setting Timezone via Xcode Scheme

For a more targeted approach, you can set a specific timezone for your app using Xcode’s Scheme settings. This method is particularly useful if you want to test multiple timezones without changing your system settings:

  • Open your project in Xcode.
  • Click on your app target and select Edit Scheme.
  • Navigate to the Run configuration and choose the Arguments tab.
  • Add an environment variable with the name TZ and the desired timezone value (e.g., America/Los_Angeles).

Using Terminal Commands

For those comfortable with command line tools, you can use the simctl command to override the time displayed on the Simulator’s status bar:

xcrun simctl status_bar "iPhone 11 Pro Max" override --time '9:41'

This command allows you to specify the time, and with the correct ISO format, you can set the date as well.

Advanced Method: Method Swizzling

An advanced technique involves method swizzling to dynamically change the time within your application. This approach is more complex and should be used with caution:

int timeDifference = 60*60*24; // Shift by one day
NSDate* (* original)(Class,SEL) = nil;

+(NSDate*)date{
    NSDate* date = original([NSDate class], @selector(date));
    return [date dateByAddingTimeInterval:timeDifference];
}

Use this method if you need to simulate specific time changes programmatically within your app.

Enhancing Testing with Repeato

While manual testing methods are effective, automating your testing process can significantly improve efficiency. Repeato offers a no-code test automation solution for iOS, Android, and web apps. With its fast test recording and execution capabilities, Repeato allows you to easily create and maintain automated tests using computer vision and AI. This tool supports complex task automation via command line scripts or JavaScript code, making it a powerful ally in ensuring your app performs well across various time settings.

For more on how to implement automated testing strategies, visit our documentation.

Check it out!

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