Use time, time zones, and working time in Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner stores a time with every task start date, due date, and finish date. Each plan also has a plan time zone and working time, which help team members understand when work starts and when it is due, even when they work in different locations.

You can:

• Set or change the time on a task's start date, due date, or finish date.
• Define the time zone and working time for a plan.
• View task times in your own time zone or in the plan time zone.
• Show or hide time throughout Planner.
• View task times from different plans in your local time zone in My Tasks.

Work across time zones

Suppose a plan is based in London and uses the London time zone. A task is due on July 15 at 5:00 PM in the London time zone. Maya, a team member working in Paris, opens the plan.

• In Plan time zone view, Maya sees the task due at 5:00 PM in the London time zone.
• In Your time zone view, Maya sees the task due at 6:00 PM in the Paris time zone.

Both values represent the same deadline. The plan keeps one shared point of reference, while each person can view the time that is most useful to them.

With larger time differences, a converted task time can appear on the previous or next day.

Understand plan time and your local time

Every plan has one plan time zone. The plan time zone provides a shared frame of reference for the dates and times in that plan.

Your local time zone is the time zone used by your device. When you choose to view a plan in your local time zone, Planner converts task times for display. This makes it easier to understand when work happens where you are.

Changing how you view time does not change task dates, task times, or the plan's schedule. It only changes how those values appear to you.

Show or hide time throughout Planner

To see task times and use the time-related options in Planner, turn on Show times in plans. This is a personal setting and affects only what you see.

1. Open Settings in Planner.
2. Select Time display.
3. Turn on Show times in plans to show time, or turn it off to hide time.

When time is hidden:

• Task dates remain visible.
• Time values and time-related controls are not shown in plan views or My Tasks.
• Other time display settings are unavailable until you turn time back on.
• Existing task times remain saved.

Showing or hiding time is a display preference. It does not add or remove time from tasks or change when tasks become overdue.

Configure the plan time zone and working time

Use plan settings to define the plan's shared time zone and its default working time.

New plans use the plan creator's device time zone by default. Review the setting when a plan is organized around a customer, event, or team in another location.

1. Open the plan.
2. Select Plan settings.
3. In Date and time, select the Plan time zone.
4. Set the plan's Working start time and Working finish time.
5. Save your changes.

Planner uses working time as the default when you add dates to tasks:

• A start date defaults to the plan's working start time.
• A due date or finish date defaults to the plan's working finish time.

You can choose a different time on an individual task. If a task is outside the plan's working time, Planner can show a warning, but it does not prevent you from using that time.

Change the plan time zone

When you change the plan time zone, Planner preserves the displayed date and wall-clock time but interprets them in the new time zone. As a result, the underlying point in time can change.

For example, a task set for Monday at 9:00 AM in the London time zone remains Monday at 9:00 AM after the plan time zone changes to Paris, but Planner now interprets it as 9:00 AM in the Paris time zone. The wall-clock time stays the same, but because Paris time is one hour ahead of London time, the underlying point in time moves one hour earlier.

Change the plan's working time

When you change the plan's default working start or finish time, Planner updates tasks that use the previous default time. Tasks with a custom time remain unchanged.

For example, all times below use the plan time zone. The plan's working time starts at 9:00 AM:

• Task A starts at 9:00 AM, matching the plan's default working start time.
• Task B starts at 9:30 AM, which is a custom time.

The user changes the working start time from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM and confirms the change.

• Task A moves to 10:00 AM because it used the previous default.
• Task B remains at 9:30 AM because Planner preserves custom times.
• Task B is now outside the plan's working time, so Planner displays a warning.

Set a task time

Every task start date, due date, and finish date includes a time. When you add a date, Planner uses the plan's working start or finish time as the default. You can change the time for an individual task.

1. Open the task.
2. Select the task's Start date, Due date, or Finish date.
3. Select a date and enter a time.
4. Save the task.

Planner continues to store the time with the task when you hide time in the user interface. Hiding time changes only what you see.

A task becomes overdue when its due date and stored due time pass. Everyone has the same deadline, with the date and time converted for the time zone they choose to view.

Choose how a plan displays time

When your local time zone differs from the plan time zone, you can choose how times appear in the plan.

1. Open the plan.
2. Open the time zone selector.
3. Select one of the following:
   • Plan time zone - View the plan using the shared time zone configured in plan settings.
   • Your time zone - Convert task times for display in your local time zone.

Use the plan time zone when your team coordinates around a shared location, customer, event, or operating schedule. Use your time zone when you need to understand when the work happens locally.

View times in My Tasks

My Tasks brings together tasks assigned to you from plans that can use different plan time zones.

Planner displays task times in your local time zone in My Tasks, so you can compare and prioritize work across plans without converting each task manually.

The task still belongs to its original plan and keeps that plan's time zone. Open the plan and use the plan's time zone selector when you need to review it in the plan time zone.

Daylight saving time

Planner applies daylight saving time rules for the selected time zone.

• Recurring work keeps its local clock time. For example, a task scheduled for 9:00 AM local time continues to occur at 9:00 AM local time after a daylight saving time change.
• If a selected clock time does not exist when clocks move forward, Planner moves it to the first valid time.
• If a clock time occurs twice when clocks move back, Planner uses the first occurrence.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a task appear on a different date in my time zone?

A large time difference can move the converted time to the previous or next day. Switch to Plan time zone view to see the plan's shared date and time.

Does changing my time zone view update the task?

No. Switching between your time zone and the plan time zone changes only how time appears to you.

Does hiding time remove it from tasks?

No. Hiding time changes the Planner display. Existing times remain saved and continue to determine when tasks become overdue.

Which time zone does My Tasks use?

My Tasks displays task times in your local time zone, including tasks from plans that use different plan time zones.

Can I schedule a task outside the plan's working time?

Yes. Planner can warn you that the task is outside working time, but you can still use the time.

Related articles

• Add task start and due dates
• View all of your tasks and plans