The Clocks Went Back: What to Change at Home (and What Changes Itself)
26 October 2026 · By Ethan Fernandes
Phones and smart thermostats update themselves, but ovens, boiler timers, plug timers and some cameras don't. What to check after the clocks go back, and how to make dark evenings easier.
Quick answer
Phones, computers, smart speakers and internet-connected thermostats such as Hive and Nest change automatically when the clocks go back. Ovens, microwaves, car clocks, older boiler programmers, plug-in timers and some CCTV recorders don't, so change those by hand. Set outside lights to a sunset schedule for the dark evenings.
The clocks went back on Sunday 25 October 2026, at 2am, which became 1am. Most of the tech in your home has already noticed. Some of it hasn't, and a few things only show the problem later: the heating comes on at the wrong time, the outside light switches on an hour late, or a camera recording shows the wrong time when you need it.
The short version: phones, computers, tablets, smart speakers and internet-connected thermostats change automatically. Ovens, microwaves, car clocks, older boiler programmers, plug-in timers and some CCTV recorders don't. And because it's now dark before 5pm, it's a good time to put outside and hallway lights on a sunset schedule.
What Changes Automatically
- Phones, tablets and computers, as long as the date and time are set automatically.
- Phone alarms: they follow the phone's clock, so a 7am alarm is still 7am.
- Smart speakers and displays such as Amazon Echo and Google Nest.
- Smart thermostats such as Hive, Nest and tado°: schedules stay at the same clock time.
- Video doorbells and app-based cameras: recordings are stamped by the service and shown in your phone's time.
- Smart TVs, set-top boxes and DAB radios, which take the time from the broadcast or the internet.
What You Need to Change Yourself
- Ovens, hobs and microwaves. Usually a clock button, or holding two buttons together. Worth doing if you use the oven timer.
- Boiler and central heating programmers that aren't connected to the internet. If the heating is coming on an hour early or late, this is almost always why. Look for a clock or time setting, or check the manual for your model.
- Plug-in mechanical timers with the push-down pins. Turn the dial until the arrow points to the correct time.
- Digital plug timers, which often have a summer time setting that needs switching off.
- Car clocks, unless the car is connected to your phone.
- Older alarm clocks and bedside radios. Radio-controlled clocks set themselves overnight.
- CCTV recorders (DVRs and NVRs). If the time on the recording is an hour out, footage is harder to use if you ever need to give it to the police or your insurer.
A Smart Device Still Shows the Wrong Time
If something that should update itself is an hour out, it's usually one of these:
- Automatic time is turned off. Check the device's date and time settings and switch on "set automatically" or "network time".
- The time zone is wrong. It should be London, or GMT/BST with daylight saving switched on. A device set to plain GMT or UTC will be an hour out every summer.
- It can't get online. A device that has dropped off the Wi-Fi can't fetch the correct time. If it has, see our guide to smart devices that won't connect to Wi-Fi.
- The software is out of date. Update it from the device's app, then restart it.
Make the Dark Evenings Easier
Sunset in London is now before 5pm, and by December it's around 4pm. A few small changes make a real difference, especially for anyone living alone or coming home in the dark:
- Use sunset, not a fixed time. Most smart lighting and smart plug apps can switch on at sunset, which keeps adjusting through the winter. A fixed 6pm schedule set in September is now an hour and a half too late.
- Light the way in. Put the porch, hallway or outside light on a sunset schedule or a motion sensor so nobody comes home to a dark doorstep.
- Look lived-in while you're away. Lights that come on at exactly the same minute every night are easy to spot. Many smart lighting apps have an away or holiday mode that varies the times.
- Check your doorbell or camera at night. Look at a night-time clip. If it's dark or grainy, move or add a light, and check motion zones aren't being set off by passing cars or headlights.
- Bring the heating forward. If you're home earlier in the dark, the heating schedule set in spring may need updating too.
Helping an Older Parent
The clocks changing is a good reason to visit or call. Change the oven and heating programmer clocks for them, check any timer that controls a lamp, and make sure the outside light works. A radio-controlled clock, or a smart speaker that tells the time and sets reminders, saves doing it twice a year.
How We Handle It
On a visit we can set up smart lighting and plugs on sunset schedules, put outside lights on motion sensors, tune video doorbell and camera night settings, correct time settings on CCTV recorders and set up heating schedules that suit the winter. See our smart home setup service, or our tech help for your parents.
Related Reading
Common questions
The clocks went back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, when British Summer Time ended. They go forward again on Sunday 28 March 2027.
Yes. Internet-connected thermostats update their clock automatically, and your schedule stays at the same clock time. Older boiler programmers that aren't connected to the internet need changing by hand.
The heating programmer or room thermostat probably isn't connected to the internet, so its clock is still on summer time. Set the clock on the programmer to the correct time and the schedule will be right again.
Open the recorder's time settings, set the time zone to London with daylight saving on, and switch on automatic or network time (NTP) if it's connected to the internet. Correct timestamps matter if footage is ever needed as evidence.
Use a sunset schedule in your smart lighting or smart plug app, rather than a fixed time. It adjusts automatically as the evenings get shorter. Outside lights can also use a motion sensor or a dusk-to-dawn sensor.
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