• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help Problem with the clock! / Time Keeps Changing Despite Settings

Mind telling us how are we supposed to download anything without WiFi?

MYKLbiz said:
After experiencing this problem for weeks, with the Centura's clock resetting itself (usually within hours of my setting it right) to -5 hours of Eastern Time, I'd been sufficiently inconvenienced to come here and read through all of this discussion (and one other) — little of which gave me hope the issue could be overcome. Nonetheless, over a weekend, I tried any idea which sounded remotely plausible. Most techniques provided no lasting fix, as documented by others here. But eventually, after I'd about given up, I got the clock working correctly.

My clock has kept perfect time for a week now. [fingers crossed]

Alas, I can't say for a certainty which trick (or combination of them) fixed it. Nor can I rule out the possibility that the now perfect time is a coincidence. But in the hope that this info might help someone else, here are the last few things I did, after which the clock has worked properly:

1) Installed and setup the ClockSync app, in rootless mode.

http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.org.amip.ClockSync

Given that no app can automatically reset the time on a phone (like mine) which has not been rooted, it does not seem like this should have fixed the problem. I installed ClockSync thinking that it would at least alert me when the clock was wrong. After setting my Preferences, I used its option to "sync manually with ClockSync help". In the week since, my phone's system time has remained perfectly in sync with "atomic time" (pool.ntp.org).

2) After previously and repeatedly trying every variation of Date & Time settings (in the system settings), I went back to my normal preference:

√ Automatic date & time
√ Automatic time zone

In the Location services settings, I have also enabled (only):

√ GPS satellites

3) On a whim, I disabled the 24-hour format in the phone's Date & Time settings. I personally prefer 24-hour time, and my phone had been set to use it since the day I bought it. This is the first time I've ever disabled it. I cannot think of any logical reason why this setting should make a difference — but than, this unresolved bug has defied logic.

If anyone duplicates any or all of these steps, with or without a positive result, I'd be curious to hear about it.

If the original problem recurs, I'll come back here to post an update.
Click to expand...
 
Chevy Grief said:
There are quite a few other settings in ClockSync and I am wondering how you went about in the settings.
Click to expand...

FWIW, these are my current settings in ClockSync:

NTP server = pool.ntp.org
Timeout = 10 seconds

Enable automatic synchronization = √
Internal = 15 minutes
Show notification = √

Detect time zone = √
Time zone provider = GeoNames
Cache zone for = 12 hours

Rootless mode = √
Offset for notifications = 60

Sync on boot = √
Haptic feedback = √

(The other settings, which I have not listed here, I left unchecked.)​

Again, I can think of no reason why ClockSync in Rootless mode would actually fix this problem. But, as far as I can detect, it has done no harm. If anyone can explain why it may actually help, I'd be curious to hear it.
 
Frankwtf said:
Mind telling us how are we supposed to download anything without WiFi?
Click to expand...

In a nutshell, the two ways to download apps directly to your phone (or to connect your phone to the internet for any other purpose) are via:

  1. Mobile data, provided by your mobile carrier;
  2. WiFi data, which it sounds like you (Frankwtf) don't have.

If you have no way to connect your phone to the internet, well, that's a whole 'nother problem. I'm guessing you can find another thread about that.
 
Chevy Grief said:
Thanks Myklbiz for your post about ClockSync app. I am in the process of trying your fix. There are quite a few other settings in ClockSync and I am wondering how you went about in the settings. i.e. Device resets seconds; sync on boot, to name just a few. Maybe I'm not reading your message correctly as to what should only be ticked in ClockSync settings. My first attempt after installing ClockSync resulted in a time change after a couple of hours of install. So whatever I did was either wrong, or it just isn't working for me. thanks
Click to expand...
Update on 4/29/15: no luck; time changing became worse. Deleted ClockSync app 3 days ago without an issue.......yet.
 
MYKLbiz said:
1) Installed and setup the ClockSync app, in rootless mode.
Click to expand...

Further observations since installing ClockSync and adjusting the settings on my Samsung Centura, 2-3 weeks ago, as detailed in my previous posts.

a) Over time, the clock drifts slighting from "atomic time", but never more than 60 seconds.

b) Whenever I turn off then power up the phone, the clock resets to "atomic time" (within half a second).

In short, this phone has keep good time for weeks, but I remain mystified how or whether ClockSync is automatically resetting the clock on a phone I have never rooted.
 
A new observation about how I induced the time changing problem, again:

After 4 weeks of my Samsung Centura keeping the correct time, I went into the Settings' Location services and enabled all the options:

√ Google's location service
√ GPS satellites
√ Location & Google search​

Shortly thereafter, the familiar time problem recurred, reverting to -5 hours of Eastern Time.

I wanted the above functions enabled while I was travelling. I've now reverted to all the settings I previously outlined (earlier in this thread on 21 April), which means only this Location service is now enabled:

√ GPS satellites*​

I turned the phone off then on, and it's now keeping perfect time.

This begs the question, does anyone else's Samsung Centura have these two settings disabled:

• Google's location service
• Location & Google search
​
yet still has the time changing problem discussed in this thread?


––––––––––
* I believe ClockSync needs this enabled in order to perform one or more of its functions.
 
Last edited:
Just answering your question. But on my part, they've always been disabled. And I don't mean to keep repeating what I've said, but if you missed it you may find this interesting. Even with my phone in airplane mode for days, weeks, and months in a row, my clock still reverts 5 hours back, and it's seemingly random as far as my experiences are concerned.. And I am in an Eastern time zone area.
Noticed that the Centura isn't for sale on Straight Talk anymore, unless I over looked it, but it's twin phone, the Samsung Discover, is still sold on their site for $10 new.

Funny thing is, Samsung seems to have never heard of this problem. But it's passed their shelf lives and now we'll probably never see a manufacturer's fix for them.

I'm willing to test stuff on my Centura if it helps anyone with comparisons. I don't have a mobile plan on it anymore, but I can connect it to Wi-Fi if needed.
Technically, it is my back up phone and I will be using it for that in a few days when I send my Galaxy S3 in to Straight Talk for a replacement. So let me know if you want something done to another one for comparison.
For reference, as I don't know if they ever sent them out with anything other than this, but this one came with, and is running, Android 4.0.4. While I'm at it, here's the Kernel for comparison:
3.0.8-1251199
se.infra@SEP-49 #1
Mon Oct 14 08:07:17 KST 2013
 
Last edited:
Ok so I notice this happens to me even after I let it sit dead for months and also after countless resets and wipes but I fix it temporarily by turning airplane mode on and off but this isn't even the only time I had this model phone with the same issue, could it be a software bug? If so I'd love to know a solution, the time difference has been messing up my connection.
 
schroederrt said:
Hello all, and thank you in advance for your help. I, like a significant number of others am having some issues with the clock/time on my android phone. I have been searching for a couple weeks and have not found anythign else that really addresses the problem I am having.

The phone is a Samsung Galaxy Centura from Straight Talk, connecting through Verizon towers.

For whatever reason, the clock on my phone is occasionally being set to a time exactly 5 hour earlier than the correct time for my time zone (currently eastern daylight time). In fact, this is what the phone displayed when it was first activated in late June. I manually changed the time, and ever since, it seems to want to go back to that incorrect time, 5 hour early.

As of yet, I cannot tie the time change to any specific time or to any action I am taking. Sometime it will go several days without doing it, and other times it will do it multiple times in one day. I have tried every combination of settings for "Automatic date & time" and "Automatic time zone," but none of those setting being on or off seem to prevent this issue from happening.

At one point, while researching this issue, I recall reading that Android primarly uses GPS sattelites to synchronize its time. I disabled the GPS services, and that seemed to keep the time correct for a longer period of time, but it did eventually reset itself to the incorrect time. I do use the GPS functionality, and would prefer to keep it on, especially if this is not really a fix for the problem.

I also though for a time that it was a tower issue, that I was getting the wrong time from the tower it was connected to. However, I find that unlikely as my wife has the exact same phone. She has actually experienced this issue once, but only once, not the numerous times that I have. I also have a Blackberry through work that I would assume is connected on the same tower, and I have never had such a problem on that device.

I have also considered that it might be some app causing the problem, but my understanding is that root access is required to change the time, and I have not rooted my phone. In any case I have installed watchdog in case a rogue app is causing this, and it has not reported anything.

Additional deails:

  • The time zone setting has never changed. Even when time is 5 hour early, the phone still shows that it is on Eastern time.
  • Turning the phone off then back on corrects the time
  • Turning airplane mode on then off does not correct the time.
  • Android version: 4.0.4
  • Model Number: SCH-S738C
  • Kernel version: 3.0.8-1207620
Click to expand...
clocksync in the app store should fix it, just found out from android area 51
 
I have the folowing:
√ GPS satellites
√ Location & Google search
So far no issues. I did try turning on Google's location service and not long after had a time change, so I unchecked it. That was 2 weeks ago without an issue.
 
Chevy Grief said:
I have the folowing:
√ GPS satellites
√ Location & Google search
So far no issues. I did try turning on Google's location service and not long after had a time change, so I unchecked it. That was 2 weeks ago without an issue.
Click to expand...
Download clocksync from google play and give it root permission, it will keep your system time synced to the internet and is made for issues like this happening in phones with faulty software and roms with these issues, I've been using the app and its kept my time up to date correctly longer than I've ever seen it, and after setting it up you no longer have to mess with it, just let the app do it's thang.
here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.org.amip.ClockSync&hl=en
 
Following @Chevy Grief's success, I've now enabled both these Location services:

√ GPS satellites
√ Location & Google search​

While leaving this third option disabled:

• Google's location service​

And I continue running the ClockSync app in Rootless mode.

I'll report back if the time changing problem recurs with these settings.
 
schroederrt said:
Hello all, and thank you in advance for your help. I, like a significant number of others am having some issues with the clock/time on my android phone. I have been searching for a couple weeks and have not found anythign else that really addresses the problem I am having.

The phone is a Samsung Galaxy Centura from Straight Talk, connecting through Verizon towers.

For whatever reason, the clock on my phone is occasionally being set to a time exactly 5 hour earlier than the correct time for my time zone (currently eastern daylight time). In fact, this is what the phone displayed when it was first activated in late June. I manually changed the time, and ever since, it seems to want to go back to that incorrect time, 5 hour early.

As of yet, I cannot tie the time change to any specific time or to any action I am taking. Sometime it will go several days without doing it, and other times it will do it multiple times in one day. I have tried every combination of settings for "Automatic date & time" and "Automatic time zone," but none of those setting being on or off seem to prevent this issue from happening.

At one point, while researching this issue, I recall reading that Android primarly uses GPS sattelites to synchronize its time. I disabled the GPS services, and that seemed to keep the time correct for a longer period of time, but it did eventually reset itself to the incorrect time. I do use the GPS functionality, and would prefer to keep it on, especially if this is not really a fix for the problem.

I also though for a time that it was a tower issue, that I was getting the wrong time from the tower it was connected to. However, I find that unlikely as my wife has the exact same phone. She has actually experienced this issue once, but only once, not the numerous times that I have. I also have a Blackberry through work that I would assume is connected on the same tower, and I have never had such a problem on that device.

I have also considered that it might be some app causing the problem, but my understanding is that root access is required to change the time, and I have not rooted my phone. In any case I have installed watchdog in case a rogue app is causing this, and it has not reported anything.

Additional deails:

  • The time zone setting has never changed. Even when time is 5 hour early, the phone still shows that it is on Eastern time.
  • Turning the phone off then back on corrects the time
  • Turning airplane mode on then off does not correct the time.
  • Android version: 4.0.4
  • Model Number: SCH-S738C
  • Kernel version: 3.0.8-1207620
Click to expand...
I wonder if it has anything to do with the solar storm on Friday. Mine keeps saying I am in Alaska's time zone. In in Washington!!! I can walk a few steps and it switches back to normal!
 
Just received my first android phone last week and its the Centura. Same problem here. NOTHING I have tried fixes this. I disabled auto everything. Rest. It has to be a firmware issue.
 
Well, after reading loads of posts, I found a simple fix. Go into Apps>Settings. Top right - click More. Scroll down to Date and Time. Unselect Automatic time zone and then the option underneath becomes editable. Choose a time zone that has the required number of hours your phone is incorrect by and the problem vanishes!
 
thewheelinspace said:
Unselect Automatic time zone... Choose a time zone that has the required number of hours your phone is incorrect by and the problem vanishes!
Click to expand...

That may be the least complex solution to this problem, provided you're not overly inconvenienced by any apps which get confused thinking you are somewhere thousands of miles away from your actual location.

I'll be curious to hear if ever your phone eventually/sometimes resets its clock 5 hours back the other way. As so many have found this problem to be intermittent, will this work-around require you to change your time zone 5 hours this way or that, from time to time? Please let us know if that happens.
 
Last edited:
regserv said:
the trick with this phone is to never reboot it or turn it off, keep it on a charger.
Click to expand...

I have not found this to prevent or discernibly reduce the problem. (Leaving aside the fact that this phone crashes and reboots itself more often than my better phones do.)

On the other hand, when the clock does jump 5 hours, turning it off and on resets the clock to the proper time. Perhaps that is because I do have ClockSync running.

I suspect that we here all look for and become enamoured of any distinct "cause" that apparently fixes or improves this ongoing problem. I also suspect that the cause-and-effect we see is usually or entirely coincidental.
 
regserv said:
try to avoid ever powering down... instead of rebooting, goto settings and toggle off then back on "Automatic Date & Time - use network bla bla", toggling this setting will set the clock back 5+ hours, if it does not, then reboot the phone. after rebooting the phone, approximately anywhere between 10 minutes to 2 hours from that point your clock will jump again. don't reboot! again go in the settings and repeat above and you will be good to go until the next time the phone powers down.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll keep this suggestion in mind, if/when the problem recurs on my phone.
 
I too have the same problem as everyone else. I have had my Samsung Galaxy Centura for about six months and I am through StraightTalk. Things worked great until about three weeks ago. I used the alarm clock on a daily basis until it stopped going off in the morning. Shrugged it off but now the clock time stops when ever it wants. No specific pattern. I have read through all the posts and have tried several things mentioned but so far nothing has worked to fix this issue. Glad I found the forum and that this is not just me. Thought I was doing something wrong!
 
regserv said:
the trick with this phone is to never reboot it or turn it off, keep it on a charger. if you are planning on using your phone as an alarm clock make sure that you haven't rebooted the phone recently (the past hour or so) before setting your alarm and going to bed. if you have and haven't reset the time then some time during the night, the time will jump 5-6+ hours on you.

if you are the type of user that plugs your phone in to recharge it and never shuts it down, then with the right settings you will not see the issue as frequent, it will still happen but not nearly as often.

if you're the type of user that turns their phone off a lot for whatever reason (pulling the battery because phones freezing, battery pulled to replace with a fresh battery, or any other issue that requires you to turn the phone off) then you will have to deal with this time loss issue with far more regularity.

there is no fix
Click to expand...

Once you think you have something figured out about it, the randomness of the problem shines through, again.

I posted this already, but awhile back when I upgraded my phone the first time from the Centura to a Galaxy S3, I left it running 24/7 in airplane mode. The time still rolled back 5 hours as frequently as when I was actually using my phone. And I rebooted it a lot. Actually, it rebooted itself a lot. You guys know what I'm talking about.
There is a reason this newish-at-the-time phone sold for $25 during that one Black Friday sale (went on sale from $100). It's junk, and I think anyone who has this phone agrees.
It's unfortunate Samsung never addressed the problem. It still would have been an unstable phone, but at least it would have kept proper time.
 
Your phone is going to stop working entirely. They start with time and date issues. I had two phone do this to me and that is how they started.
 
I have a similar problem. If I advance the time forward by a day to collect daily log in rewards of games I play, after going so many days forward it eventually goes back to the current day within like 5 seconds. Like I can advance it 72 days in the future but after it just resets it back to the current day and time after a few seconds even though timezone and auto update of time is not active. I'm trying to figure out why it does that cause I don't want to pay real money for a game but advancing the clock gives me daily rewards until I go too far forward and then I can't get anymore til another day passes and then I can get one more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom