This Sunday, November 1, 2026, is the first fall in decades that Albertans won’t turn their clocks back. Alberta is staying on what used to be called Mountain Daylight Time all year, now called Alberta Time. That’s six hours behind UTC, all year round. British Columbia and Manitoba are also keeping one time all year, and Saskatchewan never changed in the first place.
The tricky part is that your phone, computer and other devices decide the time on their own, using time zone rules built into their software. If a device hasn’t received the update with Alberta’s new rules, it may still fall back an hour early Sunday morning, even though the clock on the wall shouldn’t change.
Check these before Sunday
- Phones and tablets: install the latest system update. In the date and time settings, make sure “set automatically” is turned on.
- Windows computers: run Windows Update. Microsoft added a new “(UTC-06:00) Mountain Time (Alberta)” time zone in its September and October 2026 updates. Computers set to adjust automatically should switch on their own. Others need it chosen by hand.
- Macs: install the latest macOS update.
- Calendars: double-check meetings booked for November and later, especially with people outside Alberta. Appointments made before the update may show up an hour off.
- Other things with clocks: security camera recorders, alarm panels, time clocks, point-of-sale systems, phone systems, thermostats and servers. Many of these won’t update themselves.
On Monday morning
Compare a few devices with the correct time. If something is an hour behind, check for updates first. For an older device that can’t be updated, setting its time zone to Saskatchewan (Regina) gives the right time, since Saskatchewan is also six hours behind UTC all year. Switch it back to the proper Alberta setting once an update is available.
If your office has a lot of devices to check, or something won’t cooperate, give us a call.
Want a second opinion on your setup? Your first 15 minutes are on us. Call (403) 381-7080 or send us a message. Already a client and need help now? Start here.