Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about time zone calculations, working hours, and team coordination.

How do I find a suitable meeting time for my team?

Add each team member's city. worldhours automatically shows the working hours overlap—color-coded to indicate whether it's a reasonable time for everyone.

Is daylight saving time automatically accounted for?

Yes. Time data comes from the IANA Time Zone Database, the same source your operating system uses. Clock changes are automatically calculated, even when the US and Europe switch on different dates.

Can I share my configuration with others?

Yes. The URL updates automatically when you add cities or change working hours. Simply copy your browser's complete address bar and share the link. Recipients see exactly your view.

What are working hours and how do I change them?

Default is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time. Click a city's start or end time to adjust it—for example, for shift work or flexible hours.

Is worldhours free?

Yes, completely free. No account needed, no ads, no hidden features.

Where does the time data come from?

We use the IANA Time Zone Database. It's regularly updated and contains all worldwide time zones and their historical changes—including special cases like half-hour or 45-minute offsets.

What do the different times in the overlap area mean?

worldhours shows when all added cities are simultaneously within their working hours. The larger the overlap, the more options you have for shared meetings.

How much overlap do I need for effective collaboration?

For daily collaboration, three to five hours is ideal. Between Germany and the US East Coast, that's typically afternoon hours in Germany (3:00–6:00 PM CET). With less overlap, asynchronous communication often works better.

Why does worldhours show different times than my calendar?

Check whether your calendar and worldhours are using the same time zone. VPNs or incorrect system settings can cause discrepancies. worldhours always uses the most current IANA data.

Can I compare more than two cities?

Yes. Add up to eight cities and worldhours automatically calculates the common overlap of all added locations.

How do I handle fair meeting scheduling?

Rotate inconvenient times regularly. If one team always has to get up early or work late, rotate the meeting time. worldhours transparently shows who participates at which local time.

Does worldhours work on mobile?

Yes. The site is optimized for mobile devices. Shared links work on all devices.

How can I customize the display?

Open the settings menu in the top right. There you can show or hide time bands, overlap display, and day/night shading, as well as switch between light and dark mode.

Can I show only the world map?

Yes. Disable the options for time bands and overlap info in the settings menu. This shows only the world map with day/night progression and city markers.

How do I save my settings?

Simply bookmark the current URL. All selected cities and working hours are contained in the URL and are restored when you open it.

Is my data stored?

No. All settings are stored exclusively in the URL. worldhours doesn't set cookies and doesn't store personal data.

How can I give feedback or report bugs?

Contact information can be found in the imprint. We're happy to receive suggestions and feedback.

What about privacy?

worldhours doesn't store personal data and doesn't set cookies. Only anonymous server logs are collected for operations. Details can be found in the privacy policy.

What does the world map show?

The map shows in real time where in the world it's currently day or night. The shaded area marks the night region, and the transition zones show twilight.

What cities are available?

worldhours includes all capital cities worldwide. Enter a name in the search; smaller cities and alternative spellings are also found.