Roundcube allows you to customise how timestamps appear in your webmail interface. You can choose between 12-hour (with AM/PM) and 24-hour formats. This guide applies to Roundcube 1.4 and later.
Steps to Change the Time Format
- Log in to Roundcube Webmail.
- Click the Settings icon (gear ⚙️) in the top-right corner.
- In the left sidebar, click Preferences.
- Click User Interface.
- Find the Time format dropdown.
- Select your preferred format:
Automatic— uses your browser or system default12-hour— displays time as2:30 PM24-hour— displays time as14:30
- Click Save at the bottom.
Important Notes
- The time format setting affects timestamps in your email list, message headers, and folder views.
- Time format is not the same as timezone. If emails show the wrong time of day, check your timezone setting in Preferences → User Interface → Timezone.
- If
Automaticis selected, Roundcube detects the format from your browser locale. This may give unexpected results if your system locale differs from your preference. - You can change this setting at any time — it does not affect your emails.
Troubleshooting
- Time format dropdown is missing: Your Roundcube version may be older than 1.4, or your hosting provider has disabled this preference. Contact support for assistance.
- Setting changes but emails still show the old format: Log out completely, clear your browser cache for the webmail domain, and log back in. Cached pages can show stale timestamps.
- Emails show wrong time of day (not wrong format): This is a timezone issue, not a format issue. Go to Preferences → User Interface → Timezone and select the correct timezone (e.g.,
Africa/Johannesburgfor South Africa). - Format resets to default after closing browser: Your browser may be set to clear cookies on exit. Roundcube saves preferences in cookies — use a bookmark to log in rather than relying on saved sessions.
Need help? Contact our support team.
