Overview
- The clocks will be set back one hour from 03:00 to 02:00 on the night of Oct. 24–25, 2026, giving an extra hour overnight and making mornings lighter while evenings grow darker.
- Most smartphones, computers, smartwatches and radio‑controlled clocks will update automatically but analog wall clocks, simple digital timers, some ovens, microwaves and older car radios must be reset by hand.
- Germany’s legally binding time comes from the PTB atomic clocks in Braunschweig, and many radio‑controlled devices and networked systems sync to that signal for the official change.
- Transport operators treat the switch as routine with specific procedures for night services, for example Deutsche Bahn holding some night trains during the repeated hour while urban S‑Bahn services generally run through.
- The EU has not implemented the European Parliament’s 2019 decision to end seasonal changes, recent studies increasingly recommend permanent standard (winter) time for circadian health, and member states and pending EU studies may drive decisions after 2026.