Wrong Device Time After Canada's 2026 Clock Change

Starting November 1, 2026, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and northwestern Ontario no longer change their clocks. If your Lorex recorder or Wi-Fi device still follows the old Daylight Saving Time (DST) schedule, the device time and recording timestamps will show one hour behind local time. This guide explains how to correct the time on DVR / NVR recorders and on Wi-Fi and smart home devices using the Lorex Connect, Lorex Classic, and Lorex Pro apps.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Quick Fix Checklist (Start Here)
• Why is my device one hour behind?
• Which time zone should I select?
• Update the Time
  • Recorders (DVR / NVR): Update the time on the recorder
  • Wi-Fi & Smart Home Devices: Update the time zone in the app
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • I turned off DST but the time is still wrong. Why?
  • The DST option is grayed out. What should I do?
  • Do I need to do this every year?
  • What happens to recordings saved before I fixed the time?
  • Which features are affected by the wrong time?
  • Should I leave NTP (Internet Time) turned on?
  • I live in Ontario, Quebec, or the United States. Do I need to change anything?
  • The time is still wrong after following these steps
• Helpful Tips

Quick Fix Checklist (Start Here)

• Recorder (DVR / NVR): Change the time zone on the recorder. Wired cameras connected to the recorder use the recorder's time.
• Wi-Fi / Smart Home devices: Change the time zone in each device's settings in the Lorex app.
• Time Zone: Select the time zone by its GMT offset from the table below, not by your city or province name.
• DST: Turn Daylight Saving Time (DST) off.
• NTP: Leave NTP (Internet Time) on if it is available.
• One-time change: Once the correct time zone is set, you do not need to change it again. 

Why is my device one hour behind?

Your Lorex device keeps local time using two settings: a Time Zone and a Daylight Saving Time (DST) schedule. Until November 1, 2026, the usual settings for western Canada matched local time. On November 1, devices following the old DST schedule moved their clocks back one hour, but the regions below did not.

The following regions now stay on a fixed, year-round time and no longer change their clocks:

• British Columbia (most of the province)
• Alberta
• Manitoba
• Northwest Territories
• Northwestern Ontario west of the 90th meridian (for example, Kenora, Dryden, and Fort Frances)

Yukon and Saskatchewan already stayed on year-round time before 2026. No change is needed in those regions unless your device time is currently wrong.

Which time zone should I select?

Time zone lists are sorted by GMT offset (for example, GMT-07:00). Depending on your device, the offset appears at the start of the name, such as (GMT-07:00) Arizona, or at the end, such as America/Phoenix GMT-07:00. Use the table below to find the offset for your location.

Recorders (DVR / NVR): Update the time on the recorder

For DVR and NVR systems, the time is set on the recorder. Wired cameras connected to the recorder use the recorder's time, so you only need to make this change once on the recorder.

1. Connect a monitor and mouse to the recorder and open Live View.
2. Open the Main Menu. On some recorders, right-click twice to open the Main Menu or access it through the Quick Menu.
3. Open the date and time settings. The menu path is usually Settings > System > General or System > Settings > General. Look for tabs named Date & Time, Time Zone, or DST.
4. Under Time Zone (or System Zone), select the time zone with the GMT offset for your location from the table above.
5. Turn off DST (or Enable Daylight Saving Time).
6. If your recorder is connected to the Internet, leave NTP enabled. If NTP is turned off, enter the current date and time manually.
7. Click Apply (or OK) to save your changes.
8. Check that the time shown in Live View matches your local time.

Example menu paths

If a camera still shows a different time than the recorder:

• Where available, enable Sync Camera Time on the recorder and click Apply. On X Series recorders, go to Main Menu > Settings > System > General > Sync Camera Time.
• If you use Wi-Fi cameras with a Fusion recorder, also check the time zone on each Wi-Fi camera in the app.

Wi-Fi & Smart Home Devices: Update the time zone in the app

Wi-Fi cameras, video doorbells, floodlight cameras, and battery cameras each keep their own time zone setting. Update the time zone in each device's settings in the Lorex app. If you have more than one Wi-Fi device, repeat these steps for each one.

1. Update your Lorex app to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the Lorex app and select your device.
3. Open the device's Settings and find Time Zone. See the table below for where to find it in your app.
4. Select the time zone with the GMT offset for your location from the table above.
5. Turn off Daylight Saving Time.
6. Tap Save.
7. Open Live View and check that the timestamp matches your local time.

I turned off DST but the time is still wrong. Why?

Your device is likely still set to your previous time zone. For example, (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time with DST turned off shows GMT-8, which is one hour behind British Columbia's new year-round time. Select a time zone with the correct GMT offset from the table above, keep DST turned off, then save.

The DST option is grayed out. What should I do?

• Select a time zone from the table above that does not observe DST, such as (GMT-06:00) Saskatchewan for Alberta. When the selected time zone does not use DST, the DST setting does not affect the time.
• If you cannot change the setting in the app, make the change directly on the recorder. See Recorders (DVR / NVR).

Do I need to do this every year?

No. This is a one-time change. Once the correct time zone is selected and DST is turned off, your device keeps the correct time all year.

What happens to recordings saved before I fixed the time?

• Recordings and events saved before the change keep their original timestamps. Footage recorded between November 1, 2026 and the time you updated your device shows a time one hour behind. When searching for this footage, add one hour to the time you are looking for.
• After the change, the playback timeline may show a one-hour gap at the moment the clock moved forward. This is expected. No video is lost.

Which features are affected by the wrong time?

Any feature that uses the device clock runs one hour off until the time is corrected, including:

• Recording timestamps, playback search, and event logs
• Recording schedules
• Motion detection and notification schedules
• Smart Security Lighting, deterrence, and siren schedules

Should I leave NTP (Internet Time) turned on?

Yes. NTP keeps your device clock accurate using an Internet time server. NTP does not control the time zone or DST, so you still need to select the correct time zone and turn DST off.

I live in Ontario, Quebec, or the United States. Do I need to change anything?

No. Most of Ontario (including Toronto, Ottawa, and Thunder Bay), Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and most of the United States still change their clocks. Keep your current time zone and leave DST turned on.

The time is still wrong after following these steps

• Confirm the selected time zone shows the correct GMT offset from the table above.
• Confirm DST is turned off and that you clicked Apply or Save.
• Confirm NTP is enabled and the device is connected to the Internet.
• Update the app and device firmware to the latest version.
• Restart the device and check the time again.
• If the issue continues, contact Lorex Support.

Helpful Tips

• Update the recorder first, then check each Wi-Fi device in the app.
• Select the time zone by its GMT offset. The name in the list does not need to match your city or province.
• After saving, compare the device timestamp with your phone's clock to confirm the change.
• If you need footage from before the fix, remember that timestamps from that period are one hour behind.
• For recorder-specific menu paths, refer to your recorder's user manual.