How to work with time zones in Bubble

Bubble always stores dates in UTC internally, but automatically displays them in the user’s local time zone on the page. To work with time zones correctly, you save everything as a Date type, and when you need a specific zone (like “convert this to PST”), you use “:format as text” with a custom timezone or you manually shift dates using “:+hours”. Backend workflows also run in UTC, so always remember to adjust inside the workflow if the logic depends on the user’s local time.

What Bubble Actually Does With Time Zones

Bubble has only one real storage format for dates: UTC. That means:

• The database column “Date” is always UTC.
• A user viewing a Date sees it automatically converted to their browser’s local time.
• Backend workflows run in UTC and do not know the user’s timezone unless you pass it in.

This explains why something looks “wrong” when testing with users in different countries: the stored value is the same, but what you see is shifted.

How to Display Dates in a Specific Time Zone

If you need to show a date in a fixed zone (ex: always PST), use “format as text” and choose a timezone:

Current date/time:format as text  
Timezone: America/Los_Angeles  
Format: MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm a  

How to Save the User’s Local Time

If a user selects a Date/Time from a date picker, Bubble automatically gives you a UTC version. If you need their timezone too (for future calculations), store both:

• Store the selected Date (UTC).
• Store the user’s timezone using “Current user’s timezone”.

Working With Backend Workflows

Backend workflows run in UTC, so if you schedule something “at 9 AM local time,” you must convert before scheduling. Example: user wants a reminder at 9 AM in their zone:

User's date :change hours 9  
Timezone from field: user's timezone  
// Convert this to UTC before scheduling if needed

Manual Time Shifting

If you just need simple shifts (like “+3 hours”), Bubble provides arithmetic:

Date:+hours 3  
Date:+days 1  

This does not change timezone — only the clock value — which is sometimes exactly what you need.