OneDrive File Issues

How to Fix OneDrive Showing US Date Format Instead of UK Format

Elise Williams Sep 30, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to change the date format displayed in the OneDrive web application from the US format (MMDDYY) to the UK format (DDMMYY).

How to Fix OneDrive Showing US Date Format Instead of UK Format

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: Windows 10, Windows 11
Scenario: Viewing file timestamps and details in the OneDrive web application.
Observed behavior: OneDrive consistently displays dates in the MMDDYY format, failing to honor the United Kingdom regional settings applied in the Microsoft account, OneDrive profile, and Windows OS.

Before you start

Verify that your local computer's system time and region are correctly set to the United Kingdom in Windows Settings. This ensures that the discrepancy is isolated solely to the OneDrive web application and not your local Windows environment.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Regional Settings and Clear Browser Data

Ensure your Microsoft and OneDrive accounts are correctly configured to the UK region, then clear browser site data to reset localized formats.

This problem is frequently caused by a web-application localization issue rather than a failure in Windows regional settings. Clearing the browser cache ensures that no outdated localization cookies are forcing the US date format on your screen.

Check Microsoft Account Region

Log into your Microsoft account online, navigate to the 'Your info' section, and confirm your Country/Region is explicitly set to the United Kingdom.

Verify OneDrive Settings

Open the OneDrive web application, click the Settings (gear) icon at the top right, navigate to the language and regional settings, and ensure they match your UK preference.

Sign Out and Clear Cache

Sign out of your Microsoft account completely. Open your browser settings to clear site data, cookies, and cached images.

Test on Another Browser

Sign back in, or try accessing OneDrive using an entirely different web browser (like Edge, Chrome, or Firefox) to test if the DDMMYY format is now correctly applied.

Verify Regional Settings and Clear Browser Data

Persistent Localization Issues: Some Microsoft websites use different localization settings in the backend, which can cause inconsistent date formats across Microsoft 365 and OneDrive even when properly configured.

Solution 2

Report Inconsistent Date Formats to Microsoft Support

If regional settings are correct but the date format remains MMDDYY, you need to report this localization bug directly to Microsoft.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is OneDrive showing the MMDDYY date format instead of DDMMYY?

This is often caused by an inconsistent web-app localization issue where Microsoft's website backend fails to honor the region settings configured in your Microsoft account or Windows operating system.

Does changing my Windows region fix the OneDrive web date format?

Not always. Even if your Windows 10 or Windows 11 regional settings are correctly set to the United Kingdom, the OneDrive web app may still default to the US date format due to browser caching or internal localization bugs on the website.

How can I check my OneDrive regional settings?

Log into your OneDrive account on the web, click the Settings gear icon, and review your profile's language and region preferences to ensure they are configured to the United Kingdom.

Document & File Issues