An ecobee thermostat gets its time from the network and the location you set, and a wrong time or a schedule firing at the wrong hour usually means the thermostat is offline, the location or time zone is wrong or daylight saving has not synced. Check the thermostat's date and time under Main Menu, Settings, Time and Date and its location in the app, and reconnect it to wifi so it can sync.
The checks in more detail
For wrong status, such as the app showing a different temperature or mode from the display, refresh the app, check the thermostat is online and reboot it. ecobee's app shows a status per thermostat and a sensor's last update, and a sensor that has lost its link keeps its last reading until it reconnects. If a room reading looks wrong, check the sensor's placement in sun or near a vent and its battery. After a power cut the thermostat may take a few minutes to reconnect, so wait before acting.
If the display and app disagree persistently, restart the thermostat and check for a firmware update. If time stays wrong, check the location address in your account. Contact ecobee support with a screenshot showing the time and status. Photograph the display next to your phone clock so the offset is clear. A reading that jumps when the sun hits the wall points at placement, not a fault. Contact support with a screenshot showing the offset.
Compare the thermostat's reading with a simple thermometer beside it for an hour, since a steady difference is calibration or placement and a wandering one points at drafts or sun. A sensor that reports only when it changes may look stale even though it is fine, so wait for a change in the room before deciding it has lost its link. A thermostat that shows the right time but a stale temperature is usually waiting on its sensor, so check the sensor battery and distance before changing any time setting.
Differential
Likely causes of “ecobee thermostats shows the wrong time, state or sensor reading”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An offline thermostat
What separates it The time is not syncing because the thermostat is offline
How to confirm Reconnect the thermostat to wifi, so that it can collect the time from the network again
- 2
A wrong time zone
What separates it The schedule fires late because the location or time zone is set wrongly
How to confirm Correct the location and the time zone in the app, so the schedule follows your local time
- 3
A sensor with a lost link
What separates it The sensor readings are stale because the sensor has lost its link to the thermostat
How to confirm Reconnect the sensor, or replace its battery, then check that the readings update again
- 4
A power cut
What separates it The thermostat went offline briefly because of a power cut
How to confirm Wait a few minutes for the thermostat and the router to restart and reconnect to the network
- 5
Sun or a vent near a sensor
What separates it The readings are odd because a sensor sits in the sun or near a vent
How to confirm Move the sensor to a place away from sun and vents, then watch the readings for a while
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The time shown on the thermostat compared with the real time
- The location and time zone set for the thermostat
- When the sensor last updated its reading
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck date and time
ReversibleCheck the date and the time on the thermostat, and compare them with the real local time.
Reconnect to wifi
ReversibleReconnect the thermostat to wifi, so it can sync its clock with the network again.
Check location and time zone
ReversibleCheck the location and the time zone in the app, since they decide what time the schedule uses.
Check sensor battery and placement
ReversibleCheck the sensor battery and its placement, keeping the sensor out of the sun and away from vents.
Reboot the thermostat
ReversibleReboot the thermostat if the app and the display disagree, then check whether they now match.
Wait after a power cut
ReversibleWait a few minutes after a power cut, since the thermostat needs time to reconnect to wifi.
Contact ecobee
ReversibleContact ecobee with a screenshot if the time or status stays wrong after the earlier steps.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Time
- Follows the network and location.
- Sensors
- Report on a cycle and can go stale.
- Time on the ecobee
- The thermostat takes its time from the internet and the time zone you set in the app. If the time is wrong, check the zone in Main menu, Settings, Time and Date and ensure the thermostat is online. Daylight saving changes can cause an hour error until it syncs.
- Schedules
- Heating and cooling schedules follow the clock, so correct it before judging comfort. After correcting, review the schedule for the week and test by watching a schedule change.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Smart Thermostat Enhanced, ecobee3 lite.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If time stays wrong after reconnecting, contact ecobee support
- !If the system runs constantly, call an HVAC pro
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Offline and disconnecting steps.
Sensor setup.
Black screen and power.
Firmware versions.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is the schedule late?+
A late schedule usually points to a clock problem or a wrong time zone in the settings.
Can a sensor read wrong?+
Yes, a sensor can read wrongly in direct sun or when it sits close to a vent.
Does the app show sensor updates?+
Yes, the app shows when each sensor last updated its reading, so check that first.
Why is my ecobee an hour off?+
Daylight saving or a wrong zone.
Where do I set the time zone?+
In Settings, Time and Date.