By default, Apache will use the system time zone of the server where it is installed. However, if you want to change it to something else, then you can do that easily using .htaccess file. Here’s how to change default time zone in .htaccess file in Apache web server.
How to Change Default Time Zone in .htaccess
Here are the steps to change default time zone in .htaccess.
By default, Apache’s default time zone is based on the physical location of the server. For example, if it is located on California, then most likely, its time zone will be set to Pacific Time. However, sometimes, your website may be catering to audience in a different timezone.
Sure, you can change the time zone using php.ini but that won’t include the .html and log files. That is where .htaccess file comes in handy.
It allows you to change Apache server configuration without accessing its config files.
1. Enable .htaccess
Before you proceed, please ensure you have enabled .htaccess file for Apache. Here’s how to do it:
Place your .htaccess file in the root document folder of your website (/var/www/html) and add the following rules, depending on your use case.
2. Update .htaccess file
Open .htaccess file using a text editor
$sudo vim /var/www/html/.htaccess
Add the following SetEnv directive to set Apache’s time zone. Here’s the syntax,
SetEnv TZ timezone
timezone – time zone you want to set
For example, if you want to set it to Eastern Standard Time,
SetEnv TZ America/Washington
Here’s a list of supported time zone codes for Apache, for different parts of the world.
3. Restart Apache Web Server
Restart Apache web server to apply changes.
$ sudo service apache2 restart
