Body
Issues
- Zoom is showing a -4 GMT offset when I select EST — shouldn't it be -5?
- My Zoom meeting times look wrong because of the time zone setting
- Why does Zoom say EST is -4 hours from GMT?
- Zoom is using the wrong time offset for Eastern Time
Environment
This article applies to all Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students using Zoom. The issue occurs when selecting a raw UTC or GMT offset for Eastern Standard Time in Zoom's time zone settings instead of a named regional time zone.
Resolution
Why the -4 Offset Appears
The Eastern Time Zone uses two offsets depending on the time of year:
- EST (Eastern Standard Time) = UTC -5 — in effect during winter months when daylight saving time is not active.
- EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) = UTC -4 — in effect during summer months when daylight saving time is active.
If Zoom is displaying -4 for Eastern Time during summer, this is correct — the Eastern Time Zone is observing EDT, not EST. The label "EST" in some older Zoom menus refers to the Eastern Time Zone broadly, not the strict winter-only offset.
Fix: Select a Named Time Zone Instead of a Raw Offset
Using a named time zone like Eastern Time (US and Canada) is more reliable than selecting a raw UTC offset. Zoom automatically adjusts the offset between -5 and -4 as daylight saving time changes.
- Go to bowdoin.zoom.us and sign in with your Bowdoin credentials.
- Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner, then click Profile.
- Scroll to the Time Zone field and click Edit.
- In the time zone dropdown, select Eastern Time (US and Canada) rather than any option that shows a fixed offset such as
EST -5:00 or EDT -4:00.
- Click Save Changes.
Scheduling meetings: When scheduling a new meeting from the Zoom desktop app, you can also set the time zone per meeting. Choose Eastern Time (US and Canada) from the time zone dropdown in the scheduling window to ensure the correct offset is applied automatically.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.