Bell mistakenly texts Ontario residents about permanent DST

For some Canadians, the clocks are changing this weekend. But for many others, there will be no fall back on Nov. 1, as several provinces have decided to stick with Daylight Saving Time (DST).

The mishmash of time changes (and lack thereof) is shaping up to be rather confusing. And Bell isn’t exactly helping, after the carrier accidentally sent a text blast about the DST change to people living in Ontario and other regions where the time will change as usual.

MobileSyrup saw a few social media posts from people who received the text, which says:

“Bell: As of Nov 1, your area is keeping Daylight Saving Time year-round. To ensure your device doesn’t fall back and stays on the correct time, please restart your device (turn off and on) by Nov 1.”

A Bell support account on Reddit responded to a post about the text going out to people in the wrong provinces, acknowledging the text was sent to more people than intended.

“Earlier today, a text message intended for a limited group of customers who may be affected by the change was sent more broadly than planned,” the support account clarified. It also said it would send a follow-up text to impacted customers.

Hey, @Bell, I don’t think so! 😅🤣 Still #EST for the #GTA @iPhoneinCanada @MobileSyrup https://t.co/IsBOXj0jMt

— 𝑯𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒖 🇨🇦 𝕏  (@tweet4howi) October 30, 2026

Additionally, the text includes a link to a Bell support document about the DST changes with some additional information. The support doc notes that Bell updated its network in preparation for the time change, but warned that some users “may experience minor technical quirks” because mobile devices “rely on global software databases to display time zone names.”

Most of Bell’s advice amounts to making sure your device is set to update the time zone or date and time automatically, and restarting your phone if you have any issues.

The move to permanent DST will apply to B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and some parts of northwestern Ontario (Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances, Atikokan, Rainy River District, Pickle Lake, and New Osnaburgh). Saskatchewan and the Yukon already stay in DST year-round. And while Quebec hasn’t made a change yet, the province plans to abolish seasonal time changes.

Notably, Google has also shared some tips for dealing with the new time change rules. The search giant has warned that some people with Android devices may see an incorrect time on Nov. 1 and offered tips on how to deal with it. Moreover, Google said it would make some changes to the Calendar app to address the time change.

Source: Reddit, Twitter, Bell (2)