Why MS Teams shows the right time, but the word exported document of the transcript is ahead 5 hours from the actual time ?

Question

Why MS Teams shows the right time, but the word exported document of the transcript is ahead 5 hours from the actual time ?

JOE MOUHASSEB 0

When the user is making a call or he's in a meeting over MS Teams, he needs to check the transcription of the conversation that he had with his team or with any colleague after finishing the call/meeting in MS Teams.

The concern is that every time when he download the transcript into .docx file, it shows 5 hours difference the time of the call/conversation that he had with the others. The Time zone is different from the actual one when he downloaded the transcription.

As you can see below, it's a test that I did with one of my colleagues and it must shows 4:51 pm, as you can see in the picture below. Image preview

However it's showing 9:51 pm (5 hours difference). I believe that the time that is being displayed is UTC Time in the picture below. Image preview

After verification, it's happening to all employees. They are having the same issue when they export the transcript from Teams to word document.

My question is: How and from where can I adjust the time of the exported word document of the transcript in order to get the correct time as the one in MS Teams ?

Thanks in advance.

Joe

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1 answer

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Answer 1

Anonymous

Dear @JOE MOUHASSEB,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. We’re happy to assist.

Please note that timestamps in exported .docx or .vtt transcript files are stored in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) by design, not in your local time zone.

While Teams shows the correct local time in the app, the export process does not convert UTC to your local time. This explains the 5-hour difference you see in the Word document. Here are some options you can try:

Add a note at the top of the transcript: “All times are in UTC.”
If needed, use Word’s Find & Replace or a macro to adjust the timestamps by your time offset (+/- hours).

We understand how important accurate time zone handling is for maintaining clarity and consistency, and we completely agree that having transcripts reflect the correct local time instead of UTC would significantly improve the user experience.

We encourage you to submit feedback directly to Microsoft via the Teams app (Help > Give feedback), or through Feedback Hub by

Go to: Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub > Send Feedback > Describe your proposal in detail.

User's image

Sharing your experience through this channel is the most impactful way to advocate for a change that would benefit you and other users.

Thank you again for your patience and for bringing this to our attention. While I can't change the product's design, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about its current functionality. Your perspective is important, and I’m confident it will support the continued development of the Teams experience.

If you need any further assistance, feel free to reach out. We're here to help. Thank you very much for your understanding and your cooperation.

JOE MOUHASSEB 0 Reputation points

2025-11-19T05:11:49.2266667+00:00

Hello @Anonymous 👋🏼 Thanks for your response and details. I was thinking if there is a way where I can change the default time to the correct one from M365 Admin Center or Teams Admin Center... We should be able to change it because it's not logic at all to keep a complete different time on the exported word document of the transcript from the actual one. It makes a lot of confusion and it's not consistent.
Anonymous

2025-11-20T00:19:38.58+00:00

Hello @JOE MOUHASSEB,

Thank you for your response.

Unfortunately, there is no built-in feature to change the transcript’s timezone. When you download a transcript (common formats: .vtt, .srt, .docx, .txt), the timestamps are stored in UTC. This design ensures consistency across organizations, compliance systems, and automation tools, which rely on a universal time standard for accurate record-keeping and auditing. Because of this, the times may appear offset from your local meeting time.

As a forum moderator, I do not have the ability to modify or override product functionality. These settings are controlled at the service level by Microsoft to maintain security, compliance, and interoperability across global environments. Any changes to this behavior would require a product update from Microsoft’s engineering team.

We encourage you to submit feedback directly to Microsoft so they can review and prioritize this feature request. Your input helps influence future improvements. While I’m unable to change the product’s design, please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions about its current functionality. Your feedback is valuable and plays an important role in shaping the future of the Teams app experience.

If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Saša Đurđević 0 Reputation points

2026-08-27T06:18:38.6233333+00:00

Hello,

We have the same requirement in our organization.

Our Microsoft Teams meetings are scheduled and held in the local Serbian time zone. However, when a transcript is downloaded, the timestamps are displayed in UTC. For example, a meeting that started at 9:00 AM local time is shown in the transcript as starting at 7:00 AM.

We understand why Microsoft stores timestamps internally in UTC. However, downloaded transcripts are used as official meeting records and are shared with employees who expect to see the actual local meeting time. The current behavior can cause confusion and makes the transcript appear inaccurate.

Could Microsoft add an option to export transcripts using the organizer’s local time zone, or provide an administrator setting in the Microsoft 365 or Teams Admin Center to define the time zone used in exported transcripts?

UTC could still be preserved internally for compliance and auditing purposes, while the downloaded .docx, .vtt, .srt, or .txt file could display the corresponding local time.

Is this functionality currently planned or included in the Microsoft Teams development roadmap?

Thank you.