How to Convert UTC DateTime to 12-Hour Format in Flutter

Learn how to extract and convert DateTime from UTC format to 12-hour format easily in Flutter with our straightforward guide.
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How to Convert UTC DateTime to 12-Hour Format in Flutter

When working with dates and times in programming, particularly in mobile application development with Flutter, you may encounter situations where you need to manipulate DateTime formats. One common problem developers face is converting DateTime strings from UTC to a 12-hour format that’s easily readable. In this guide, we will tackle the issue of converting the UTC DateTime string "2022-07-26T12:10:07.000+0000" into a desired 12-hour format like "5:40 PM". Let's dive into understanding the problem and the solution step-by-step.

The Problem

You may have a date string in the ISO 8601 format like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Here’s a breakdown of this string:

2022 is the year

07 is the month (July)

26 is the day

12 is the hour in a 24-hour format (which indicates noon)

10 is the minutes

07 is the seconds

The +0000 indicates that this time is in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

When you attempt to convert this UTC time to a local time, you might find that your Flutter application shows it incorrectly as "12:10 AM" instead of "5:40 PM" which is expected in local time. This often happens because the time being parsed is still in UTC.

The Solution

To correctly display the DateTime string in the desired 12-hour format, you can follow these essential steps:

Step 1: Parsing the DateTime

First, you need to parse the incoming UTC DateTime string. In the following method, we'll convert the UTC time to local time using Dart's built-in DateTime class:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Using .toLocal() for Time Zone Conversion

Step 3: Formatting the Time into 12-Hour Format

Once you have your time in the local timezone, using DateFormat("hh:mm a") prepares it in the desired format (where "hh" denotes hours in 12-hour format and "a" provides AM/PM).

Example Output

If you correctly implement the provided method, a call like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By understanding how to manipulate time formats and properly convert UTC to local time, you can avoid the pitfalls of incorrect time displays in your Flutter applications. Always remember to consider the time zone when handling DateTime. Happy coding!