---
title: Date.prototype.setTime()
short-title: setTime()
slug: Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/setTime
page-type: javascript-instance-method
browser-compat: javascript.builtins.Date.setTime
sidebar: jsref
---

The **`setTime()`** method of {{jsxref("Date")}} instances changes the [timestamp](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date#the_epoch_timestamps_and_invalid_date) for this date, which is the number of milliseconds since the [epoch](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date#the_epoch_timestamps_and_invalid_date), defined as the midnight at the beginning of January 1, 1970, UTC.

{{InteractiveExample("JavaScript Demo: Date.prototype.setTime()", "taller")}}

```js interactive-example
const launchDate = new Date("July 1, 1999, 12:00:00");
const futureDate = new Date();
futureDate.setTime(launchDate.getTime());

console.log(futureDate);
// Expected output: "Thu Jul 01 1999 12:00:00 GMT+0200 (CEST)"

const fiveMinutesInMs = 5 * 60 * 1000;
futureDate.setTime(futureDate.getTime() + fiveMinutesInMs);

console.log(futureDate);
// Expected output: "Thu Jul 01 1999 12:05:00 GMT+0200 (CEST)"
// Note: your timezone may vary
```

## Syntax

```js-nolint
setTime(timeValue)
```

### Parameters

- `timeValue`
  - : An integer representing the new timestamp — the number of milliseconds since the midnight at the beginning of January 1, 1970, UTC.

### Return value

Changes the {{jsxref("Date")}} object in place, and returns its new [timestamp](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date#the_epoch_timestamps_and_invalid_date). If `timeValue` is `NaN` (or other values that get [coerced](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Number#number_coercion) to `NaN`, such as `undefined`), the date is set to [Invalid Date](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date#the_epoch_timestamps_and_invalid_date) and `NaN` is returned.

## Examples

### Using setTime()

```js
const theBigDay = new Date("1999-07-01");
const sameAsBigDay = new Date();
sameAsBigDay.setTime(theBigDay.getTime());
```

## Specifications

{{Specifications}}

## Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

## See also

- {{jsxref("Date.prototype.getTime()")}}
- {{jsxref("Date.prototype.setUTCHours()")}}