you can download the user guide from the radio shack website. Here are the steps for time and day -- 1) hold down TIME SET/CHECK until it beeps twice 2) Press ANNC/DAY repeatedly until you hear the correct day 3) Press REC repeatedly until you hear the correct hour 4) Press playback button (triangle with pause slashes) repeatedly until you hear the correct minute. 5) press TIMESET/CHECK once. The answering machine plays the time and day you just set.