Online Gender Reveal for UK Families: Time Zones and Relatives Abroad
Nan in Lahore, your brother in Toronto, cousins in Sydney. Here is how to pick one time, send each person their own, and let everyone join from a phone.
In this guide · 5
To hold an online gender reveal from the UK, pick one Saturday or Sunday time, write each relative's local time in the invitation, and share one link or short code. Everyone joins on their own phone in a browser, with no app to install. Diaper Reveal is free to host and play.
Most UK families have someone far away: grandparents in Pakistan, India or Nigeria, a sibling in Australia, cousins in the US or Canada, a best friend who moved to Dubai. The reveal only works if they are awake for it. The general method is in our guide to gender reveals with family abroad; this page is the UK-specific version.
How far from the UK is everyone?
These gaps use standard offsets from UTC. They shift when clocks change, so check the exact date on a world clock before you send invitations.
| Where | UK winter (GMT) | UK summer (BST) |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland, Portugal | same time | same time |
| Poland, Germany, Spain | +1 hour | +1 hour |
| Dubai (no clock change) | +4 hours | +3 hours |
| Pakistan (no clock change) | +5 hours | +4 hours |
| India (no clock change) | +5.5 hours | +4.5 hours |
| New York, Toronto | -5 hours | -5 hours* |
| Los Angeles, Vancouver | -8 hours | -8 hours* |
| Sydney, Melbourne | +11 hours | +9 to +10 hours* |
*The UK and the US change clocks on different weekends. The UK moves on the last Sunday of March and October; the US moves on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November. For about three weeks in March and one week in late October, New York is only 4 hours behind London, not 5. Australia's seasons run the other way, so Sydney's gap changes in April and October too. If your reveal falls in those weeks, double-check.
A time that works for a UK host
A Sunday around 2pm is the natural British slot: lunch is done, and nobody has to rush. Here is what it means for the family in the UK winter, with GMT in the UK, standard time in New York and summer time in Sydney.
| Sunday 2pm in the UK is... | Local time there |
|---|---|
| Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad | 7pm |
| Mumbai, Delhi | 7:30pm |
| Dubai | 6pm |
| New York, Toronto | 9am |
| Los Angeles, Vancouver | 6am |
| Sydney, Melbourne | 1am Monday |
That is great for South Asia, the Gulf and the US East coast, and impossible for Australia. You cannot suit everyone, so decide who matters most. If grandparents in Sydney are the point, move the party to Saturday 8am in the UK, which is 7pm in Sydney, and accept that New York is up at 3am. Or hold one live reveal and send Sydney a short note straight afterwards.
Set it up in four steps
- Create the party on Diaper Reveal. It is free, and guests do not need an account.
- Copy the party link or the short code.
- Send the invitation with each group's local time written out: "Sunday 2pm UK / 7pm Pakistan / 9am New York". Add the date for anyone whose day is different.
- Share the link in the family WhatsApp group and put the code in writing too, in case a chat app misbehaves.
Guests open the link in their browser, so the aunt in Birmingham and the grandmother overseas are in the same place at the same moment. If the chat fills up with guesses, our guide to keeping the result secret in a family group chat helps avoid a leak.
Gifts from relatives overseas
Once the news is out, relatives abroad will ask what to buy. A UK baby registry lets them add items from any shop to one list, so you are not left with five of the same muslin. See also what to put on a baby registry when family is abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hold an online gender reveal with family in another country?
Yes. Create the party, share the link or short code, and each relative joins on their own phone or laptop in a browser. There is no app to install.
What is the best time for a UK gender reveal with relatives abroad?
A Sunday around 2pm UK time suits the Gulf, South Asia and the US East coast. Australia needs an early Saturday UK start instead. Choose the slot for the guests who matter most and write each group's local time in the invitation.
Why is the time difference to New York sometimes only 4 hours?
The UK and the US change their clocks on different dates. For about three weeks in March and a week in late October, the gap is one hour smaller. Check the exact date on a world clock.
Does it cost anything for guests to join?
No. Diaper Reveal is free to host and play, for the host and guests.
What if a relative cannot be there live?
Tell them the news in the family chat straight after the reveal, and ask someone nearby to phone them. A short party also makes it easier for people to join.