How to display weather forecast on the screen of the Xiaomi phone

A modern smartphone is not just a means of communication, but a personal information center that must provide up-to-date data at a glance at a lock screen or desktop. For users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, the issue of organizing screen space is especially acute. One of the most popular elements of the interface is a weather widget that allows you to instantly assess the temperature and the likelihood of precipitation without going into the application.

However, despite the system's intuitiveness, many owners have difficulty adding, moving or fine-tuning this element. Sometimes the widget disappears after an update, sometimes does not display data due to a synchronization failure, and in some cases the user simply wants to replace the standard design with a more informative one. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to integrate meteorological data into the interface of your device, from basic settings to advanced customization methods.

Standard Weather Widgets in MIUI and HyperOS

Xiaomi’s operating shells are designed to provide maximum visualization of data. The Weather app has a wide range of widgets that vary in size and functionality. To access them, you need to do a few simple things that may vary slightly depending on the system version. In HyperOS, the logic of working with widgets has been reworked to harmonize with the ecosystem, but the basic principle has remained the same.

To get started, you need to pinch the empty area on your desktop or pinch the two fingers to go into edit mode. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a menu bar where you select "Vidgets." Here's a catalog of all available items, including system and installed applications. Find a weather-related section, and you'll see a few design options, from minimalist lines to large blocks with animation.

When choosing a widget, look at its sizing grid. Standard sizes range from 1x1 to 2x2 or 4x2 cells. Large widgets often contain animations of the current state (raining, falling snow), which makes the screen lively but can consume more battery power. Small widgets are ideal for those who prefer strict minimalism and want to place on the screen the maximum of application icons.

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To save battery power, choose static widgets without complex animations, especially if you have one installed. AMOLED-Matrix with Always On Display.

After choosing a design, drag it to your desktop. If the widget doesn't display data right away, check your internet connection and allow the app to access geolocation. Without precise location, data synchronization is impossible, and the widget will show default weather or erroneous values.

Set up a widget track in HyperOS

With the release of HyperOS, Xiaomi introduced the concept of a Widget Track, a special vertical or horizontal space that appears when swiping over a locked screen or desktop, a revolutionary change that allows you to display weather information without taking up useful space on the main screens.

To activate and configure the widget track, go to the device settings and find the Lock Screen or Desktop section. Depending on the firmware version, the item may be called "Widget Track" or "Smart Widgets." Here you can choose what data will be displayed in the track. Weather is one of the priority elements, because it is classified as situational information.

Inside the widget track settings, you can choose the display style. There are options with a large temperature, a brief state description or an hourly forecast. HyperOS is a feature of deep integration of the widget with the system: it changes the color range depending on the time of day and current weather, creating a harmonious visual range.

It is important to note that the widget track can overlap with other elements, such as the widgets "Health" or "Stephering" if they are also added to the track. The system offers a smart rotation or priority display of the most relevant data. If you want to see the weather constantly, make sure that it is prioritized or selected as the main element of the track.

Use of third-party applications for widgets

Xiaomi’s standard functionality may not meet the demands of advanced users who want to see detailed weather maps, moon phases, or month-to-month forecasts, and third-party apps from Google Play that offer more flexible widgets come to the rescue, with Today Weather, Weather & Radar, and Overcast leading the way.

Once installed, the selected application must be given the necessary permissions. Unlike the system application, third-party programs can request access to background geolocation more aggressively to update data in real time. When adding a widget to the desktop, Xiaomi will offer to select the size and style from the installed application directory.

The advantage of third-party widgets is that you can fine-tune colors, fonts and display parameters. You can only display temperature and humidity, or add wind speed, pressure and UV index. Some widgets support responsive themes that automatically adjust to your phone's wallpaper.

• 🌤 Today Weather – minimalist design, multiple data sources (AccuWeather, Foreca, Dark Sky), great adaptation for Material You.
• 🌪 Weather & Radar – detailed radar maps of precipitation, storm warnings, the ability to add multiple locations.
• 🌙 Overcast – unique widgets with phases of the moon and solstices, the perfect choice for those who follow astronomical events.

It is worth considering that the use of third-party widgets can affect the autonomy of the device. Unlike the system solution optimized by Xiaomi engineers, third-party applications can more often wake the processor to update data. It is recommended to adjust the update interval in the settings of the widget itself, increasing it to 30-60 minute.

Solving Display and Synchronization Problems

A frequent problem for Xiaomi owners is the sudden interruption of updates to the weather widget, which can display yesterday’s temperature or an error icon, due to the aggressive MIUI energy saving system, which limits the background activity of applications to save charge.

To correct this, you need to configure autostart and permissions for the Weather app. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Weather and select Autostart. Make sure the switch is activated. Also, in the "Battery Savings" section, select "No Limits" mode for this application.

Another cause of failure can be an overcrowded app cache. Clearing the cache often helps restore the widget to normal operation without losing saved cities. To do this, select "Clear Cache" from the app menu (three points in the corner of the widget or app settings).

⚠️ Warning: If the weather widget shows the wrong location, check your geo-location settings. GPS It can be a little bit of an error. Try turning Wi-Fi on your geolocation settings for a more accurate result.

Also worth checking is the date and time settings. If the phone time is down, the weather server can reject requests or give data for another day. Set the "Time Autoset" and "Time Zone Autoset" mode in the "Additional Settings" section. → Date and time.

Comparison of data sources for widgets

The quality of the forecast depends on the source of the data that uses the widget. In the standard Xiaomi application, the default source is often The Weather Channel or AccuWeather, but their accuracy may vary from region to region.

Below is a table comparing popular weather data sources available for integration into widgets on Xiaomi smartphones:

For users in Russia and the CIS, Yandex.Weather is often the most accurate source, as it takes into account local climate and has a dense network of weather stations. However, its widgets may be less aesthetic than global counterparts. Global services like AccuWeather better cope with the forecast for the week ahead.

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The choice of data source is a key factor in accuracy, and urban environments are better suited to services with a dense network of private weather stations, such as Weather Underground or Yandex.

Customization and stylization of widgets

Xiaomi’s visual interface allows you to display information in a stylish way. MIUI and HyperOS shells support themes that can completely change the look of system widgets. By downloading a theme from Themes store, you can get a weather widget in the style of retro, cyberpunk or minimalism.

When installing a theme, pay attention to the description: developers often specify which components are included in the package. Some themes only change icons, while full-fledged packages include new designs for lock widgets and desktop. After applying the theme, the weather widget may require re-appearing on the screen.

For those who like uniqueness, there are widget design apps like KWGT Kustom Widget Maker, a powerful tool that allows you to create a weather widget from scratch. You can draw any background, choose any font, add logos and arrange data in the way that suits you, but creating such a widget takes time and a basic understanding of the logic of how layers work.

• 🎨 Design themes are a quick way to change style, but a limited choice of designs.
• 🛠 KWGT — Full freedom of creativity, but takes time to set up.
• 📱 Third-party launchers – Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher installation gives access to alternative weather widgets.

⚠️ Note: When installing themes from unofficial sources or using modified versions KWGT Be careful. Some themes may contain ad modules or not work properly with system widgets after updating the firmware.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)