How to add a watch to the Redmi 9 screen: all ways + hidden MIUI settings

The display of time on the Xiaomi Redmi 9 home screen is a basic feature that sometimes disappears after updating MIUI or resetting settings. Users are faced with the fact that the standard watch widget disappears from the add-on menu, and the system clock is displayed incorrectly (for example, without seconds or with an error in date). In this article, we will discuss 4 working ways to return the watch to the screen, including hidden MIUI settings and bypassing the shell restrictions.

The Redmi 9 (M2003J15SC/M2004J19G) feature is the use of the MIUI 12-14 shell, where widgets are controlled via a separate menu. Unlike pure Android, there is no classic "long tap" on the screen: instead, the finger-clasp gesture is used → Widgets. If this method does not work, the cause may be a disabled system process com.miui.home or a conflict with the theme of design.

We tested all methods on MIUI 12.5.3–14.0.5 firmware (including global and Chinese versions), and at the end of the article we looked at the method compatibility table with different versions of the software and answers to common questions, such as why the watch is reset after a reboot or how to resize it.

1. Standard method: Add widgets through the menu

The most obvious method is to use the built-in MIUI widget menu. It works on most devices, but there are nuances: for example, in some regional firmware, the “Clock” item may be hidden due to Xiaomi’s policy (as it happens in EU versions).

Instructions:

• 📱 Press the empty space on the home screen (not on the icon!) and wait for the menu to appear.
• 🔧 Select the Widgets (on some versions) MIUI This paragraph is called the Supplements).
• ⏰ Scroll down to Systems – there should be a Watch widget (sometimes called Analog Watch or Digital Watch).
• 🖱️ Hold the widget and drag it to the free space of the screen. Release your finger to lock it.

If the Watch widget is not listed, it could mean:

• 🚫 You have a custom theme installed that overrides system widgets (the solution is to reset the theme to standard in Settings). → Topics).
• 🔄 Firmware MIUI has been updated with an error (will help reset cache through Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Three points. → Resetting settings).
• 🛠️ System process com.miui.home is disabled (you need to check in Settings) → Permits → Auto-start).

2. Alternative method: through lock screen settings

Few people know, but on Redmi 9, the clock on the home screen is tied to the lock screen settings. If they are missing, sometimes just turn on the time display on the locked screen - this will automatically restore the widget on the desktop.

How to do this:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Find the Watch Style (or Time Display in older versions of MIUI).
3. Choose any style (e.g. Digital or Analog).
4. Return to the home screen and try adding the widget again via the menu (the method from the first section).

This works in 60 percent of cases when the watch disappears after the update, and the reason is that MIUI synchronizes the time display settings between the lock screen and the desktop, and if it doesn't work, move on to the next section.

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If the watch appears after these actions, but is displayed without a second hand, go to Settings → Additional → Date and time and turn on the option Show seconds (not available in all regional firmware).

3.Resetting launcher settings (without data loss)

If the watch widget disappeared after installing a new theme or changing the wallpaper, the problem may be in the failure of the launcher com.miui.home. In this case, a soft reset will help - it will not delete your data, but will return the standard desktop settings.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, enter Launcher (or Home in Russian firmware).
3. Select the com.miui.home app and click Storage.
4. Tap Clear Cache, then Reset Settings (not to be confused with Delete Data!).
5. Reboot the phone.

After the reboot:

• 🔄 The widgets will return to their original state (including the clock).
• 🎨 Wallpaper and the location of icons will be dropped to standard.
• 📱 You may need to re-configure the controls (if you have changed them).

4. Installation of a third-party watch widget (if the system does not work)

If none of the previous methods worked, there is a third-party widget option, which is true for users who have:

• 🔧 There is no clock in the widget menu even after resetting.
• 🌍 Custom firmware installed (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS).
• 📱 Phone bought in China with firmware without Google services.

The best applications to replace the system clock:

How to install a third-party widget:

1. Download one of the apps above.
2. Hold your finger on the main screen. → Widgets.
3. Find the installed application (e.g. Chronus 4x2) in the list.
4. Drag the widget onto the screen and adjust its size/style.

⚠️ Note: Some third-party widgets (e.g, UCCW) require additional permissions to display weather or notifications. If the widget does not update the time after installation, check the permissions in Settings → Annexes → Manage permissions and enable display over other windows.

5. Solving problems with displaying the clock

Even if you manage to add a watch to the screen, you may have typical problems:

Problem 1: The clock is displayed without a second hand.

Solution: In MIUI, for some regions (e.g. the EU), the second hand is disabled by default due to the energy saving policy.

1. Install Activity Launcher from Play Market.
2. Open it and find the activity of com.android.settings:.DevelopmentSettings.
3. Turn on the option to Show seconds in hours (if not, your firmware does not support this feature).

Problem 2: The clock is reset after resetting.

Solution: This is due to optimizing the MIUI battery, which kills the widget processes.

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization.
2. Find the app that is responsible for the widget (like Chronus) and select No Limits.
3. Also add it to AutoRun in the permissions settings.

Problem 3: The clock is not displayed correctly (time or date shifted).

Solution: It's likely that the timing is lost.

• 🌐 B Settings → Date and time enable Autodetermination (or select time zone manually).
• 🔄 If time is lost after turning off the phone, it is a sign of a discharged battery. CMOS (repair).

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If the clock only shows the wrong time in the widget, but everything is correct in the status bar, the problem is in the widget itself. Delete it and add it again.

6. Hidden MIUI settings for customizing watches

MIUI contains hidden options for fine-tuning the time display that are not available through the standard menu, and you need to use engineering menu codes or third-party tools to activate them.

Method 1: Engineering menu (only for power users!)

Open the Phone app and enter the code:

##4636##

Go to the Phone Information section and find the Debugging UI item. You can include:

• Displaying milliseconds in hours (experimental function).
• Change the time font (requires a reboot).
• Hiding AM/PM in 12-hour format.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect changes to the engineering menu can cause the interface to fail MIUI, Resetting to factory settings is recommended. → The phone. → Backup before experiments.

Method 2: MIUI Hidden Settings App

This is a utility for unlocking hidden MIUI features (available on 4PDA).

• 🎨 Change the color of the watch in the status bar.
• ⏱️ Set up the time interval (default - 1 minute).
• 📱 Disable animation when changing time (accelerates the work of widgets).

Instructions for use:

1. Download and install. APK-file MIUI Hidden Settings.
2. Open the application and grant ADB permissions (PC connection required).
3. Go to the System section UI → Clock Settings.
4. Activate the necessary options and restart the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Redmi watches 9