You want to always see time on the Xiaomi home screen, but don’t know how to add a watch widget? This problem is familiar to many users of Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones – standard MIUI settings are not always intuitive. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to install a watch on the desktop, including hidden shell features and solutions for cases when the widget disappears after an update.
The MIUI is different, depending on the firmware version (12, 13 or 14) and the device model, for example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the path to the widget settings is one, and on the Redmi Note 10, we took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will be suitable even for budget models like the POCO M5, and you will learn how to change the style of the watch, its size and why it may not appear after a reboot.
Why does Xiaomi not have a default home screen clock?
Unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where the watch is often built into the top notification bar, MIUI initially hides it from the desktop.
- 🔹 Save space — MIUI optimized for maximum screen usage for icons and widgets.
- 🔹 Customization flexibility – the user chooses which elements to display.
- 🔹 Style unity – in some design themes, the watch may conflict with the design.
But that doesn't mean that the functionality is limited. MIUI has a hidden Desktop Watch mode that is activated through the launcher settings, and it's often overlooked, even though it allows you to display time in a format similar to iOS or One UI. The problem is that once you upgrade to MIUI 14, it can reset, which we'll talk about in the error solving section.
Method 1: Adding a standard watch widget
The easiest method is to use a built-in widget, which is available on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later.
- Press and hold the empty space on the home screen until the menu appears.
- Select Widgets (or Widgets in English firmware).
- Scroll down to the Clock section.
- Press the desired style of watch (for example, Analog or Digital) and drag on the screen.
If there is no clock in the list of widgets, it means:
- 🔸 Your device has disabled the system launcher (a third-party, such as Nova Launcher, is installed).
- 🔸 Installed lightweight version MIUI (For example, on the Redmi Go or POCO C-series).
- 🔸 Firmware modified (castom or global beta version).
Make sure you use a standard launcher MIUI|
Check for system updates in Settings → About phone |
Restart the device if the widgets are not displayed |
Free up space on the main screen (minimum) 2×2 cell)-->
Method 2: Activation of the "Desktop Clock" in the launcher settings
This method works on MIUI 13/14 and allows you to put time directly to the desktop without a separate widget.
- Open the Settings. → Desktop (Home screen).
- Find the option Desktop Clock and turn on the switch.
- Choose the display style: 🕒 Digital time in 14:30 format. 🕐 Analog – round clock with hands. 📅 With a date, time. + weekday.
Apply
Important! On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12T), this option may be called Show Time on Screen. If it's not, your firmware doesn't support the feature. In this case, use Method 1 or 3.
💡
If you don't see it after you activate the watch, try changing the theme to Settings → Theme. Some themes block the system widgets from displaying.
Method 3: Using the “Clock” app to create a shortcut
If you don't want to add a widget, you can create a shortcut to the Watch app that opens it with a single tap, which won't replace a full widget, but will speed up access to time:
- Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
- Find the Clock app.
- Click on his icon and drag it to the main screen.
- Choose Create Shortcut (Create Shortcut).
The downside of this method is that the shortcut doesn’t show real-time time, it only opens the app, but it works on all Xiaomi models, including older (Redmi 4X, Mi A1) and custom firmware devices.
Method 4: Install a third-party widget from Google Play
If you don't like the standard MIUI watch, you can install an alternative widget from Google Play.
| Name of name | Features | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Clock Widget | Minimalistic digital watch with color and font setting | MIUI 12–14, Android 10+ |
| Chronus | Weather + hours in one widget, support for themes design | All Xiaomi models |
| Transparent Clock | Transparent design, adaptive size | Requires Android 11+ |
| UCCW | Complete customization (creating your own styles) | For experienced users |
To install a third-party widget:
- Download the app from Google Play.
- Press and hold the empty space on the screen → Widgets.
- Find the widget of the installed application (for example, Chronus 4×2).
- Drag it on the screen and adjust the size.
⚠️ Note: Some widgets (e.g, UCCW) You need additional permissions to work in the background. After installation, check the battery settings: → Annexes → Permits → Autostart and add widget to exceptions.
Method 5: Manually create a widget through ADB (for advanced ones)
If none of the above methods worked, you can use manual activation via ADB. This method is suitable for devices with unlocked bootloader or root rights.
- Install ADB Tools on your PC and connect your phone over USB (enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap the build number).
- Open the command line and type in: adb shell settings put secure show_desktop_clock 1
- Reset the device.
Also on some regional versions (for example, for China) the option is disabled due to localization features.