How to set up or change a Xiaomi desktop clock: all ways

Why Xiaomi is running out of time and how to fix it

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones (especially on MIUI 12-14) often face a problem when the clock on the desktop shows the wrong time, gets confused after a reboot or does not sync with the network. The reasons can vary from trivial settings to system failures. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved in 2 minutes, just turn on automatic sync or change the region.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to change the time on Xiaomi, from basic to hidden features that are not obvious even to advanced users.

• 🔄 Change the display format (12/24 hour) without resetting
• ⏱️ Correct synchronization failure with the operator’s network
• 🌍 Change the time zone if the phone is stuck in another region
• ⚙️ Set up a clock widget on your desktop (including hidden styles)
• 🔧 Restore time after firmware or reset to factory settings

We pay special attention to the hidden bug MIUI 14, which can cause the clock to get lost when connected to some Wi-Fi networks with non-standard settings NTP-This is true for users who travel frequently or use corporate networks.

Method 1: Basic time settings through the settings menu

The easiest method is to use the standard Settings menu → Additional → Date and Time. It is suitable for 95% of users and takes less than a minute.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Scroll down and select the Additional section (some firmware may refer to System and Device).
3. Slip on the date and time item.
4. Activate the Automatic Date and Time Switch (should turn blue).
5. Make sure that the Automatic Time Zone option is enabled.

If the time is still wrong:

• 🔄 Turn off and re-enable Automatic Date and Time (sometimes “restart” functions help).
• 📶 Reconnect to a mobile network or Wi-Fi (synchronization is via the Internet).
• 🌐 Check what's in the settings. SIM-Cards are indicated by the correct operator (sometimes the failure occurs due to roaming).

Plane mode is off"|Internet access (mobile or Wi-Fi)|The battery is charged more than 15 times%|The device is not overheated (temperature below 40).°C)-->

⚠️ Note: If, after activating automatic synchronization, the time is lost to 3-4 Your smartphone is probably “tied” to the wrong one. NTP-This is a common problem when using the server. VPN Or custom firmware. Solution is to manually specify the server (about this in the method). 3).

Method 2: Manually changing date and time

If automatic synchronization is not working (for example, due to lack of Internet or blocking) NTP-You can set the time manually, and this method is also useful for testing applications that need to rewind the date.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Turn off the Automatic Date and Time switch.
3. Slip on the Set a date field and select the current date in the calendar.
4. Click Set time and manually set hours and minutes (use 24 hours format for accuracy).
5. For a time zone, select your region in the list (e.g. Moscow, GMT+3).

If you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), manual time settings may get lost due to the lack of proprietary qcril drivers. RIL Fix via Magisk.

💡

If you travel frequently, add the multi-zone Clock widget to your desktop. Long-press screen → “Widgets” → “Clocks” → choose a multi-zone style.

Method 3: Shift NTP-server-side

By default, Xiaomi smartphones are used NTP-Google servers (time.google.com), but in some regions (such as China or the UAE) they can be blocked, which leads to time synchronization with an error or not updated at all.

How to change NTP-server:

1. Install the “ClockSync” app from Google Play (the free version will do).
2. Open the application and tap the gear icon (settings).
3. Select Custom server and enter one of the addresses: pool.ntp.org en.pool.ntp.org time.cloudflare.com
4. Press Sync now and wait for the confirmation of successful synchronization.
5. Return to Xiaomi Settings and enable Automatic Date and Time.

For advanced users, there is a way to change NTP-server ADB (requires an unlocked loader):

adb shell settings put global ntp_server ru.pool.ntp.org

⚠️ Attention: If after the shift NTP-The server time starts to jump (for example, accuracy) ±10 seconds), this may indicate problems with the module RTC. Check the temperature of the processor – overheating often affects the stability of the internal clock.

Method 4: Set up a clock widget on the desktop

The MIUI clock widget can not only be moved, but also customized completely — change style, change size, add seconds or date. Here's how to do it:

Steps to change the widget:

1. Make a long press on the free place of the desktop.
2. In the bottom menu, select Widgets.
3. Scroll to the Watch section and select your favorite style (such as Analog, Digital, or Minimalist).
4. Drag the widget onto the screen and adjust the size (stretch the corners).
5. Tap the widget. → Settings → choose: 🕒 Time format (12/24 hour) 📅 Date display 🎨 Color scheme (dark/light) 🔄 Frequency of updates (every second/minute)

Hidden feature: MIUI 14 has dynamic widgets that change style depending on the time of day.

1. Add the Watch Widget (Dynamic) to the screen.
2. Press your finger on the widget → Styles → select Adaptive.
3. In the settings, turn on the Autoshift theme.

💡

The watch widgets in MIUI 14 support transparency, which can be superimposed on wallpaper without a white background. To do this, select the "Transparent background" option in the widget settings.

Method 5: Correcting time failures after firmware or reset

After updating MIUI or resetting to factory settings, the watch may show January 1, 1970, or be absent altogether, due to the corruption of /data/time/ files or resetting of the RTC module.

Method 1 (without root):

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Tap 7 times on the inscription MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the USB debugging option and turn it on.
5. Connect the phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell su -c "date -s YYYYMMDD.HHmmss" Replace YYYYYMMDD.HHmmss at the current date and time (e.g. 20260515.143000 for May 15, 2026, 14:30:00).

Method 2 (with root rights):

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Manager.
2. Go to /data/time/ folder.
3. Delete the timezone and ntp.conf files.
4. Restart the device – files will be created again with default settings.

If the problem persists, check the integrity of the partition. /persist, where the settings are stored RTC. For this in TWRP execute:

twrp wipe persist

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning the persist partition will reset settings IMEI, MAC-address Wi-Fi/Bluetooth And calibrate the sensors. Only do that if other methods don't work, and you have a backup. IMEI!

Method 6: Solving Time Zone Problems When Traveling

If you cross time zones frequently, Xiaomi may not correctly determine local time due to cached geolocation data, especially for the Redmi Note 10/11 and POCO X3/X4 models, where the time zone bug has not yet been fixed.

How to forcefully update the time zone:

• 📍 Enable high-precision location (Settings) → Security and confidentiality → Location → Regime. → High precision).
• 🌍 Open Google Maps and wait until your location is determined to within 50 meters.
• ✈️ If you are on the plane, before landing, turn off the "In the plane" mode for 10 seconds - this will forcibly update the network data.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone after landing (sometimes module) RTC "It is "frozen" with a sharp change of belt).

For business users who frequently fly between continents, we recommend installing the Time Zone Converter app.

• 🕘 Create widgets with a time of 3+ time zones.
• 📅 Automatically switch the belt on schedule (for example, for business trips).
• 🔔 Set up reminders about the change of time (useful for air staff).

Frequently asked questions