How to change your watch on Xiaomi: 5 ways + fixing errors

Time on Xiaomi’s smartphone is key not only to display the current hour, but also to ensure that apps, alarms, reminders, and even geolocation services work correctly. If your phone is showing the wrong time, it can lead to missed appointments, data synchronization failures, or connection problems to some services. Fortunately, you can change the clock on Redmi, POCO or Mi devices in several ways, from automatic synchronization to manual settings.

In this article, we will look at all the current methods of adjusting time, including setting up through the system menu, using developer mode, and even fixing errors when the clock “gets off” after updating the firmware. We will focus on models with MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS, because the interface has changed. If your smartphone shows the time with a delay of a few minutes or hours, or you just want to manually set the exact hour, you will find the solution here.

Why is Xiaomi running out of time?

Before we move on to fixing it, it’s important to understand why Xiaomi watches might not work properly.

• 🌐 No connection to the network, if the device cannot connect to the servers NTP (Network Time Protocol, Automatic Time Synchronization Disabled.
• ⚙️ Failure after update. Often users face a problem after installing a new version MIUI or hyperos.
• 🔋 Battery savings: Some energy saving modes limit background activity, including time synchronization.
• 📡 Incorrect operator settings: In rare cases, a mobile operator may transmit incorrect time zone data.
• 🛠️ Manual change without saving. If you manually changed the time but didn't press Save, the settings may reset.

On the POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13T models, the problem is often related to the conflict between automatic and manual modes. For example, if you manually set the time and then switch on automatic synchronization, the device can “hang” between the two states.

Method 1: Automatic time synchronization through a network

This is the easiest and most recommended method, as it guarantees time accuracy without manual intervention.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Additional Settings section (in MIUI 14/15 it may be called System and Device).
3. Select a date and a time.
4. Activate the switches: 🔄 Autodetermining date and time 🌍 Autodetermination of the time zone

If these options are already on, but the timing is still incorrect, try:

1. Turn off both switches, wait 10 seconds and turn them on again.
2. Reboot the smartphone.

On some models (such as the Xiaomi 12 Pro) it may take up to 5 minutes for the time to update after the automatic sync is enabled.

Method 2: Manually changing time and date

If automatic sync doesn’t work or you need to set another time temporarily (for example, to test applications), you can do this manually:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Turn off the options Autodetermining Date and Time Zone and Autodetermining.
3. Click on Set a date and select the desired date in the calendar.
4. Click on Set time and use the dial or keyboard to enter the exact hour and minutes.
5. Click Ready or Save (depending on the MIUI version).

Important! After manual adjustment, some functions may not work properly:

• 🔔 Alarms and reminders may not work in time.
• 📱 Time-dependent applications (such as banking or instant messengers) can produce errors.
• 🌐 Geolocation services (such as Google Maps) can determine your location with a margin of error.

💡

If you have temporarily changed the time for testing, remember to return automatic synchronization after the work is completed.

Method 3: Changing the time zone

Sometimes the problem is not the clock itself, but the wrong time zone, which is especially true for travelers or users who often move between regions.

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Turn off the time zone autodetermination.
3. Click on Select a Time Zone.
4. Type your city name (e.g., Moscow) or select a zone manually (e.g., GMT+3).
5. Save the changes.

If your city does not appear on the list, choose the nearest major city in the same time zone, for example, for St. Petersburg you can choose Moscow, since both cities are in the GMT+3 zone.

If after changing the time zone, the time still appears incorrectly, try to turn on and off Time Zone Autodetermination again - this sometimes helps to "reset" the settings cache.

Method 4: Resetting time settings through Developer Mode

If standard methods don’t work, you can use the hidden developer mode settings, which are suitable for power users and can help in cases where time is lost due to system errors.

First, activate the developer mode (if it is not already enabled):

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and click on it 7 times in a row. You will be notified of becoming a developer!

Now, follow the following steps:

1. Return to the main Settings menu and open Additional Settings → For developers.
2. Scroll down and find the Network section.
3. Activate the Wi-Fi Debugging option (if any) and Do not disable data transfer.
4. Find Network Reset and click on it. Attention! This will delete all stored Wi-Fi networks and passwords.
5. After reset, restart your smartphone and check if the time has corrected.

In developer mode, you can manually specify NTP servers if the standard ones do not work:

1. In the Developer Menu, find NTP Servers.
2. Delete your current servers and add alternatives, such as: 0.ru.pool.ntp.org 1.ru.pool.ntp.org 2.ru.pool.ntp.org
3. Save the changes and restart the device.

Method 5: Correcting Time Errors After Updating the Firmware

Many Xiaomi users experience a time glitch after installing a new version of MIUI or HyperOS, which is due to a system file conflict or incorrect migration of settings.

1. Cache reset of the Watch app: Go to Settings → Apps → Application Management. Find the Watch (or Clock) app. Press Storage and select Clear Cache.
2. Checking the system clock through ADB (For advanced users: Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line. Enter the command: adb shell settings put global auto_time 1 adb shell settings put global auto_time_zone 1
3. Update rollback (if the issue has occurred after the last update): Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Recline Update (if the option is available).

On HyperOS models (e.g. Xiaomi 14), you may need to reinstall the Watch app via MIUI Cleaner after the update, as the new system uses a different time synchronization mechanism.

💡

If the time crash occurred after the update, try to clear the Clock cache first, which resolves the problem 80% of the time without further manipulation.

Additional Advice and Frequent Mistakes

Even after successfully setting up time on Xiaomi, users may experience recurrences of the problem. Here are some tips to avoid repeated crashes:

• 📶 Use a stable Internet connection. Wi-Fi is better for synchronizing time, as mobile data can have delays.
• 🔄 Update your firmware regularly. MIUI HyperOS and often fixes errors related to the operation of the system clock.
• ⚡ Turn off aggressive energy saving. In battery settings, add the Watch app to the exclusion list.
• 🛡️ Check the antivirus. Some security programs (such as Avast or 360 Security) can block access to servers. NTP.

A common mistake users make is to try to change the time through the watch widget on the home screen. This is impossible: the widget only displays the time, but does not allow it to be edited. All changes are made exclusively through Settings.

⚠️ Attention! If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), standard methods may not work. NTP Install additional modules in the build.prop file via Magisk.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions