How to change the format of the date on the smartphone Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

Why is the date format on Xiaomi not displayed the way you need it to?

You just bought a new Xiaomi. 14 or upgraded the firmware to MIUI 14, And they suddenly notice that the date on the status bar, calendar or notifications is in an uncomfortable format, like, instead of the usual format «25.12.2026» You see «12/25/2026» or «2026-12-25»? This problem is familiar to many users of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO — Especially those who travel or move to another country frequently.

The point is, MIUI It automatically adjusts the date format to the regional settings of the system. If you choose the interface language English (USA), then the date will be displayed in the American format. MM/DD/YYYY, for Russian or European languages, in the usual DD.MM.YYYY. But what if you need to manually set a non-standard format, for example, YYYY-MM-DD Or if, after resetting the settings, the date started showing a curve?

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the date format on Xiaomi smartphones, including hidden settings. MIUI, workarounds for older firmware versions and even methods using ADB For advanced users, you'll learn how to do this:

• 📅 Change the order of the day, month and year in the status bar and annexes
• ⏰ Switch between 12-hour and 24-hour time systems
• 🌍 Set up regional standards without changing the interface language
• 🔧 Fix Date Display Failures After Update MIUI

Important: Some methods require developer or unlocked bootloader rights. If you are a beginner, start with the basic methods (sections 1-3) and then move on to the advanced ones (sections 4-6).

Method 1: Change the date format through regional settings

The easiest and safest method is to change the region of the system. MIUI (12 to 14) and does not require root rights, but it has a limitation: you can only choose from predefined formats for a particular country.

To change the format of the date through the region:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Language and input.
2. Select the "Region" option (in some firmwares it may be called "Country/Region").
3. Scroll through the list and select the country with the desired format: 🇷🇺 Russia — DD.MM.YYYY (25.12.2026) 🇺🇸 USA — MM/DD/YYYY (12/25/2026) 🇯🇵 Japan — YYYY/MM/DD (2026/12/25) 🇨🇳 China — YYYY-MM-DD (2026-12-25)

Confirm the change and restart the smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Changes in the region may affect:

• 📱 Displaying local holidays in the calendar
• 🌡️ Temperature measurement units (Celsius/Fahrenheit)
• 📶 Availability of certain services (e.g. Google Pay or Mi Pay)

If you need to save the current region but only change the date format, go to Method 2.

Backup of important data

Remember the current language and region settings

Check the compatibility of applications with the new region

Make sure SIM-The card supports roaming (if traveling)-->

Method 2: Manually configure date format via Date and Time

V MIUI 13 and MIUI 14 allows you to fine-tune the date format without changing region, and this method allows you to select the custom order of the day, month and year, and also enable or disable the mapping of the name of the month by spelling.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → System → Date and time.
2. Activate the option “Set date and time manually” (if disabled).
3. Click on “Date Format” (in some firmwares this item is hidden – see spoiler below).
4. Choose one of the suggested options or create your own by dragging and dropping items. DD (day-day), MM (month), YYYY (year).
5. Save the changes and check the date display in the status bar.

🔍 What to do if the item "Date Format" is not?

⚠️ Note: After manually adjusting the date format, some system applications (such as Calendar or Weather) can display the date in the old format before restarting.To fix this, clear the app cache:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Select App] → Storage → Clear Cache

* For Japanese and Korean regions, manual date format settings are often blocked at the firmware level.

💡

If the date in the status bar has not been updated after changing the format, try turning on and off the "In the plane" mode (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → This will force the system data display to be updated.

Method 3: Using third-party apps to customize the date

If system settings MIUI They don't allow you to format, you can use third-party utilities, they run on top of the system and change the display of the date in the status bar, on the lock screen and in some applications.

The best applications for this task:

• 📱 MoreLocale 2 allows you to emulate any region without changing the system language. ✅ Pros: does not require root, works on MIUI 12–14. ❌ Cons: May conflict with some banking applications.
• ⚙️ SetEdit is an advanced system settings editor that allows you to change the formats of date, time and even fonts. ✅ Pros: wide opportunities for customization. ❌ Cons: Requires root rights or unlocked bootloader.
• 🔄 Locale & Time Zone Changer – a special application for changing local settings. ✅ Pros: simple interface, support for Android 12-14. ❌ Cons: in the free version of limited functionality.

📌 Step-by-step instructions for MoreLocale 2:

1. Download and install MoreLocale 2 from Google Play.
2. Open the application and give permissions to change system settings.
3. In the list of countries, select the date format that suits you (e.g. Germany for the first time). DD.MM.YYYY).
4. Click "Activate" and confirm the action.
5. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Mi Fit or Xiaomi Cloud) may stop syncing data if the region in MoreLocale 2 does not match the real location:

🔹 Turn off sync in problem apps before changing region. 🔹 Use it. VPN servers in the selected country (for example, if you have activated Germany, connect to the German server) VPN). 🔹 Once you set the date, return the original region to MoreLocale 2, but leave the date format unchanged.

💡

The application side is the most versatile way, but they can conflict with system services. MIUI. Always test changes on backup data!

Method 4: Change the format of the date through ADB (advanced)

If none of the previous methods worked, you can manually write the desired date format through the ADB-This method is suitable for users with unlocked bootloader or root rights, as well as for devices on the Internet. MIUI 14, where standard settings are limited.

🛠️ What's the matter:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-tool.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

📝 Commands to change date format:

Connect your smartphone to your PC and perform at the terminal:


adb shell settings put global date_format [Format]




Examples of formats:



adb shell settings put global date_format"dd-MM-yyyy" # 25-12-2026




adb shell settings put global date_format"MM/dd/yyyy" # 12/25/2026




adb shell settings put global date_format"yyyy-MM-dd" # 2026-12-25




adb shell settings put global date_format"dd.MM.yyy" # 25.12.2026 (Russian standard)




After completing, restart the device:



adb reboot

⚠️ Attention: Wrong ADB-commands can cause system failure. On devices with a locked bootloader (Xiaomi) EU or global firmware, some commands may not be applied until unlocked.

🔧 If the team didn't work out:

1. Check if your firmware supports the change. date_format through ADB (version MIUI This parameter is locked).
2. Try an alternative method with sysprop: adb shell setprop persist.sys.date_format dd-MM-yyyy adb shell setprop ctl.restart zygote
3. If nothing helps, you only need to edit system files (root).

Method 5: Edit system files (root only)

This is the most radical method that allows you to completely redefine the formats of date and time at the system level. TWRP, And also those who are willing to risk the stability of the system for the sake of customization.

📂 What files need to be edited?

Date formats in MIUI file-stored:

• /system/csc/others.xml — Main regional settings.
• /system/csc/sales_code.dat — country codes and related formats.
• /vendor/build.prop — System properties (including ro.product.locale).

🛠️ Instructions:

1. Make a backup of the current firmware through TWRP.
2. Use Root Explorer or Mixplorer (with root rights) to open the file /system/csc/others.xml.
3. Find the tag lines: <DateFormat>...</DateFormat> <TimeFormat>...</TimeFormat> Replace them with the right values (for example, <DateFormat>dd.MM.yyyy</DateFormat>).
4. Save the file, set the rights 644 (rw-r--r---).
5. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to:

• 🔄 Bootloopou (locked loading)
• 📵 Network loss or IMEI
• 🔧 Inoperability of certain functions (NFC, Wi-Fi)

🔄 How to Recover from a Mistake?

If after editing the smartphone stopped booting: Load in TWRP (hold on to food + Volume up. Restore the backup of the system partition. If there's no backup, run the firmware again through the Mi Flash Tool.

💡

Editing system files is a last resort, and 90% of the time, 1-3 is enough. Use this method only if others have failed!

Method 6: Resetting date and time settings to factory

If the date is not displayed correctly after experimenting with the formats (for example, it shows 32.13.2026 or is reset after rebooting), resetting the date and time settings to factory will help.

🔄 How to reset the settings:

1. Open Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset Date and Time Settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
3. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

📌 What will be dropped:

• 🕒 Time format (12/24 hour)
• 📅 Date format (return to the selected region standard)
• ⏳ Time zone (to be determined automatically)
• ⏱️ Automatic time synchronization settings

❌ What will NOT be dropped:

• 📱 Installed applications and their data
• 📷 Photos, videos and files
• 🔑 Google and Xiaomi accounts

🔍 If the dump didn't help:

In rare cases, a date failure may be due to damage to system files, which can help:

• 🔄 Update the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛠️ Fastboot flashing (instructions for your model look at xiaomi.eu).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successfully changing the format of the date, Xiaomi users face problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

💡 Advice for users MIUI 14:

After updating before MIUI 14 date is now displayed in format YYYY-MM-DD It doesn’t change through the settings, try it:

1. Install MoreLocale 2 and select China.
2. Then go back to the system settings and manually change the format to the desired one.
3. Reboot your smartphone – this often resets the firmware limitations.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions