How to change the look of the watch on the screen Xiaomi: 7 ways to customize

The look of the Xiaomi watch is not just a functional element, but part of the visual style of your smartphone. Many users do not realize that MIUI has more than 10 different time display options, from minimalistic digital fonts to animated analog dials, and the interface for setting the watch varies depending on the version of the shell (MIUI 14 vs MIUI 15) and even the device model (for example, the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra have different options).

In this article, we will explore all possible ways to change the look of a watch, from standard settings in the Themes menu to hidden functions through ADB and third-party launchers.

🔄 Change the style of the clock on the lock screen and desktop
⚙️ Customize the color, size and font of time
📱 Install animated or analog clocks (including hidden options)
🔓 Bypassing restrictions MIUI for trimmed-down models

We will focus on hidden MIUI themes with unique dials that are not displayed in the standard directory but are accessible via workarounds, and we will also discuss why some functions may be blocked by the manufacturer on some devices (for example, POCO F5).

1. Standard settings of the watch in MIUI

Starting with the basic features that are available on all Xiaomi smartphones without installing additional apps, depending on the version of MIUI, the path to settings may vary slightly, but the general logic remains.

To change the view of the clock on the lock screen:

Open the Settings → Lock screen.
Select the item "Style of watches" (in some versions - "Clock Design").
Scroll through the list of available styles, and you will find both digital options (like Minimalist or Neon) and analog (Classic dial).

To change the hours on the desktop:

📌 Long pressing on the free screen space → Widget settings.
🎨 Select the Watch widget and click Change Style.
🔄 There are options with weather, stopwatch or minimalist display.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) some of the watch styles can be hidden. To unlock them, you need to change the system region to India or Global through Settings. → Additionally. → Region.

📊 What type of watch do you prefer on Xiaomi?

Digital minimalist

Analog classics

Animated (for example, with the weather)

Mines through the launcher.

I don't care.

2. Hidden watch styles: how to unlock

MIUI has undocumented watch styles that don't appear in the standard menu, and can be activated in two ways: through theme codes or manually editing configuration files.

The easiest way is to use theme codes.

Go to Topics → My Topics → Enter the theme code.
Enter one of the following codes (working on the MIUI 14/15): 🔢 mtz20230515 — particle-animation 🌌 mtz20230722 — star-back ⚡ mtz20230910 — neon-style cyberpunk watch

Apply the theme – the style of the watch will change automatically.

If the codes don’t work, try the manual method (requires ROOT or ADB):

adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_style 5

Where 5 is the hidden style ID (available values: 3-8 for analog, 10-15 for digital with animation).

List of all ID styles of watches in MIUI 15

ID 3 - Classical analogue (hidden in the EU-firmware) ID 7 – Digital clock with second hand (only for the AMOLED-screen) ID 12 – Animated weather dial (requires network connection) ID 15 – Retro-radio-style watches (only available on Always-On Display devices)

3. Change of color and font of the watch

The color and font of the watch on Xiaomi can be adjusted through standard means and using third-party tools. MIUI 15 has the ability to fine-tune these parameters without installing additional applications.

To change the color of the watch on the lock screen:

Go to Settings → Lock screen → Watch style.
Select any style marked Customizable (e.g. Digital Modern).
Press the Color and select the shade from the palette or enter the hex code (e.g. #FF5733 for orange).

Instructions for installing custom watches through Nova Launcher:

Download Nova Launcher from Google Play| Install a watch widget (e.g. Chronus or Another Widget)| Long-click on desktop → Widgets → Select the installed widget | Set the size and position of the widgets | Apply theme design (optional)

-->

Third-party launchers are not suitable for the lock screen - only Always-On Display will help here (AOD). On devices with AMOLED-screen (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60) activate AOD and choose one of the 5+ styles of watches, including animated.

⚠️ Note: On budget models (e.g. Redmi) A2 or POCO M5) function AOD It's missing because of hardware limitations. ADB It can cause the screen to overheat and reduce battery life.

5. Set up hours via ADB (for power users)

If you’re ready to dive into the technical details, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will open access to hidden watch parameters, a method that is suitable for devices where the manufacturer has blocked some of the features (for example, on POCO or Redmi with global firmware).

To change the style of the watch through ADB:

Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the line with the version, then return to Additional → For Developers).
Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_style [ID] where [ID] — style number (see spoiler in section) 2).
Use the following color change: adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_color "#HEX" For example, #FF0000 red.

You can also use ADB to:

🔄 Disable the clock on the lock screen: adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_enabled 0
📏 Resize (values from) 0.5 before 2.0): adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_scale 1.5
🌐 Hide the date next to the clock: adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_show_date 0

💡

Changes through ADB Not saved after resetting settings or updating MIUI. To return standard settings, use the command adb shell settings delete global. lockscreen_clock_style.

Problems and Solutions: The clock does not change or reset

Sometimes, after changing the style of the watch on Xiaomi, the settings are reset or the new settings are not applied.

Problem.	Reason.	Decision
The clock is reset after rebooting	Theme conflict or cache error	Clear the cache in Settings → Applications → Themes → Storage
Not all styles are available	Restrictions of regional firmware	Change region to India in system settings
The clock is displayed incorrectly (blurred, with artifacts)	Incompatibility of font or screen resolution	Return the standard font or update the MIUI

If the watch is completely missing from the lock screen:

Check if the option Show the clock in Settings → Lock screen is activated.
Reset the themes settings: Settings → Themes → Reset to standard.
For devices with Always-On Display, make sure the feature is enabled in Settings → Display → Always-On.

On some models (for example, Xiaomi 12T) after upgrading to MIUI 15, the option of adjusting the color of the watch may disappear.

🔄 Retracement to the previous version MIUI (via Fastboot).
📲 Installation of custom firmware (for example, xiaomi.eu).
🎨 Using a widget through a third-party launcher.

7.The Best Apps for Customizing Watches

If built-in MIUI tools aren’t enough, look for third-party apps that not only change the look of the watch, but also add additional features like displaying weather, steps or notifications.

Top.-5 Apps for setting up watches on Xiaomi:

🏆 Always On AMOLED — Animated Watch for Always-On Screens (Works on Xiaomi) 13/14, Redmi K70).
🎨 KWGT Kustom Widget Maker – Creating custom watches from scratch (requires design skills).
⏱️ Chronus – watches with weather widget and calendar (integration with Google Fit).
🌈 Digital Clock Widget – Minimalistic digital watch with color and size settings.
🔧 Tasker – Automatic change of watch style depending on the time of day or location.

When installing third-party applications, consider:

⚠️ Battery consumption: Animated watches can increase power consumption by 5-15%.
🔒 Permissions: Some applications require access to notifications or location.
📱 Compatibility: Check your model support on the Google Play app page.

💡

To save charge, turn off the clock animation in the widget settings. For example, in Always On AMOLED you can set a static display of time without effects.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up a watch on Xiaomi

Can I set my watch (for example, with a photo) on the lock screen?

Yes, but only through third-party apps like Always On AMOLED or KWGT. Normally, MIUI does not. To create custom watches: Install KWGT and download the watch template (e.g., on Kustom Rocks site). Import the template and customize it for yourself. Install a widget on your desktop or lock screen (requires ROOT to lock). On devices without ROOT, custom watches will only work on your desktop.

Why did some watch styles disappear after the MIUI update?

This is due to Xiaomi's firmware optimization policy. MIUI The manufacturer removes the underutilized styles to reduce the size of the system, and you can return them by: rolling back the firmware to the previous version. Install custom firmware (for example, xiaomi.eu). ADB hand-write ID style (see section) 5). For example, in MIUI 15 Digital neon style is gone, but it can be returned by adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_style 11.

How to make the clock on the lock screen show seconds?

In standard settings MIUI The second hand is only displayed in analog watch styles. To add seconds to digital format: Set the Digital with Seconds Style (not available on all devices). ADB: adb shell settings put global lockscreen_clock_show_seconds 1 For devices with Always-On Display, the second hand may not be displayed due to power limitations. POCO And some Redmi this feature is blocked at the firmware level.

Can I change the location of the clock on the lock screen?

In standard MIUI settings, the clock is fixed (usually in the top left or center position). To move them: Use KWGT or Tasker to create a custom widget. On devices with ROOT, you can edit the framework-res.apk file (requires knowledge in modifying system files). For Always-On Display, the clock location changes in the AOD settings (if supported by the model). For example, on Xiaomi 13 Ultra in AOD mode, you can choose from 3 positions: left, center or right.

Why are the clocks on the desktop and lock screen different?

This is normal MIUI behavior — the clock settings for the lock screen and the desktop are managed separately. To sync them: For the desktop, set up the watch widget (long press → Widgets). For the lock screen, use the Settings menu → Lock screen → Watch style. To make the watch look the same, choose the same style in both menus (such as Minimalist). Note: some styles (such as Analog with weather) are only available on the lock screen.