How to change the look of a watch on Xiaomi: from standard dials to custom styles

Why Xiaomi can’t just change the font of the watch and what to do

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a paradox: the MIUI shell offers a lot of themes, but changing the appearance of the watch comes down to a choice of 2-3 standard options. Unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where dials are flexible, most options are hidden in the depths of the system or require workarounds.

The problem is compounded by the fact that even after the update to MIUI 14, the functionality remains limited. For example, on the lock screen you can only select Analog or Digital Watch, and for the desktop you can only access widgets from Google or Mi Clock. But the good news is that with hidden settings, third-party apps and even more. ADB-You can do unique designs, and then we'll go through all the working methods, from simple to advanced.

Important: on devices with MIUI Global Edition, some features may be blocked due to regional restrictions, for example, on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ for China, 12 styles of dials are available, and in the global version only 4.

Method 1: Standard MIUI settings (without root)

Start with the basic options that are available out of the box, which don't require superuser rights and work on all models starting with MIUI 12:

• 📱 Lock screen: go to Settings → Lock screen → Watch style: Classic, Minimalist and Digital (up to 6 styles on some devices).
• ⏰ Desktop: long tap on the free space on the main screen select Widgets → The clock. MIUI Pre-installed widgets Mi Clock (4×1, 4×2) and Google Clock (if installed).
• 🎨 Topics: In the Topics app (Brush icon) find the Dials section. You can download additional styles here, but they only apply to the lock screen.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ There is no way to change the font or color of the watch – only ready-made styles.
• ❌ Widgets on the desktop are not synchronized with the theme of the system.
• ❌ In some models (for example, POCO X5 Pro) option Watch style is not in the lock menu.

The secret trick: If all watch styles are not available in your region, try changing the system region to India or China through Settings → Additional → Region.

Method 2: Widgets from third-party developers

If a standard MIUI watch seems boring, the best solution is to install custom widgets.

• 🖌️ Font (from Roboto to Font) Digital-7).
• 🎨 Color and transparency (up to gradients).
• 📊 Additional information: date, weather, battery.

Top.-3 customization:

Instructions for installation of KWGT:

1. Download KWGT from Google Play.
2. Open the app and allow access to Overlay in Android settings.
3. Long tap on the desktop, select Widgets → KWGT → 4×2.
4. In the editor, download the ready-made template (for example, search by Miui Clock tag).

Download KWGT or UCCW

Allow overlay in Settings → Applications → Special Access

Disable battery optimization for the widget

Reset the device-->

⚠️ Attention: POCO F4 GT And other 120Hz devices, some widgets can cause slowdowns. KWGT Turn off the Real-Time Update option and set the interval to 1 minute.

Method 3: Modifying the system clock through ADB (for advanced)

If you're ready to dive into the technical details, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to modify the system clock without root rights. This method runs on MIUI 13/14 and requires a computer.

What can be changed:

• 🔄 Replace the standard clock font with custom (e.g. DS-Digital).
• 🎭 Change the location of the clock on the lock screen (left, center, right).
• 🖼️ Add background gradient or transparency.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb devices (you should display your device).
3. Download a watch mod (like MiuiClockMod) and unpack ZIP into a folder with ADB.
4. Follow the command to install the mod: adb push miuiclock.apk /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUIPlugin/ adb shell chmod 644 /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUIPlugin/miuiclock.apk adb reboot

⚠️ Attention: Wrong commands ADB You can have a bootloop before experimenting, back up through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup.

Method 4: Use of alternative launchers

If you don't like the widgets on the standard MIUI launcher, you can install a third-party launcher that offers flexible watch setup.

• 🌌 Nova Launcher: supports adaptive icons, custom widgets and gestures. In the Nova Clock widget settings, you can choose from 20+ styles.
• 🔄 Lawnchair: lightweight launcher with support for Android 12+ styles, including dynamic clocks.
• 🎯 Hyperion Launcher: optimized for Xiaomi, has built-in themes MIUI.

How to set up a clock in Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher and make it the default launcher.
2. Select the long tap on the desktop Widgets → Nova Clock.
3. In the widget settings, select Minimal or Bold style, and also:

💡

If the clock on the lock screen is lost after installing the launcher, return the standard MIUI launcher via Settings → Applications → Default → Launcher. This does not affect desktop widgets.

Method 5: Manually edit system files (requires root)

For the bravest, it's a method with complete control over the look of the watch, requiring unlocked bootloaders and root rights (like Magisk).

What files are responsible for the MIUI clock:

• /system/media/theme/default/com.android.systemui/clock_style.xml — analogue-watches.
• /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUIPlugin/res/drawable/ – images of dials.
• /system/font/ – fonts for digital watches (e.g. DroidSansMono.ttf).

Instructions for replacing the clock font:

1. Download. TTF-typeface, Digital-7.ttf) and rename it to DroidSansMono.ttf.
2. Using Root Explorer or Mixplorer, copy the file to /system/font/, replacing the original.
3. Change the file permission to 644 (rw-r-----).
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi 13 Ultra and other flagships with Dynamic RAM Expansion editing system files can cause SystemUI to crash. Before you change, disable this function in Settings → Additionally. → Memory.

💡

Editing system files without backup is the main way to the brick. Always save the original files to a separate folder before making changes.

Problem Solving: The clock doesn't change or get lost

Sometimes, after a change, the Xiaomi watch starts to glittle: it disappears, displays incorrectly or resets after a reboot.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up a watch on Xiaomi