How to change the time on the phone Xiaomi: 5 ways and solving errors

Time on a Xiaomi smartphone is not just numbers on the lock screen; it depends on the alarm clocks, synchronizing notifications, correctly displaying the history of calls, and even some features of banking applications. If your phone shows the wrong time, it can lead to missed appointments, messaging or geolocation problems. Fortunately, you can fix the situation in a few minutes, both automatically and manually.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the time on Xiaomi devices, including models on the device. MIUI 12/13/14 You will learn how to sync your watch with your network, set up time zones for travel, and what to do if time is lost after a reboot or firmware update. 3–6 Back or forth due to the wrong location.

Whether you’re using Xiaomi’s flagship 14 Ultra or the budget Redmi Note 12, the instructions are universal, and if your device runs on custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), you’ll find some guidelines at the end of the article.

1. Automatic time synchronization over the network

The easiest way to keep up-to-date time is to enable automatic synchronization with NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers, a method recommended for most users, since it eliminates manual errors and takes into account winter/summer time transitions.

To activate the function:

  1. Open the Settings app** (cog icon).
  2. Go to the section Additional settings → Date and time.
  3. Activate the switches: 🔄 Autodetermining Date and Time (using network data). 🌍 Time zone autodetermination (determined by location or SIM-map).

Once turned on, the phone will contact Google or Xiaomi servers (depending on the region) and update the data. Usually the process takes no more than 10 seconds. If synchronization does not occur, check the Internet connection or restart the device.

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If you travel frequently, leave automatic time zone detection on, which eliminates the need to manually reconfigure the time when crossing borders.

2 Manual change of time and date

Automatic synchronization does not always work perfectly, for example, in some regions (such as Crimea or the Donetsk People’s Republic), time zones may not be correctly defined due to political constraints, in which case manual adjustment will help.

For this:

  1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
  2. Turn off the options “Date and Time Auto Determination” and “Time Zone Autodetermination.”

If your city is not on the list, choose the nearest major city with the same time zone, for example, GMT+3: Moscow, and for Vladivostok – GMT+10: Vladivostok.

What to do if manual time is lost after rebooting?
If the phone is turned off/on, the problem may be with a discharged RTC (real-time clock) battery on the motherboard, which is typical of older models (Redmi 4X, Mi A1), the solution is to take the device to a service for replacing the battery or use only automatic synchronization.

3.Tune the time through SIM-map (for older models)

On Xiaomi devices before MIUI 10 (such as Redmi 3S or Mi 5), the time could be synchronized with carrier data, a feature that is now almost unused, but can be enabled manually:

  1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
  2. Choose yours. SIM-card (if there are several).
  3. Activate the option “Synchronize time with the network”** (the name may vary).

If the problem persists, try resetting all network settings (not to be confused with a full reset!):

Settings → Connections and Sharing → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth

Check your Internet connection |Disable/enable automatic synchronization |Clear Cache of the Watch app |Update APN|Reboot phone-->

5. Features of time settings on HyperOS

The new HyperOS shell, which debuted on Xiaomi 14 and Redmi K70, has a modified settings interface.

  1. Open the "Settings" and scroll to the "System" block.

If after installing custom firmware time is lost, check:

  1. Kernel Version – Outdated builds may not support modern synchronization protocols.
  2. Presence of the module fake_gapps — Sometimes it conflicts with Google services.

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On custom firmware, check compatibility with your phone model first. Some builds (like the Redmi Note 8 Pro) require patches to work properly.

7. Additional tips and life hacks

Here are some useful tricks that not all Xiaomi users know about:

  • ⏰ Quick opening of the clock: twice tap the time in the status bar (works on the clock) MIUI 12+).
  • 🌐 Google sync: If you use a Google account, time can be synced through its servers. → Google → Synchronization.
  • 🔋 Saving charge: Turning off automatic time synchronization (if not needed) can extend battery life by 1-2%.

For owners of Xiaomi with Always-On Display (AOD), it is important to keep track of the correct time, as it appears on the screen off. If the AOD watch is not updated, try:

  1. Disable and re-enable the “Always-On” function in the screen settings.
  2. Update the firmware to the latest version (some MIUI 13 builds had an AOD error).

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If you fly or cross time zones frequently, add the Clock widget to the home screen with time in multiple cities to avoid confusion.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up time on Xiaomi

❓ Why does the phone show you the time 3 hours ahead?
This is a typical problem with the wrong time zone. GMT+0 (London instead GMT+3 (Check the settings in Date and Time → Time zone and select your region manually. Also make sure that the "Time Zone Auto-Detection" option is disabled** if you are in a non-standard time zone (for example, Kaliningrad or Kamchatka).
❓ Can the format of the time display be changed (12/24 hour)?
Yes, for this: Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time. Select the option “Use 24-hour format”** (or disable it for 12-hour format). On some firmware, this option may be in Settings → Language and region.
❓ After upgrading to HyperOS, time is lost every day?
This is a well-known bug in early versions of HyperOS for some models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi). K60). Decisions: 📥 Update your firmware to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system. 🔄 Reset your time settings (see Section 4). 🛠️ If the problem persists, roll back to MIUI 14 via Fastboot (skills required).
❓ How to synchronize time on Xiaomi smartwatches (Mi Band, Watch)?
Xiaomi’s smartwatch syncs time to your phone automatically through the Mi Fitness or Zepp Life app. If the time on the bracelet (Mi Band 7, Watch 2 Pro) doesn’t match your phone: Open the watch app. Go to the device profile. Select Sync Data.** If it doesn’t work, reconnect the watch to your phone.
❓ Can you set up an automatic transition to winter/summer time?
Yes, this function works automatically if you enable “Date and Time Auto-Detection.”** Xiaomi uses a database IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, which contains transition rules for all countries, but in some regions (e.g. Russia with the Internet). 2014 Daylight saving time is cancelled and the phone should take this into account: 🌍 Make sure you choose the right time zone (for example, Europe/Moscow, not Europe/Kiev). 📡 Update Google Play Services in Settings → Annexes → Google Play Services → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

⚠️ Note: If you use a phone with root rights or custom recavery (TWRP), Changing the time manually can lead to errors in the operation of some applications (for example, Google Pay or banking services.