How to put a watch on the screen on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Do you want time to be visible but don’t know how to add a watch to a Xiaomi screen? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones – the standard MIUI settings are not always intuitive. Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 14/15) and the phone model, the ways of displaying time can vary, from classic widgets on the desktop to hidden options in the lock menu.

In this article, we'll look at all the current methods, from basic to advanced, including ADB customization for power users, how to display your watch on a lock screen, desktop or even notification panel, and what restrictions MIUI imposes on different models. Some solutions only work on phones with Always-On Display (AOD), but we'll find workarounds for devices without this feature.

1. Standard method: clock widget on the desktop

The easiest method is to add a watch widget directly to the home screen, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the MIUI version (except the oldest models on Android 8 and below), and you can customize the widget to your own style, from minimalistic digital watches to analog with a stopwatch.

How to do this:

• 📱 With a long tap on the free desktop space, call the menu “Widgets».
• ⏰ Scroll through the list to the “Clock” section (or Clock on English firmware).
• 🎨 Choose the display style: analog, digital or weather + time.
• 🔄 Drag the widget onto the screen and adjust the size (if supported).

Note that on some models (such as the POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12), the watch widget may be hidden in the “Additional” or “Tools” folder. If you don’t find it on the list, try updating the firmware – new widget styles are added to MIUI 15.

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If the watch widget doesn’t update the time, restart the phone or check the sync settings in Settings → Additional → Date and time.

2.Clock on the lock screen: setup via MIUI

By default, the Xiaomi lock screen displays time, but it can be customized or returned if it has disappeared after the update.In MIUI 14/15, these settings are hidden deeper than before, so follow the instructions carefully.

Path to settings:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select the Lock Screen Style (or Lock Screen Style).
3. Scroll down to the "Clock" section and tap on it.
4. Turn on the "Show the clock" switch (if it is turned off).
5. Click on “Clock Style” to select a design (up to 10 options are available depending on the model).

Some devices (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60) have an option called “Always-On Display (AOD)” that allows you to keep your watch on the screen permanently.

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Always-On Display.
2. Turn on the function and select the time display style.
3. Set up a schedule (for example, only at night or always).

3. Additional settings: color, size and position of the watch

MIUI 15 offers the ability to fine-tune the look of the watch, from color to transparency, which is not available on all models, but it is worth checking out. For example, on the Xiaomi 14 or POCO X6 Pro, you can even add animation for numbers.

How to change the style of the watch:

• 🎨 Settings menu → Lock screen → Select the style of the watch "Setting up».
• 🖌️ You can change it here: Number color (including gradient); font size (Small to Huge); screen position (top, center, bottom); background (transparent or blurred).
• 💾 Save the changes and check the result on the lock screen.

On older versions of MIUI (up to 14), these options may not be available, and a third-party application such as KWGT Kustom Widget (requires manual configuration, but gives complete design freedom) will help.

Digital (classical)

Analog (with arrows)

Minimalistic (hours and minutes only)

With the weather and the date.

Another option-->

Advanced Method: Watches through ADB (for experienced)

If you don't have the standard settings and Always-On Display is not on your model, you can use ADB commands. This is suitable for users who are ready to work with a computer.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

Commands for setting up the watch through ADB:

adb shell settings put global lock_screen_show_clock 1 # Enable the lock clock


adb shell settings put global lock_screen_clock_style 3 # Set style (numbers from 0 to 5)




adb shell settings put global aod_mode_enabled 1 # Include AOD (not all models)

Once each command is entered, restart your phone (adb reboot) if the watch doesn't show up, your model doesn't support these settings. The full list of available commands for MIUI can be found in the official documentation.

Install ADB Tools on PC

Enable debugging over USB on Xiaomi

Connect the phone to the computer

Check the connection with the adb device command

Make a data backup-->

5 Third-party apps: Alternative watches on Xiaomi

If the built-in options don't work, you can install third-party apps, and they offer more customization options, including animation, weather widgets, and even interactive elements.-3 tested solutions:

When using third-party applications, consider:

• 🔋 Widgets with animation or frequent updates drain the battery faster.
• 🛡️ Some applications require permission to “overlay over other windows”, which may conflict with the MIUI.
• 📱 Nana POCO and a Redmi shell. POCO Launcher widgets may not be displayed correctly - try changing the launcher.

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Third-party apps are the best choice if you want a unique watch (like custom fonts or weather data), but they can conflict with MIUI optimizations, so test them before you use them all the time.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when set up correctly, Xiaomi watches may not work properly, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The watch has disappeared from the lock screen, reset the lock style settings: → Lock screen → Reset to factory. That'll bring back the standard time mapping.

Problem 1: The clock on the widget is not updated.

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 🕒 Check the time settings: Settings → Additionally. → Date and time → Autodetermination.
• 📱 Remove the widget and add it again.

Problem 2: There is no Always-On Display option.

• 🔍 Make sure you have AMOLED-screen (check the model characteristics).
• 📲 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI.
• 🔧 Use it. ADB-Adb shell settings put global aod_mode_enabled 1 (It doesn’t work on all devices).

Problem 3: The clock is too small or unreadable.

• 🎨 Try changing the style in the settings → Lock screen → Clock style.
• 👓 Enable Dark Theme for better contrast: Settings → Screen. → Dark subject.
• 🛠️ Install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) that supports widget scaling.

If none of these things worked, it might be the firmware failure, which is where resetting to factory settings (don't forget to back up!) helps.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Important: On devices with MIUI for POCO (like the POCO X5 Pro), the path to watch settings may be different. Look for them in Settings → Lock and Protection → Lock Style.