How to set up a clock on the Xiaomi desktop: all ways and life hacks

Why Xiaomi doesn’t have a watch on its screen – and how to fix it

Have you just updated your firmware on Xiaomi or bought a new smartphone — and suddenly you find that there are no clock widgets on your desktop? or does the time display incorrectly, get lost after the reboot? This problem is familiar to many MIUI users, especially after transitions between shell versions (for example, from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14).

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can customize your Xiaomi watch, from basic setup of a standard widget to subtle customization through hidden settings, and why time can get lost and how to sync it to Google or Xiaomi servers for up to a second.

Spoiler: If you have a Redmi Note 12, a POCO X5 or another model on MIUI 14, the configuration algorithm has changed, so now the widgets are hidden in a separate menu. But don't worry, we'll show you where to look.

The easiest method is to use the built-in Watch widget from MIUI. It supports several display styles (analog, digital, date) and automatically adjusts to the theme of the design.

How do I add:

Press and hold the empty space on the desktop with your finger.
At the bottom of the screen will appear panel – tap the icon Widgets (the icon with three squares).
Scroll down to the Watch block (or Clock in English firmware).
Choose your favorite style and drag it to the screen.

Important for MIUI 14: newer versions of the watch widgets may be called Analog Watches or Digital Watches, and if you don't find them, check the Recommended Widgets tab.

Make sure there is a free space on the screen (the widget will not stand over the icons)

Update the Watch app in Google Play

Reboot your smartphone if the widgets don’t appear in the list

Check if widgets are hidden in the launcher settings (for POCO Launcher)

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Method 2: Configure the time display in the status bar

If you don't need a separate widget, you can set the time display right in the top notification bar, and you can have format options (12/24 hours), show seconds or not, and font style.

Instructions:

Open the Settings → Screen → Status Line.
Slip on time.
Choose: 🕒 Time format — 24-hourly 12-clockwork (AM/PM). ⏱️ Show seconds - turn on if you need an accurate countdown. 📱 Style of the font - on some models (Xiaomi) 13, Redmi K60) bold-type.

Lifehack: If the time in the status bar is not updated, check the sync settings (more on this in the next section). Sometimes switching to a different format and back again helps.

24-hour (13:45)

12-hour with AM/PM (1:45 PM)

It doesn't matter if you show me seconds.

Another option-->

Method 3: Synchronize time with Xiaomi/Google servers

If the Xiaomi watch is in a hurry or lags, the problem is the sync settings. By default, the smartphone takes time from the operator's networks, but this is not always accurate. NTP (Network Time Protocol).

How to set up:

Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
Turn off the Auto-Date and Time option.
Enable Use Network Time and select: 🌍 Xiaomi server – ntp.miui.com (optimized for the MIUI). 🔍 Google server - time.google.com (universal).

Time zone autodetermination

NTP server	precision	Pluses	Cons
ntp.miui.com	±0.5 sec.	Optimized for MIUI, low ping	Can be laid when changing region
time.google.com	±0.2 sec.	Universal, working everywhere	High traffic consumption (if the fare is expensive)
pool.ntp.org	±0.3 sec.	Public, reliable.	Sometimes slowing down.

💡

If the time is still lost after changing the server, try manually specifying the time zone (for example, Moscow, GMT+3) and disable autodetermination.

Method 4: Installation of third-party widgets (KWGT, Chronus)

Not everyone likes standard MIUI watches — there are limited styles, no animations or weather — and installing custom widgets through apps like KWGT or Chronus will help.

Step-by-step instructions for KWGT:

Download KWGT from Google Play.
Open the app and select your favorite template (like Minimal Clock).
Click Save and add a widget to your desktop (as in Method 1).
For fine-tuning, tap on the widget → Edit → change color, font, add weather or battery.

💡

The POCO F5 and Redmi K70 have a hidden feature called "Always-on Display" with the watch. To enable: Settings → Screen → Always-on Display → Select the style of the watch.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up a watch on Xiaomi

🕐 Why the clock on the lock screen and desktop show different times?

This is because of a synchronization conflict. Solution: Go to Settings → Apps → App Management → Watch. Clear the cache and data. Reboot the phone. If it doesn't work, turn off autosynchronization time in Settings → Accounts → Sync.

⏰ Can the watch be made transparent?

Yes, in two ways: Through KWGT: select a template with a transparent background (like Transparent Clock). In the standard widget: click on the clock → Edit → reduce background opacity to 0%. On MIUI 14, background blur effect (Widget Settings → Effects) is also available.

📱 How to return the clock after resetting settings?

After a hard reset, the widgets are reset. To return: Add the widget again (see Method 1). If the watch does not save, upgrade the MIUI to the latest version. For POCO models, you may need to change the launcher to a standard MIUI Launcher.

🔋 Why the clock disappears after the battery is discharged?

It's energy-saving. Solution: Add the Watch app to the optimization exceptions: Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → All Apps → Watches → No Limits. Turn off Ultra-Economic in the battery settings.

🌍 How to make a clock show time in another city?

Use the World Time widget: Add the Watch widget to your desktop. Tap it → Add a city. Choose the right city (like New York or Tokyo). The standard widget can display up to 3 time zones at a time.