How to set the date and time on Xiaomi devices: from smartphones to smart watches

Introduction: Why it is important to set the date correctly on Xiaomi

Incorrectly set date and time on Xiaomi devices can lead to app crashes, account sync problems, and even security errors, such as blocking access to banking applications, preventing firmware updates, and disrupting smart home schedules, with many users experiencing factory resets or battery replacements.

In this article, we’ll look at how to set the date and time on all types of Xiaomi devices – from Redmi and POCO smartphones to Mi Band smartwatches and Mi TVs. Particular attention will be paid to automatic synchronization over the Internet, manual settings and solving typical problems such as a constant time reset or an error “Incorrect time zone”.

If your device is showing the wrong time despite all attempts to fix it, at the end of the article you will find a diagnostic table with the most likely causes and ways to eliminate them.

1.Date and time setting on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones

On most Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others), date settings are done through system settings. It is important to understand that modern devices support automatic synchronization through Google or Xiaomi servers, but sometimes this mechanism fails.

To change the date manually:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the section Additional settings → Date and time.
3. Turn off the date and time autodetection slider (if it is active).
4. Click Set a date and select the correct values.
5. Similarly, adjust the time and time zone manually.

If the time continues to reset after manual setting, the problem may be an RTC (real time) module failure, in which case only flashing the device or replacing the battery (on older models) will help.

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On smartphones with MIUI 14+, the date is automatically synchronized with Xiaomi servers after resetting, but this requires an active connection to the mobile network or Wi-Fi.

2. Features of setting the time on the smart watch Mi Band and Watch

Xiaomi’s smartwatches and fitness bracelets (Mi Band 7, Mi Watch, Redmi Watch 3) sync time with the connected smartphone. However, sometimes this sync is broken, and the device displays an incorrect date. Here’s how to fix it:

• 📱 Check your smartphone settings: the clock time is taken from your phone, so set it up first (see Section 1).
• 🔄 Reconnect the clock: untie the device in the Mi app Fitness/Zepp Life and connect again.
• ⚡ Update your firmware: Outdated software can cause sync failures. Check for in-app updates.
• 🔋 Charging to 100%: With a low battery level, the watch may misrepresent the time.

If the clock is a few hours behind, the time zone on your smartphone is probably not set correctly. Correct it in your phone settings - the clock syncs automatically.

3.Date settings on Mi TV and Mi Box TVs

On Xiaomi Mi TVs (A2, Q2, P1) and Mi Box S consoles, date and time are set via the system menu, and the feature of these devices is the dependence on an Internet connection for automatic synchronization.

Step-by-step:

1. On the remote, press the Settings button.
2. Select Commons. → Date and time.
3. Turn off the option automatically if you want to set the time manually.
4. Select a Time Zone (e.g. Moscow, GMT+3).
5. Click Set a date and enter current values.

If the TV does not save settings after turning off, check:

• 🔌 Is the power cable connected to the outlet (some models reset time when completely disconnected).
• 📶 Internet connection stability (for automatic synchronization).
• 🔄 Firmware version (update to Settings) → On TV. → Update of the PO).

4. Solving problems with constant time reset

If your Xiaomi device regularly resets the date to January 1, 2016 (or another factory date), this indicates one of three problems:

1. RTC battery is low (on older smartphones, such as Redmi 4X or Mi A1).
2. Failure of the real-time module (reflashing required).
3. Conflict with the application (for example, after installing custom recovery).

For diagnosis:

⚠️ Warning: If you keep resetting your battery after you change your smartphone, don't be quick to blame the battery. First check if the date is saved when you connect to the charge. If so, the problem is with the power controller, not the battery. RTC.

On devices with a Qualcomm processor (for example, Xiaomi 11T or POCO F3), the time reset is often associated with an error in the PMIC (Power Management IC) module, in which case only a replacement of the chip or motherboard will help.

5. How to synchronize time through Xiaomi servers

Automatic time synchronization through Xiaomi or Google servers is the most reliable way to avoid manual setup, but sometimes this mechanism fails. Here's how to turn it on and check it:

On smartphones:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Activate the slider Autodetermining Date and Time.
3. Select Network Time (or Xiaomi NTP on some firmware).
4. Make sure that time zone autodetermination is enabled.

On Mi TVs:

1. Open Settings → General → Date and time.
2. Turn on the option Automatically.
3. Select the sync server: time1.cloud.mi.com or time.google.com.

If the synchronization is not working:

• 📶 Check your internet connection (especially on TVs).
• 🔒 Make sure you do not block access to NTP-servers through a firewall or VPN.
• 🔄 Reset the device.

The device is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile network

In the settings included "Autodetermination of date and time"

Time zone corresponds to your region

No active VPNs or firewalls blocking NTP

The device firmware is updated to the latest version-->

Time zone and summer time: nuances for different regions

Incorrectly time zoned is one of the most common causes of time display failures: On Xiaomi devices, it is set up automatically using cellular network or GPS data, but sometimes manual adjustments are required.

How to check and correct:

1. On your smartphone: Settings → Additional settings → Date and time → Time zone.
2. Select the belt manually (e.g. Moscow, GMT+3 instead of automatic determination).
3. On TV: Settings → General → Date and time → Time zone.

For countries with summer time (e.g. Europe, USA) it is important to:

• 🌍 Use automatic belt determination (if available).
• ⏰ Manually enable the option Automatic transition to daylight saving time (on some firmware).
• 📱 Update the firmware before the seasonal transition (in March / October).

If you live in a region where daylight saving time has been officially canceled (for example, Russia since 2014), but the device still shifts the clock, reset your network settings:

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network reset

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On devices with MIUI Global, automatic time zone detection works more accurately than on Chinese firmware (MIUI China). If you use custom firmware, install a patch to ensure that NTP works correctly.

7. Restoration of the date after resetting or firmware

After a hard reset (reset to factory settings) or flashing a Xiaomi device, the date and time are reset to default values (usually January 1, 2016) to restore the current settings:

On a smartphone:

1. Connect to Wi-Fi or mobile network.
2. Enable date and time autodetection in the settings.
3. If synchronization doesn’t work, set the time manually, then restart the device.

On the Mi TV:

1. Connect to the Internet through Settings → Network.
2. Go to Settings → General → Date and time.
3. Turn on Automatically and wait for sync (can take up to 5 minutes).

If you continue to reset your time after you have been firmware through Fastboot or Recovery, do:

fastboot erase misc


fastboot reboot

This command cleans the misc partition where the temporary data is stored and often solves the problem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)