Set up the watch widget on Xiaomi: from basic parameters to hidden chips

Why Xiaomi’s Watch Widget Is More Than Just Time

The watch widget on Xiaomi smartphones has long ceased to be a regular indicator of time. Today, it’s a full-fledged personalization tool that can show not only hours and minutes, but also the date, weather, steps from Mi Fitness, upcoming events from the calendar – all in one compact block on the home screen. However, many users are still limited to standard settings, not even suspecting that under the hood MIUI HyperOS and hidden dozens of customization options.

In this article, we will not only discuss basic settings (how to change the size or style of the dial), but also hidden features that Xiaomi does not advertise: for example, how to tie the widget to a specific city to display local time or how to turn on the stopwatch display for accurate measurements. And then you can see why some models (like the Redmi Note 12 or the Redmi Note) are so popular. POCO F5) The widget behaves differently than on the flagships of the Xiaomi 14 series.

We warn you right away: if you use custom firmware or a shell from third-party developers (such as Pixel Experience), some of the features may not be available. MIUI 14/15 HyperOS and all the instructions below work on 100%.

Where to find the watch widget and how to add it to the main screen

To start with, if you just bought a Xiaomi smartphone or reset your settings, the default watch widget may not be on the home screen.

1. Unlock the screen and go to any free screen (slip left/right).
2. Press the empty space on the screen until the settings menu appears.
3. At the bottom of the screen, tap the button “Widgets” (the icon with squares).
4. Scroll down to the “Clock” section (or “Clock” on English firmware).
5. Choose your favorite style of widget and drag it to the main screen.

If there is no “Clock” section in the widget list, this could mean:

• 🔄 Widget disabled in system settings (solved in Settings) → Annexes → Application management → The clock → Permits).
• 📱 You have an outdated version. MIUI (Update the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🛠️ The Watch app is removed or damaged (reinstall it via the Mi App Store).

On models with HyperOS (for example, Xiaomi 14 Pro or Redmi) K70) The widgets may look different, and it uses Xiaomi's new widget system, integrated with Google Discover. If you have one, tap it after adding the widget and select "Set up the widget" to access the advanced options.

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On some firmware, you can add a watch widget directly from the Watch app: open it, tap three dots in the upper right corner and select Add a widget.

Basic settings: size, style and color scheme

Once you add a widget to the screen, you can (and should!) customize it for yourself.

1. Slip on the widget once - quick settings will open.
2. Click on “Change widget” (or “Widget settings”).
3. Select the “Style” tab to change the design or “Size” to adjust the dimensions.

In the "Style" section, options are available:

• ⏰ Analog (classical hand clock with dial).
• 🕒 Digital (time in format) HH:MM, often).
• 🌤️ With the weather (time) + weather icon and temperature).
• 📅 With a calendar (time) + date and upcoming events).
• 🏃 With activity (time) + Steps, pulse, if synchronized with Mi Band).

HyperOS has a feature called Adaptive Color, which automatically adjusts to the wallpaper to enable it:

1. Open the widget settings.
2. Go to the Color Scheme.
3. Activate the "Adapt to Wallpaper" switch.

The size of the widget changes smoothly: squeeze its edges and pull to the sides. Xiaomi supports both square and rectangular formats (for example, 2×2, 4×1 or 4×2 Note that not all styles are available for all sizes, for example, a weather widget usually requires a format of at least one. 4×1.

Extended features: seconds, multiple cities and synchronization

Now, let's move on to settings that 90 percent of Xiaomi users don't even know about, like, did you know that a watch widget can show time in multiple cities at once? It's convenient for traveling or working with foreign partners.

To add a second (or third) city:

1. Open the widget settings.
2. Go to the "Extra Hours" (or "World Clock").
3. Slip "Add City" and select the right one from the list.
4. Return to the widget settings and activate the “Show extra hours” option.

Another hidden feature is the display of seconds. By default, the widget only shows hours and minutes, but if you want accuracy up to a second (for example, to measure time or sync with other devices), turn on this option:

1. In the widget settings, select “Time Format”.
2. Activate the "Show seconds" switch.

On models with Always-On Display (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro) The watch widget can be duplicated on a locked screen to configure it separately:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Always-On Display.
2. Select the time display style (unique animations are available that are not available in the regular widget).
3. Enable the option to “Sync with the widget” if you want the styles to match.

✅ Make sure your phone has time synchronization enabled over the network (Settings) → Additionally. → Date and time → Network)

✅ Update the Watch app to the latest version in the Mi App Store

✅ Check that the selected city is supported by a weather service (some small towns may not be displayed)

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Synchronization with Mi Fitness, Calendar and Weather

The Xiaomi watch widget can be not only beautiful, but also functional — if you configure integration with other services correctly.

• 🏃‍♂️ Data from Mi Band (steps, pulse, calories).
• 📅 Upcoming events from the calendar (meetings, birthdays).
• 🌡️ Current weather (with icon and temperature).
• 🔋 Battery level (on some firmware).

To link the widget to Mi Fitness:

1. Make sure your phone has Mi Fitness (or Zepp Life for new devices) installed and running.
2. Open the settings of the watch widget and find the Health Data section.
3. Activate the option “Show steps” or “Show pulse”.
4. Choose which data to display (for example, steps only or distance traveled).

To synchronize with the calendar:

1. In the widget settings, go to “Events”.
2. Select the calendars you want to display (for example, only “Personal” or “Worker”).
3. Determine how many upcoming events to show (from 1 to 3).

If the widget doesn’t update the weather, check:

• 📍 Geolocation permission for the Clock application (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → geodata).
• 🔄 Auto-Update Weather in the Widget Settings.
• 🌍 The right city in the weather settings (Settings) → Weather. → Main town).

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If the data does not appear after setting up synchronization, restart the phone - this resets the cache of system services and often solves the problem.

Problems and Errors: Why the Widget Does Not Work

Even reliable devices like Xiaomi smartphones sometimes fail with the watch widget, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

Especially often problems arise after updating the firmware. MIUI 15 Xiaomi redesigned the widget system, and some old styles were no longer supported. If after the update your widget reset or began to look different, try it:

1. Remove the widget from the screen and add it again.
2. Clear the Cache of the Clock App (Settings) → Annexes → The clock → Clear the cache).
3. Reboot your phone (sometimes helps even with serious glitches).

On devices with Always-On Display, there may be a conflict between the widget on the home screen and the clock on the locked screen.

• 🕐 Time format (24-hour or 12-hour) in Settings → Additionally. → Date and time.
• 🔄 Synchronization between AOD and widget (in the settings Always-On Display).

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If the watch widget is constantly reset after rebooting, try turning off battery optimization for the Watch app: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → The clock → No restrictions.

Hidden chips: animations, themes and custom widgets

For those who want to squeeze the maximum out of the widget, Xiaomi has several hidden features that are not written about even in the official documentation.

• 🎨 Animated dials: on some models (like Xiaomi) 13T) in the widget settings there is a section "Animation", where you can turn on a smooth movement of arrows or changing backgrounds depending on the time of day.
• 🌙 Night mode: the widget can automatically switch to a dark theme from 22:00 to 6:00. → Appearance → Night mode.
• 🔧 Castom widgets through KWGT: If you don’t like the standard options, install the app. KWGT Kustom Widget Maker from Google Play and create your own unique design (requires editor skills).
• 📱 Widget on lock screen: HyperOS can take out the watch on lockscreen even without Always-On Display. → Lock screen → Watch style and select "Widget».

Another little-known possibility is that you can attach a widget to a specific application, for example, if you tap it onto the widget, you can make it go to Google Calendar or Mi Fitness instead of the standard alarm clock.

1. Open the widget settings.
2. Find the "Action by Pressing" section (or "Widget tap action").
3. Select an app from the list or provide a deep link (e.g. com.google.android.calendar).

Nana POCO And some Redmis have exclusive widget styles that aren't on Xiaomi's flagships. To see them, upgrade to the latest version of the firmware and check the "Themes" section in the widget settings, which can include unique designs inspired by game themes or collaborations with brands.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions