How to set the time on Xiaomi Mi 5: automation and manual settings

The Xiaomi Mi 5, released in 2016, is still a popular device due to its reliability and ability to upgrade to current versions of MIUI. However, many users face the problem of lost time - especially after resetting, replacing the battery or updating the firmware. Unlike modern models, where time synchronization works out of the box, the Mi 5 sometimes requires manual adjustment due to the features of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 hardware platform.

In this article, we will look at all the ways of setting time, from automatic synchronization over the network to manually entering a date with time zones in mind, and pay special attention to typical errors, such as when the clock “hurries” for 3-5 minutes or resets after a reboot. You will also learn how to check the module. NTP-synchronization and what to do if the time on the lock screen does not coincide with the system.

Why is Xiaomi Mi 5 running out of time?

Time problems on the Mi 5 are usually due to one of three reasons:

• 🔋 Settled battery: at a discharge below 10% internal RTC-The module (real-time clock) can be reset, which is typical for devices older than 5 years, where the battery capacity drops to 60-70% of the nominal value.
• 📡 Lack of network: if the mobile Internet or Wi-Fi is disabled, the smartphone can not synchronize with servers NTP (Network Time Protocol).
• 🛠️ Firmware failure: after incorrect update MIUI or root rights time service (com.android.server.timezone) may work unstable.

Fun fact: The Mi 5 uses a Qualcomm hardware timer that should theoretically support accurate time even when the phone is off. However, in practice, after replacing the motherboard or repairing the power module, this timer can be “reset” to factory settings (January 1, 2016).

⚠️ Warning: If after replacing the battery, time is reset every time you turn off the phone, the chip is a problem. PM8994 (In this case, only flashing the module through EDL-regime.

Automatic time settings through the network

The easiest way is to turn on automatic synchronization.

1. Open Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Activate the switches: ⏱️ Autodetermining Date and Time (using network data) 🌍 Time zone autodetermination (by geolocation or mobile network)

Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.

If the options are not available (shaded in gray), then:

• 📵 Mobile Internet is disabled – check your settings SIM-map.
• 🔒 Superuser rights are active – some Magisk modules are blocked NTP-synchronization.
• 🛡️ It's working. VPN Firewalls – NetGuard can block access to time servers.

To check the current NTP server, enter the Terminal (root rights required):

su


getprop persist.sys.timezone




getprop gps.ntp.server

If the command returns an empty string, the server is not configured, in which case manual timing will help (see next section).

Manual date and time setting

If automatic synchronization is not working, set the time manually:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Turn off the Auto-determining Date/Time and Time Zone options.
3. Click Set a date and select the current date in the calendar.
4. Click Set time and enter the current time (within minutes).
5. For the time zone, select manually (e.g. Moscow, GMT+3).

On Xiaomi Mi 5, when manually setting the time, there can be a bug: after rebooting, the clock “runs away” 3-5 minutes ahead. This is due to an error in the RTC driver for the Snapdragon 820 processor. The solution is to install the ClockSync application from Google Play and force the time to sync every 6 hours.

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If you've got a little bit of a time delay after manually setting up, try calibrating the battery: completely drain the phone, then charge it to 100% without interruption. RTC-module.

Setting up time zones and summer time

Xiaomi Mi 5 supports automatic summer/winter switching, but only if:

• 📍 Geolocation enabled (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → geodata).
• 🌐 The correct time zone is chosen (e.g. Europe/Moscow, not Asia/Almaty).
• 🔄 Time zone auto-update enabled (Settings) → Additionally. → Date and time → Auto-renewal of time zones).

If the daylight saving time does not automatically change:

1. Check if Google services are disabled (they are responsible for updating time zones).
2. Update your time zone database through Google Play Services.
3. Manually check the checkbox Use summer time in the date settings.

For countries where daylight saving time has been abolished (e.g. Russia since 2014), it is recommended to manually select a time zone without automatically switching.

• ✅ Europe/Moscow (without summer time)
• ❌ Incorrect: Europe/Berlin (with summer time)

Solving Time Problems After Firmware

After updating MIUI or installing custom firmware (such as LineageOS), time may be lost due to:

• 📦 Core incompatibility: if the firmware is assembled for another model (e.g. for Mi). 5s), driver RTC It will work incorrectly.
• 🔧 Reset build.prop settings: this file stores server parameters NTP.
• 🛑 Errors in vbmeta: if the firmware was not turned off AVB (Android Verified Boot, the system can block time changes.

To correct:

1. Check the firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. It should match the Mi 5 model (codename gemini).
2. If you have custom firmware installed, find the Device specific → RTC fix section in its settings.
3. For stock. MIUI Recovery: Adb Reboot Recovery Cleanup data/factory reset

⚠️ If after firmware time shows 1970 - this is a sign of resetting RTC-It can only be restored via the Fastboot command: fastboot oem config carrier "time-zone-auto-detect" But this method requires an unlocked bootloader!

Additional settings: widgets and lock screen

On Mi 5, time is displayed not only in the status bar, but also on:

• 🔒 Lock screen: you can configure the format here (12/24 hourly settings → Lock screen → Clock style.
• 📱 Watch widget: Add Analog Watch or Digital Watch widget to the home screen.
• ⏰ Alarm clock: check if the time in the app clocks with the system.

If the time on the lock screen is not updated:

1. Clear the Settings app cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings → Memory → Clear the cache).
2. Turn off and turn on the option to Show the date and time in the lock screen settings.
3. Reset the theme (Themes → My themes → Reset to standard).

For customization enthusiasts, MIUI allows you to change the font of your watch through themes, such as the theme "Digital Clock Neo" adds neon digits, and the theme "Minimalist" - minimalist design, and you can install them through the official Theme app.

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If the time on the lock screen and the status bar is different, the problem is in the service com.miui.home.Rebooting the phone usually helps.

Useful Applications for Precise Synchronization

If the standard settings don’t work, try these apps:

For users with root rights, it is recommended:

1. Install ClockSync and give it superuser rights.
2. In the application settings, select pool.ntp.org server or time.google.com.
3. Activate the Sync at boot option (synchronize when booting).

ClockSync also can compensate for network delays, which is useful for Mi 5 with slow internet, for example, if your ISP blocks standard Internet connections. NTP-port (UDP 123), the application may use alternative servers on port 80 (HTTP).

Frequently asked questions