Time setting on Xiaomi Mi 5: automatic synchronization and manual adjustment

Smartwatches on the Xiaomi Mi 5 smartphone are not just a time indicator, but a key element of the system, which depends on notifications, alarms, call logs and even the operation of some applications. If the date or time is lost after resetting, changing the battery or updating the firmware, this can lead to failures in messengers, the inability to connect to Wi-Fi with a time limit or errors in Google Play. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to adjust the time, from automatic synchronization over the network to manual adjustments to the features of MIUI different versions.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 (codenamed gemini) is that it was released in 2016 and doesn’t get official updates from Xiaomi, which means that automatic time servers can run unstable, especially if you use custom firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience. We’ll look at solutions for all cases: when the smartphone is not connected to the network, when time is lost after rebooting, and even how to change the display format (12/24 hours) without access to settings.

Why is Xiaomi Mi 5 running out of time?

The Mi 5’s watch problems are usually due to one of three reasons:

• 🔋 Settled battery: with a deep discharge (below 3%), the smartphone loses the time settings, as the internal RTC-The module (real-time clock) has no backup power.
• 📡 No network: if you turn off mobile Internet and Wi-Fi, automatic synchronization through the Internet NTP-servers (e.g. time.google.com) become impossible.
• 🛠️ Wrong firmware: on customized ROM or obsolete versions MIUI (Below 10) Xiaomi time servers may not be available.

Another rare but possible cause is a hardware failure of the chip PMIC (power management), which is responsible for supplying voltage to RTC-In this case, the time will be lost even when you fully charge and connect to the network, and you can only diagnose this malfunction in a service center, it is not treated software.

Method 1: Automatic time synchronization through a network

This is the easiest and most recommended method if your smartphone is connected to the Internet. MIUI uses NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers for precise synchronization.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the section Additional settings → Date and time.
3. Activate the switches: ⏱️ Autodetermining Date and Time (using network data) 🌍 Time zone autodetermination (by geolocation or network)

Turn it off and turn it on again.

Once activated, the smartphone should automatically tighten the current time for 10 to 30 seconds. If this does not happen, check your Internet connection or try switching between the mobile network and Wi-Fi.

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If automatic sync doesn’t work, try manually specifying the time server. To do this, install the ClockSync app from Google Play and select the pool.ntp.org server or time.cloudflare.com.

Method 2: Manually adjust date and time

If automatic synchronization is not available (e.g., no internet or smartphone in airplane mode), you can set the time manually, which is also useful if you want to roll back the date to test apps or bypass time limits.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Turn off the options Autodetermining Date and Time Zone and Autodetermining.
3. Click on the Set a date and Set a time to manually set values.
4. To select a time zone, tap on the Select a time zone and find your region (for example, Moscow, GMT+3).

Once manually adjusted, the time will be saved until the next reboot or battery discharge. If you travel often, it is more convenient to use automatic mode - it takes into account the transitions to winter/summer time.

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Method 3: Resetting time settings through the engineering menu

If the time is lost after each reboot, the problem may be in the cache of system services, in which case the reset through the engineering menu (available only on some versions of MIUI) will help.

Attention: unmet actions in the engineering menu can lead to malfunctions in the smartphone.

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information.
3. Scroll down and find Network Time Reset (or Network Time Reset).
4. Confirm the reset and restart the device.

After the reboot, check if the time is still there. If the problem persists, try clearing the Settings app cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Settings app (cog icon).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

To fix this:

1. Make sure you have the right firmware installed for your model. For the Mi 5, it should be the gemini version (check in Settings → About Phone → Model).

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After firmware, always check the region of the device in the settings. If the wrong region is specified (for example, China instead of Russia), the time servers may not work correctly.

How to change the format of the display time (12/24 hours)

By default, MIUI uses a 24-hour format, but it can be changed to a 12-hour format (with AM/PM designations), which is relevant for users who are used to the American or British display style.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Find the option to use the 24-hour format.
3. Turn off the switch to switch to a 12-hour format.

Changes apply immediately — check the status bar or lock screen. Note that some apps (like Google Calendar) may ignore system settings and use their own format.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When setting the time on Xiaomi Mi 5, users often encounter common errors that lead to new problems.

⚠️ Warning: Never change your date to a value that is very different from the real one (e.g., 2010 transfer) This may result in a Google or Mi Account being blocked due to suspected hacking.

• 🔄 Frequent switching between manual and automatic mode: This can cause conflict in system services and lead to cyclical reboot.
• 📵 Disconnecting synchronization to save battery: on the Mi 5, this gives a tiny increase in autonomy, but breaks the notifications.
• 🛠️ Using apps to “clock up” (e.g., to speed up games): this can damage system files and lead to bootloop.

If after the changes, the smartphone began to slow down or fly out to Fastboot, try resetting the time settings to factory:

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
2. Select Network Settings Reset (this won’t delete your data, but will return network settings to default settings).

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If SMS or push notifications have stopped coming after the time change, check the operator’s settings – some providers block messages if time stamps do not match.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions