Properly set time on your smartphone is not just a dial on the lock screen, but a fundamental basis for the correct operation of the entire Android operating system and the MIUI shell. Many users underestimate the importance of this parameter, faced with unexpected errors when starting applications, inability to connect to secure websites or messaging. System time is used to verify security certificates, synchronize data in the cloud and even to correctly display call history.
Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often notice that when they cross the border or turn off roaming mode, the clock starts to rush or lag, this is due to out-synchronization with the cellular operator's servers or manual changes in settings that the user could make accidentally. In modern firmware versions, synchronization algorithms work quite stable, but require the correct initial configuration by the user.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all aspects of setting time parameters on the Chinese brand’s devices: how to enable automatic synchronization, what to do if time is lost after turning off the phone, and how to forcefully update data through an engineering menu or third-party utilities. Understanding these processes will help avoid many small but annoying problems in everyday use of the gadget.
Automatic synchronization through the network
The most reliable and easiest way to get the exact time is to entrust the task to automation. The MIUI operating system has a built-in mechanism that checks the clock of the device against the atomic clock over an Internet connection. To activate this function, you do not need special knowledge or root rights, just follow a few simple steps in the settings menu.
Go to Settings, then select Additional Settings, and find Date and Time, where you need to activate the Use Network Time switch. Once you do that, the phone will send a request to the server and instantly adjust the current value, and it is recommended to enable Auto-Change Time Zone, which is especially useful for travelers.
☑️ Checking the time settings
It is important to understand that to work this feature, the device must have an active Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data). If you are in a bad reception zone or you run out of traffic, the synchronization may not go away the first time, in which case, try to switch air mode or restart your smartphone to try again to connect to the time server.
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the switch Use network time is lit gray and not pressable. SIM-The card is not defined by the system or blocked PIN-Make sure the communication module is working correctly before trying to configure the synchronization.
Manual date and time setting
There are situations where automatic setting is not possible or desirable, such as being in a place without network coverage, but you need to set the exact time for the local alarm or specific application to work, in which case Xiaomi allows you to switch to manual control of parameters.
To turn off automatic synchronization, just put the slider Use network time to an inactive position, then the manual input fields will be available, you can change the year, month, day, and hours and minutes yourself, which gives you complete control, but requires your attention.
- 🕒 Click on the time field to open the digital reel and set the desired values.
- 📅 Change the date by scrolling through lists of days and months to current values.
- ⏱️ Make sure the format of the time (12 or 24 hours) matches your habits.
When installing manually, be careful with the format AM/PM, if you're on 12-It's easy to confuse noon and midnight, which will cause the alarm clock to crash the next morning. 24-hourly format in the same settings menu.
After you have manually set up, remember to save the changes if the system requires confirmation. In most cases, the new values apply immediately after you close the selection window. However, if you plan to use automatic synchronization again, remember to return the switch to active state.
Time zone problems
Time zone is a critical parameter that is often ignored, and if it is chosen incorrectly, even with the exact Greenwich time (UTC), your Redmi or Poco screen will display the wrong local time, especially for people in border regions or those who travel frequently.
There's a separate item on the Date and Time menu to choose your region, make sure it lists your current geolocation, like Moscow or Yekaterinburg, rather than the city of the phone manufacturer, and making a mistake in choosing a city even within the same country can cause an hour shift, which will disrupt the synchronization with the meeting calendar.
Why is time straying in roaming?
There is also the term "daylight saving time" which is being abolished and reintroduced in some countries. Xiaomi smartphones usually update the rules for daylight saving time through system updates. If your phone shows the wrong time during the transition period, check for MIUI updates.
It's a useful feature for travelers to automatically change your belt by geolocation, and the phone knows you've moved to a different time zone, and it adjusts your clock, but it requires GPS on and can consume extra battery power, so it can be limited in energy saving mode.
The impact of time on application performance and security
Many users don’t realize how much system time impacts security. Encryption protocols like SSL/TLS, which are used for secure connection (HTTPS), rely on time accuracy. If the clock on your device has run ahead or lagged behind, the browser can issue a certificate error and block access to the site.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is also time-dependent. Code-generator applications like Google Authenticator create one-time passwords based on current time, and even a one-minute difference between your phone and server will render the generated code invalid and you won't be able to log in to your account.
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If the 2FA codes are no longer working, first check the accuracy of the time on the phone. A difference of more than 30 seconds makes the codes unworkable.
Social networks and instant messengers also depend on time stamps, and if you set up messages incorrectly, they can come from the future or the past, which confuses the chronology of correspondence, and in some cases, this can lead to a conflict of synchronization of the application database.
Below is a table showing how different system services respond to time desynchronization:
| Service/Application | Reaction to the time error | Criticism |
|---|---|---|
| Web browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) | Safety certificate error (ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH) | Tall. |
| Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) | Messages are not sent, time stamps are incorrect | Medium |
| Google Play Store | It is impossible to download or update applications | Tall. |
| Banking applications | Blocking entry, refusal to conduct transactions | Critical |
| System updates | Error of checking the signature of the update package | Tall. |
Resetting time and date settings
If you're faced with time constantly being lost after a reboot, or the settings "floating" on their own, you may need a deeper approach. Sometimes a software glitch in the system services cache makes it impossible to keep the correct settings, in which case resetting the date and time settings to factory values helps.
You don't have to reset your phone completely. You just go to the Date and Time menu, turn off all automatic switches, set an arbitrary date (for example, January 1, 2020), save and then turn on Use Network Time again. This cycle often shakes up the system time service.
In more complex cases, when the problem is in the system configuration file, it may be necessary to clean the data of the application "Google Play Services" or "Settings". Do this with caution, as this may reset some other system preferences.
If nothing helps, and the time is reset to the firmware release date (for example, 2018) immediately after the phone is turned off, this may indicate a hardware problem - the discharge of the internal RTC (Real Time Clock), which is responsible for storing time when power is turned off. In modern smartphones, this battery is often charged from the main battery, so long-term storage of a phone with a discharged battery can lead to this effect.
Additional format and synchronization settings
The MIUI shell offers flexible display settings. You can choose between 12-hour or 24-hour format, which is especially important for those who are used to wartime or AM/PM format.
It is also worth mentioning the synchronization of time through the NTP-Android uses Google servers by default (time.google.com). In rare cases, if these servers are blocked by the provider or are unstable, you can try to change the servers. NTP-server ADB-teams, although by standard means MIUI You can't do that.
For advanced users, it is possible to verify the accuracy of time through the terminal. The date command will show the current system time, and comparing it with atomic time will help to identify microscopic desynchronizations important for debugging network protocols.
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Stable time is a guarantee of safety. If your phone is constantly losing time after turning off, you may need to change the battery or flash the device.
Remember that the desktop clock widgets can have their own settings. If the system time is correct and the widget shows a different one, check the settings of the widget itself by choosing a different city or display style. Sometimes the launcher cache may display outdated data.