Smartphone owners often face a situation where the usual format of displaying time and calendar suddenly ceases to suit or gets confused after updating the system. This is especially true for users of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco, whose MIUI or HyperOS shell has its own localization features. The standard appearance of “year-month-day” can be unusual for those who are used to seeing a number or a month first. Changing the format is not just an aesthetic whim, but also a way to improve the usability of the device in everyday life.
Changing the time settings on Chinese brand devices usually doesn’t require superuser rights or complex programming. All the necessary tools are built into the basic settings of the Android operating system, which are only slightly modified by the interface developers. However, finding the right switches is sometimes difficult due to the deep nesting of the menu or translation features. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to adjust correctly.
Incorrect date display can cause problems not only with visual perception, but also with the operation of some applications that check the time with the server. For example, banking programs or messengers may fail to work when desynchronization is performed, so it is important to understand how system synchronization works and where the hidden settings of the region affect the order of the numbers are located.
The main time and date settings
The first step to change the look of the timestamps is to move to the main menu of the operating system settings, and this is where the basic parameters that govern the calendar and the clock are concentrated. You need to find the section that is most often referred to as “Additional Settings” or “System Apps and Settings” depending on the firmware version.
Once you log in, select Date and Time, where you see the current value, time zone and automatic synchronization switches, and this section addresses most of the issues associated with misrepresentation of numbers. If automatic settings are enabled, the format is often dictated by the region that was selected when you first launched your smartphone.
To manually change, you need to turn off the "Use Network Time" option, and then manual input fields become active. However, it is worth remembering that the order of the elements themselves (day/month/year) is usually tightly tied to the selected region, rather than being configured by a separate switch in this menu, so simply changing numbers does not always give the desired result.
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If time is constantly reset after the phone is turned off, it may be a problem with a discharged internal RTC battery or a software failure requiring a reset.
It is important to note that new versions of the HyperOS shell may have changed the logic of the menu, and developers are looking to unify the interface, so some items can be moved to the Region section. Carefully check for the "Date Format" tab directly in the time zone selection window.
The influence of the region on the display of data
The region is the key to determining exactly what a date will look like on a lock screen or in the notification curtain. Unlike many other manufacturers, Xiaomi tightly links string formatting to geographic location. Changing region is the most effective way to change the order of numbers without installing third-party software.
To change the region, go to Settings → Additional settings → Region. In the list of countries and cities that opens, find a country that suits you. For example, for the DD.MM.GYY format (day.month.year), Russia or European countries are often suitable, and for the GYYYYYYYYY-MM-DDD - China or Japan.
Once a new region is selected, the system may require a reboot or a change, at which point the system libraries responsible for localization are redesigned, the menu interface may change in part, some services specific to the selected country will appear or disappear, which is normal behavior of the system.
⚠️ Warning: Changing your region may temporarily disable some features, such as Mi Pay or access to certain themes in the theme store.
Note that not all apps respond immediately to a change in region, and some programs cache the old settings, in which case it is recommended to completely close the background processes or reboot the device so that Android applies the new formatting rules in all corners of the interface.
Step-by-step instructions for changing the format
For those who prefer to act for sure, we offer a detailed algorithm of actions, following these steps will allow you to change the settings even on devices with a stripped menu or specific versions of firmware, the instructions are relevant for most models of the Redmi Note, Xiaomi Mi and Poco F line.
Perform the following actions consistently:
- 📱 Unlock the smartphone screen and open the Settings app (cog icon).
- 🌍 In the search by settings, type the word “Region” or find this item in the “Additional settings” section».
- 🇷🇺 Select the desired country from the list (for example, Russia for the DD.MM.GYYY format).
- 🔄 Return to the Date and Time menu and check if the order of the numbers in the preview has changed.
- ✅ If the format has not changed, try to switch the slider "Auto-Time" off / on.
☑️ Checklist of changing settings
Once you do this, the changes should take effect immediately, and if you use desktop widgets, they should also update, and in some cases, you need to remove the old watch widget and add a new one to pick up the current system settings.
Note the 12/24 hour format, which is customizable regardless of region in the same Date and Time menu, and you can use the European Date Order with the American Time format, combining settings as you like, giving you the flexibility to personalize the interface.
Synchronization problems and their solution
A common problem for users is when the time starts to run away after a change in settings, or the date is set to a year ago, indicating a failure in the network time protocol (NTP), which is responsible for checking the time with the server, and without proper synchronization, the security certificates in the browser may not work.
If the automatic setting doesn't work, try changing the time server. In the advanced date settings, the server selection option is sometimes available. If that's not the option, you can try turning off Wi-Fi and use the operator's mobile network for initial synchronization, as network priorities may vary.
The table below shows common problems and ways to address them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Date reset for 2020 | System cache failure | Cleaning the cache of the Settings application |
| Wrong time zone | Geolocation error | Disable GPS and select the belt manually |
| The format is unchanged | Hard binding to firmware | Change of region to another (US/China) |
| Widgets show old date | Cash widget | Remove and re-introduce the widget on the screen |
What to do if time is constantly behind?
In such cases, only the manual time setting mode helps, but then you will have to adjust the clock yourself when translating the hands.
Use of third-party applications
If the system means to achieve the desired type of widget date fails, come to the aid of applications from the Google Play store. There are many widgets of watches and calendars that completely ignore the system format settings and allow you to customize the display up to milliseconds.
A popular solution is apps like Digital Clock Widget or HD Widgets, which lets you create your own design by choosing font, color, and most importantly, the order of the date elements, and you can write the date as you like, "Saturday, January 5th," or any other variation.
To install such a widget:
- ⬇️ Download your favorite widget app from Play Market.
- 🖱️ Press and hold your finger on the empty space of the desktop.
- 🧩 Select the "Widgets" item in the lower menu.
- ⏰ Find the installed application with widgets in the list.
- 🎨 Drag the desired widget on the screen and configure it through the menu that appears.
⚠️ Warning: Third-party widgets consume more battery power than standard system widgets, as they use more CPU resources to render graphics.
Using custom widgets is the only way to get a unique design that is not possible in a standard MIUI shell. However, this can disrupt the visual integrity of the interface if the styling of the widget is very different from the system icons.
Frequent questions and technical nuances
When setting a date, users often wonder about the impact of these parameters on other smartphone features, such as whether changing the region will knock down the voice assistant or geolocation services. Most of the changes are cosmetic, but there are nuances.
Changing the date format does not affect the internal Unix system time (the number of seconds since 1970) used to log errors and run applications, so your instant messenger correspondence and call history will remain in the correct chronological order, regardless of how the date is displayed on the screen.
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System time inside Android remains unchanged and accurate, only the way it is visualized for the user on the lock screen and in the menu changes.
Also worth mentioning is the ISO 8601 format, which is often used in technical settings and logs. It assumes the format of GYGG-MM-DD. If you are a developer or use a phone for debugging, you may need this format, which is easily enabled by choosing the region of China or Japan.
In conclusion, regular time checks are important for security, and make sure that after all the manipulations you have the option “Use network time” enabled so that the smartphone can independently correct the clock errors.