How to change the color of the watch on the screen Xiaomi: all ways for MIUI

The color of the watch on the lock screen or in Always On Display (AOD) mode is one of those little things that shape the personal style of your Xiaomi. Some prefer classic white for better readability, others choose bright shades to match the color of the wallpaper, and some adjust the display to the time of day. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to change the color of the watch, from standard MIUI settings to hidden functions and workarounds for older models.

It’s important to understand that the customization options depend on the firmware version (MIUI 12/13/14), the smartphone model (Redmi Note 11, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13, etc.) and even the regional build. Some color changes in two clicks, and somewhere you will have to dig into the developer or install third-party software. We will look at options for all cases – including devices without AOD and phones with custom firmware.

1. Standard method: Configure via Always On Display (AOD)

If your Xiaomi supports Always On Display, it’s easier to change the color of your watch through system settings, which is available on most flagships (Xiaomi 12/13/14, POCO F4/F5, Redmi K50) and some mid-budget models starting with MIUI 12.

To find the AOD settings, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open the Settings app (cog icon on the desktop).
• 🔍 Go to the Screen section. → Always on Display (in some versions) MIUI The path may be called a lock and password. → Settings AOD).
• 🎨 Turn on the slider Always On Display if it is disabled.
• 🖌️ Slip on the item Watch style or watch color (name depends on the firmware version).

Here you will see a palette of available colors — usually 5-10 shades (white, blue, green, red, yellow, etc.) On some devices (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) there is an option Auto that adjusts the color to the wallpaper or time of day. If the desired shade is not, read on — below we will tell you how to add custom colors through hidden settings.

2. Hidden settings: how to unlock additional colors

In some versions of MIUI (especially on MIUI 13 and later), the manufacturer hides advanced AOD customization options, including sliders to fine-tune the color, and to activate them, you need to turn on Developer Mode and use the engineering menu.

Follow the instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: 🔧 Go to Settings. → The phone. 📱 Tap 7 times on the item Version MIUI (A notice will appear saying, “You have become a developer!").

Settings

Additionally.

For developers

Enable the AOD engineering menu

Advanced AOD settings

🔄 Reboot the phone.

After the reboot, new items will appear in the Always On Display menu:

• 🎛️ Color setting RGB — slider.
• 🖼️ Transparency – adjusting saturation.
• ⚡ Clock animation – enabling a smooth transition of colors.

Developer mode is on|Backup setups made AOD|Battery charge > 30%|The device is connected to Wi-Fi-->

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO X3, Redmi Note 10: Engineering menu can reset settings AOD Before you change, take a screenshot of the current parameters.

3. Use of design themes to change the color of the watch

If your firmware doesn’t have a separate color setting, try changing it through the themes.This method works on all Xiaomi devices, including low-end models without AOD (like the Redmi 9A or POCO M3).

Algorithm of action:

• 🎨 Open the Topics app (brush icon on desktop).
• 🔍 In the search box, enter the query: watch color or AOD color.
• 📲 Choose your favorite theme with the right color of the watch (pay attention to the screenshots).
• 💾 Click Apply and Confirm the Installation.

The disadvantage of this method is that the color of the watch will change only on the lock screen, and in AOD mode it can remain the same, but this will give you additional time display styles (analog, digital, minimalist, etc.).

💡

Xiaomi’s theme store has free collections with dynamic watches that change color depending on the time of day. Try searching for #DynamicAOD or #ColorClock tags.

4. Third-party applications for customization of watches

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities, which are suitable for devices without AOD or with outdated versions of MIUI (below MIUI 12).

Always On AMOLED will require permissions to display on top of other applications and ignore battery optimization.

1. 📥 Install and open Always On AMOLED.
2. 🔧 Go to Settings. → Colour of the clock.
3. 🎨 Choose a ready-made shade or create your own with the help of RGB-slider.
4. 💾 Save the profile and activate it.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and newer third-party applications for AOD If the clock doesn't show up after you set it up, try turning off the standard clock. AOD screen-setting.

5. Manual editing of system files (for advanced)

This method is only suitable for users with root rights or custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience, etc.) It allows you to change the color of the clock at the system file level, but requires caution - incorrect actions can lead to a failure of AOD.

Instructions for root devices:

1. 📁 Install a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. 🔍 Cross the path: /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUI/MiuiSystemUI.apk/res/drawable Here are stored graphic resources of the clock.
3. 🖌️ Find files with names clock_white.png, clock_blue.png etc. (they are responsible for the colours).
4. 🎨 Replace them with your own versions (you can edit them in Photoshop or GIMP, transparently).
5. 🔄 Reset the device.

For devices without root can be used ADB-Teams, but it's a temporary solution that will reset after the update MIUI. Example of a team to change color to red:

adb shell settings put global aod_color_override ff0000

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

Not all Xiaomi smartphones support the same color change, and below is a table with nuances for popular series:

On LCD-screen devices (e.g. Redmi 9A or POCO M4), the Always On Display function is not available due to high power consumption, in which case you can only change the color of the watch on the lock screen via Settings → Screen → Watch or Theme Style.

💡

On Xiaomi flagships (12/13/14), the color of the watch syncs with the system theme. If you use a dark theme, the default watch will be white or gray, which is done for better readability.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When changing the color of the watch, users often encounter common mistakes, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• ❌ Color does not change after selection: 🔄 Reset the device. 🔧 Check if a third-party application is conflicting (like Good Lock or Nova Launcher). 📱 Update. MIUI last-minute.
• ❌ AOD shutdown in 10 seconds: ⚡ Check the battery settings: Settings → Battery → Performance mode. 🔋 Disable optimization for the Systems application UI.
• ❌ No "Color of the Watch" item on the menu: 🌍 Check the firmware region (on global versions) MIUI More options than in Chinese). 🔍 Use the search by settings (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

If none of these things worked, your Xiaomi model may have hardware limitations, like the Redmi 8A or POCO C31, which is hard-sewn in firmware and can't be changed without flashing it.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions