How to change the time on the Xiaomi Mi 5: 4 ways + error solving

The mistime on Xiaomi Mi 5 is a problem that even power users face. A smartphone can lag, rush, or even freeze on an irrelevant date after resetting, changing the battery, or updating the firmware. In 80% of cases, the fault is disabled automatic synchronization with NTP servers, but sometimes the culprits are malfunctions in the com.android.server.DateTimeService module or conflicts with applications to save power.

In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to change the time on the Mi 5 – from the basic settings through the menu to manually fixing through ADB (for advanced users), and find out why time is lost after a reboot and how to fix it without resetting to factory settings.

If your smartphone is ±12 hours error time, it is likely the problem is in the wrong time zone (for example, instead of Moscow, GMT+3 is Los Angeles, GMT-8).

1. Method 1: Automatic time synchronization through settings

The easiest and recommended method is to enable automatic updates of network time. Xiaomi Mi 5 supports the NTP (Network Time Protocol), which synchronizes data with servers of Google or Xiaomi.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the section Additional settings → Date and time.
3. Activate the switches: 🔄 Autodetermining Date and Time (using network data) 🌍 Time zone autodetermination (important for travel)

Wait 10-20 seconds, the time should be updated automatically.

If the time has not changed after the synchronization is turned on, try:

• 📶 Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile internet (or vice versa) – sometimes servers NTP blocked by the provider.
• ✈️ Manually choose another time zone (for example, Yekaterinburg, GMT+5 Moscow, GMT+3, then back).
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – it will reset the cache of time services.

Autodetermining date and time included|Time zone autodetermination is actively|Smartphone connected to the Internet|Reboot completed after changes-->

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (especially custom servers NTP If time is not synchronized, check the file. /etc/gps.conf — The current server must be specified (e.g. pool.ntp.org).

Method 2: Manually setting time and date

If automatic synchronization doesn't work (e.g., without internet), you can set the time manually, which is also useful if you're using your smartphone in airplane mode or with your mobile data turned off.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Turn off the “Date and Time Auto-Detection” and “Time Zone Auto-Detection” switches.
3. Click on the “Date” and “Time” fields to open the calendar and dial.
4. Set the current values and click "Ready."

When manually adjusting, consider:

• ⏰ Time format: in MIUI choose 12-clockwork (AM/PM) or 24-Time mode in the language and input section → Date and time format.
• 📅 Date: If the smartphone is used for banking transactions (for example, Sberbank Online), an incorrect date may block access.
• 🔋 Charge savings: Manual time is not updated when restarting if synchronization is disabled.

3. Method 3: Resetting time settings through the engineering menu

If standard methods don't work, you can reset your time settings through the engineering menu (#4636###).

• ❌ Time is lost after each switch on the smartphone.
• ⚙️ Date and time settings are not saved in the menu.
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization works, but shows incorrect data.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code ##4636##.
2. In the engineering menu, select the tab “Phone Information”.
3. Scroll down to the Time Service (or Time Service) block.
4. Click on Reset Time (or Reset Time).
5. Reboot your smartphone.

After reset, switch on automatic synchronization again (see Method 1). If the problem persists, proceed to the next method.

Never gone down |Rarely (once a month) |Often (once a week) |After each reboot |I don't know, I didn't pay attention-->

Method 4: Time Correction through ADB (for Advanced)

If all previous methods failed, you can manually set the time through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with drivers installed ADB and platform-tools utility.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 On the smartphone enabled the developer mode and debugging USB.

Instructions:

1. Connect the Mi 5 to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices Wait for the serial number of the device to appear.
4. Set the current time (example for 15:30 on December 25, 2026): adb shell date -s 20261225.153000
5. Reboot your smartphone: adb reboot

Important: After manually setting the time through ADB, automatic synchronization may not work until the next reboot. To avoid this, after executing the commands, turn on synchronization in the settings (see Method 1).

1. Reconnect. USB-cable.

2. Enable the option of debugging over USB (safe mode) in the developer settings.

3. Update drivers via Mi PC Suite.-->

5.Why time on Xiaomi Mi 5 is lost: 5 main reasons

If time on your smartphone is constantly “going away” or resetting, one of these issues could be the culprit:

If none of the solutions worked, check your smartphone for hardware problems, such as damage to your PMIC (power management) chip can cause real-time clock (RTC) failures.

💡

In 90% of cases, the time problem on the Xiaomi Mi 5 is solved by turning on automatic synchronization or changing the time zone. If the smartphone is older than 5 years, the culprit is often a discharged CMOS battery - in this case, only a battery replacement will help.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When changing the time on Xiaomi Mi 5 users often make these mistakes:

• ❌ Time zone ignoring: even if the time is set correctly, the wrong belt will crash after the reset.
• ❌ Disconnecting synchronization “forever”: manual time is not updated when switching to winter/summer time or changing region.
• ❌ Using time change applications: programs like Fake GPS Time Shifts may conflict with system services.
• ❌ Resetting settings without backup: when you return to factory settings, time will reset, but with it other data will be deleted (contacts, SMS).

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI (for example, MIUI 10 for Mi 5) after manual time change, notifications in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) or banking applications may stop working. This is due to checking certificates by time. To fix, turn on automatic synchronization or restart your smartphone.

7. Additional Tips for Working With Time on Xiaomi

To avoid future problems with time, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Regularly update the firmware: in new versions MIUI Time synchronization errors are corrected. Check the updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📵 Do not use energy saving modes aggressively: disabling background processes may block the time update.Add Google Settings and Services to exceptions.
• ⚡ Watch the battery: if the battery is under 10%, RTC-The module may be reset. Keep the charge level above 20%.
• 🌐 Check the network settings: if the smartphone is connected to VPN or proxy, servers NTP They may not be available. VPN pre-synchronization.

If you travel frequently, turn on the “Time Zone Auto-Detection” option to eliminate the need for manual adjustments when crossing borders. However, in some countries (e.g. China), NTP servers may be blocked – in this case, use manual adjustment.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions