Xiaomi’s Amazfit smartwatches and fitness trackers have become an essential accessory for millions of users who value functionality and autonomy. However, after first switching on, traveling to another region or resetting, owners often face the problem of incorrect time display, which is not just an aesthetic flaw, but a critical error that disrupts alarm clocks, notifications and sleep tracking.
Unlike a mechanical watch that needs to be turned around the head, or a simple electronic watch that uses buttons to set the time, modern gadgets work in conjunction with a smartphone. Synchronization is automatic, but this process can fail due to software conflicts or incorrect system settings. Understanding the operating system of the tracker will help to avoid confusion.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to set the time settings correctly, why the clock can show an hour different, and what to do if the automatic update fails to work. You will learn about the hidden Zepp and Mi Fit settings that govern this process, and learn how to quickly correct any discrepancies.
Principles of automatic synchronization
The basis of correct time on any Amazfit device is its connection to a smartphone. Gadgets do not have their own cellular module (with the rare exception of eSIM models) and do not know how to determine the exact time without an external source. The main source of truth is the companion application installed on the phone.
The data exchange is done in the background via Bluetooth Low Energy, and once you open the app, it reads your phone's system time and sends a command to the tracker, and if the smartphone is right, it will update instantly on the wrist, but here's the first thing: the app must have permission to access the geo-position.
What do you need coordinates for? Many users are surprised that without access to GPS or location data, the app can't tell you your time zone. If the phone thinks you're in Moscow and the watch thinks you're in London, it's a few hours apart, which is why it's important to not ignore the requests for access to geodata when you first set up.
- 📱 Open Bluetooth settings on your smartphone and make sure the device is connected.
- 🌍 Check if geolocation is enabled in Android or iOS system settings.
- 🔄 Launch the Zepp app and wait for the green sync icon to appear.
- ⏱ Check the readings on the watch screen and in the status bar of the phone.
⚠️ Warning: If you just changed your region (flying to another country), don't be in a hurry to change your time manually. 2-3 minutes to determine the new network and update the time zone, then start synchronization.
Sometimes the automatic process requires intervention, for example, if you've switched to winter or daylight saving time and your phone hasn't yet updated, the tracker will also show the old value, and in such situations, it's helpful to know how to force the data to be exchanged.
Time zone setting in the Zepp app
Most modern models, such as the Amazfit GTS, GTR or T-Rex, are controlled through the Zepp platform (formerly Mi Fit), and it is within this app that key settings that affect time display are hidden.
To check the settings, you need to go to the device profile, and in the application interface, this is usually the bottom tab "Profile", then select your device from the list "My devices", and here is the item "Device settings" or "System Settings", where you hide time management.
It's important to note that in some versions of the firmware, direct manual time input (hours and minutes) is blocked by developers, and this is done specifically to avoid desynchronization. You can only change the time zone or display format (12/24 hours). If you need to change the time itself, you have to do it through a change in the region of the phone.
Consider the table of the correspondence of settings in the application and their impact on the result:
| Parameter in the annex | Effect on the clock | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Time zone | Time shift relative to UTC | Your car or your city |
| Time format | 12-hour or 24-hour cycle | By preference. |
| Synchronization | Frequency of data updates | Automatically. |
| Language of the system | Displaying the days of the week and months | Russian |
If you find time lagging or running exactly one hour late, the most likely problem is setting the time zone inside the app, making sure your actual city is selected there, not just "GMT+3."
Manual time change through system settings
There are scenarios where automatic synchronization is impossible or undesirable, such as when you want to set the exact time for a sports event knowing that the venue is poorly connected, or when you test the alarm clock, you can try to change the system settings of the smartphone itself to push the right time for the clock.
To do this, go to the basic settings of your Android or iOS device, find the "Date and Time" section, where you need to turn off the "Time Auto-Determination" and "Time Zone Auto-Determination" option, and then the input fields will become active.
Set the desired time manually. Now open the Zepp app and sync. The watch should take on a new value. However, remember that once you turn on autodetection on your phone again, the watch will instantly return to network time.
The way to reset your time settings on Android:
Settings → System → Date and time → Autoset time (off) → Set timeThis method is a bony solution, and it's not recommended for continuous use, and it breaks the logic of smart devices that are designed to keep the user away from manual settings. Use it only in extreme cases.
- 🔌 Turn off the Internet on your phone so that time does not update itself.
- ⚙️ Manually set the necessary hours and minutes in the system.
- 📲 Open the watch app and wait for the connection.
- ✅ Check the result on the tracker display.
⚠️ Warning: After manually changing the time, remember to return the date and time settings on your smartphone to automatic mode. Otherwise, you may stop having security certificates in your browser and banking applications.
Problems with transition to winter and summer time
While many countries have abandoned seasonal hand-shifting, in some regions it is still relevant, or users travel between such zones.Amazfit smartwatches usually receive information about DST (Daylight Saving Time) from a smartphone.If the phone has changed time, and the clock does not, then there has been a failure in the transmission of the data packet.
Often, the problem is solved by simply restarting both devices: Turn off and turn on Bluetooth, then restart the watch itself through the device menu, which will clear the cache of temporary files and force the system to re-query current data.
If the problem persists, check the firmware version. Older versions of the software may have errors in the database of time zones. Updating to the latest version through the Zepp application often contains corrections for these cases.
Also, you should consider that some custom dials may not display time correctly, even if the system time is correct. It's a graphical bug, not a clock. Try changing the dial to a standard one to make sure the readings are correct.
Changing the region in the application as a solution
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the Zepp app is stuck in the wrong region, such as buying a watch in China and creating an account in Russia, or vice versa, which can affect the sync servers and, as a result, the correct timing.
To fix this, you don't have to delete your account. You can find "Region" in the app settings (user profile), change the region may require re-authorization, and once you log in to a new region, the watch often gets the correct time settings automatically.
But there's a caveat: when you change region, some training data may disappear if it's not synchronized with the global server, so make sure that all your data is uploaded to the cloud before you manipulate the regions.
☑️ Checklist before changing the region
This method is particularly effective for models designed for the Chinese market (Global Version vs China Version), which can cause delays in receiving accurate time signals.
What to do if time is constantly being lost
A situation where time on the Amazfit is reset every morning or after a power outage indicates a more serious problem: it could be a battery defect that does not keep charge in deep sleep, or a software glitch of firmware.
The first step is to always reset the device completely to factory settings (Reset), which is done through the watch menu: Settings → System → Factory Reset, which will remove all data from the device, but often eliminates software conflicts.
If that doesn’t work, try removing the device from your phone’s Bluetooth list and re-associating it as new, sometimes the connection profile in your smartphone’s memory gets corrupted, preventing the correct transmission of service data, including time.
- 🗑 Perform reset to factory settings on the clock.
- ❌ Remove the device from the list of paired in Bluetooth.
- 📲 Remove the device from the application Zepp/Mi Fit.
- 🔗 Conduct the pairing procedure again.
In rare cases, the problem lies in the app itself on the phone. Try clearing the app cache or reinstalling it. Make sure the app has all the necessary permissions, especially for running in the background and auto-starting.
⚠️ Note: When you reset, all unsaved training and step data will be permanently deleted. Make sure the application has time to sync the data before resetting.
Comparison of models: are there differences in the setting?
Amazfit's lineup is huge, from simple Band trackers to advanced GTR and T-Rex. There's no fundamental difference in the timing logic between them, as they all run a single software kernel.
On non-touch screen models (such as the Amazfit Bip or the old Cors), menu navigation is done with a single button or swing. The path to reset or check the software version there will look like a sequence of quick taps. On touch models (GTS, GTR, Falcon), all control is done with swipes and taps.
The key difference is the presence GPS-The watch with the built-in GPS (T-Rex, Stratos can adjust time on satellites if the synchronization function with the smartphone is disabled, but this only works during active training or satellite search. GPS They are completely dependent on the phone.
The table below shows a comparison of the features of different series:
| Series of devices | GPS presence | Dependence on the phone | Resetting method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazfit Band (5, 6, 7) | No (usually) | Complete. | Through the app |
| Amazfit GTS / GTR | There is. | Tall. | Clock menu / Appendix |
| Amazfit T-Rex | There's a Dual-band. | Medium (can catch GPS) | Clock menu |
| Amazfit Bip | There are (in some) | Tall. | Clock menu |
Understanding your model will help you find the right item on the menu faster, but remember that 99% of the time, the problem is solved on the smartphone side, not the watch itself.