How to watch the time on the Xiaomi phone: all the ways from the lock screen to voice assistant

Time on Xiaomi: Why it’s not as easy as it seems

At first glance, the question of how to watch the time on Xiaomi may seem trivial – just look at the top panel of the screen. But in practice, users face a number of nuances: time disappears after the update, does not appear on the lock screen, is lost when changing time zones or is completely hidden due to the features of the MIUI shell. This is especially true for owners of budget models (Redmi 9A, Poco M3), where the manufacturer saves on Always-On Display.

In this article, we're not just going to list the obvious ways (like swiping down for the notification bar), but we're going to look at all the scenarios, from basic to advanced. You're going to learn how to return time to the lock screen if it's gone, how to set it up in the status bar, and even how to find out the exact time with milliseconds through the engineering menu. And for owners of Xiaomi with MIUI 14, we've added actual chips like dynamic time widgets.

Method 1: Lock screen is the most obvious solution

The fastest way to see time on Xiaomi is to unlock the phone. On the lock screen, time is displayed by default in the center or in the upper left corner (depending on the version of MIUI).

Reasons for missing time on the block:

• 🔄 Failure after updates - a frequent problem when switching to MIUI 13/14.
• 🎨 Incorrect theme of design – some custom themes hide the clock.
• ⚙️ Disabled function in settings - especially relevant for older models (Redmi Note 5, Mi) A2).

To get back the time:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select the Lock screen style.
3. Make sure the time switch is on.
4. If you use a custom theme, change it to a standard one (by default).

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On some models (Xiaomi 12T, Redmi K50) lock time can be increased: press your finger on the watch → Select Change the size

Method 2: Notification panel – universal method

Regardless of the Xiaomi model (whether it’s the Poco X3 Pro or Mi 11 Ultra), the time is always duplicated in the notification bar.

• 👆 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen (one finger).
• 👆👆 To fully open the panel, swipe twice.

If the time in the panel is not displayed:

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI EU) Time is hidden when activated No Sound or No Disturb. Check the sound settings!

Method 3: Time widgets for those who like customization

If the standard display time is not enough, Xiaomi can add a widget of the watch to the home screen.

• 🌍 Travel and need to display multiple time zones.
• ⏱️ Want to see seconds or milliseconds (for example, for sports training).
• 🎨 Prefer a non-standard design of the dial.

How to add a widget:

Click the empty space on the home screen |Select Widgets |Scroll to the Watch section |Select size and style |Click Add to the screen

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For models with MIUI 14, dynamic widgets are available that change the design depending on the time of day or weather. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the widget can display the sunrise in the morning and the moon at night.

Method 4: Always-On Display (AOD) – Time on the screen off

The Always-On Display (AOD) feature allows you to see the time even when the phone's screen is off. It's available on most Xiaomi flagships (Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Redmi K60 Pro) and some mid-budget models (Poco F4 GT).

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption - up to 5-7% nightly.
• 📱 Not working. AMOLED-The screens of older models (Redmi Note 8 Pro).
• ⚙️ It may be disabled after updates (especially on the MIUI Global).

How to turn on the AOD:

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Always-On Display.
2. Choose the display style (digital or analog clock).
3. Set up a schedule (for example, only at night).
4. Activate the option to Show at notifications.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI China function AOD It's locked without officially unlocking the bootloader, and trying to turn it on could cause the phone to reset!

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Always-On Display is more economical than always turning on the screen, but still reduces battery life by 10-15%.

Method 5: Voice assistant for those who like convenience

If you're too lazy to pick up your phone to see the time, you can use a voice assistant. On Xiaomi, it's either a built-in XiaoAI (for Chinese firmware) or a Google Assistant.

How to ask the time in voice:

• 🎤 For Google Assistant, say “OK, Google, what time is it?” or press the Home button (on older models).
• 🤖 For XiaoAI (on) MIUI China: Say, " (in Chinese) or click on the microphone icon in the search bar.

Features of voice time request:

On IR-blaster models (Xiaomi 11T Pro, Redmi Note 11 Pro+), the voice assistant can also control appliances, such as saying, "OK, Google, what time it is and turn on the TV."

Method 6: Engineering menu for advanced users

If you want the most accurate time (for example, to sync with servers or debug applications), you can use the engineering menu. This is a hidden feature that shows milliseconds of time, network information and other technical data.

How to open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.


2 Enter the code ##4636##




3. Select "Phone Information."




4. Scroll to the section "Working time".

What you can see on the engineering menu:

• ⏱️ Exact millisecond time (e.g. 14:30:45.789).
• 📡 Network synchronization time (useful for mobile Internet problems).
• 🔄 Time of the last reset.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu if you do not understand their purpose! Incorrect settings can lead to loss of network or reset of the phone.

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On some models (Xiaomi 12 Lite, Redmi 10 2022), the engineering menu is blocked. To unlock it, install the MTK Engineering Mode app from the Play Market.

FAQ: Frequent questions about time on Xiaomi