How to set an alarm clock on Xiaomi Mi 9: 5 ways to adjust for any task

The alarm clock on your smartphone is not just a wake-up feature, but a whole tool for organizing the day. The Xiaomi Mi 9 (codenamed cepheus) has a proprietary app called Watches with advanced features, from repeating signals to smoothly increasing volume. But many users don’t know that in addition to the standard solution, you can use Google Clock, desktop widgets or even voice commands for Alice.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to set an alarm clock on the Mi 9, including hidden chips like Smart Alarm Mode (Sleep Phase Analysis) and settings for quickly turning off without looking for a button, and why the alarm clock sometimes doesn’t work on Xiaomi and how to fix it.

If you just upgraded to MIUI 14 or found that the alarm clock stopped working after resetting, here you can find a solution. All instructions are checked on current versions of the software (2026) and adapted to the features of the Xiaomi Mi 9, including models with global and Chinese firmware.

1. Standard alarm clock through the app "Clock"

The basic way that works out of the box is to use Xiaomi’s pre-installed Watch app, which supports unlimited alarm clocks, day-of-week repetition, and even integration with the Mi Band for vibration alerts.

To add a new alarm clock:

1. Open the Clock app (icon with dial).
2. Go to the Alarming Signal tab (bell icon at the bottom of the screen).
3. Press + in the lower right corner.
4. Set a time, select repetition days and tune the melody.

The Mi 9 features unique features:

• 🔔 Smooth awakening – the volume of the signal increases gradually (configured in Additional) → Smooth alarm clock).
• 🌙 Do not disturb mode automatically turns off when the alarm is triggered (turned on in the application settings).
• 🎵 Your own tunes – you can download any MP3-file up to 10 minutes.

Time set correctly (AM/PM) |

Signal volume is not at a minimum |

Vibration on (if necessary) |

Repeat days are chosen correctly-->

On the Xiaomi Mi 9 with MIUI 12.5+ firmware, the alarm may not work if the battery settings for the Watch app have power saving mode enabled. To fix this, go to Settings → Battery → Application Selection → Watch → No Limits.

2. Quick setup via a widget on the desktop

If you need to instantly add an alarm without running the app, use the widget. There are two types of watch widgets available on the Mi 9:

• 🕒 Analog clock (4×2) — The time and alarm button are displayed.
• ⏰ Digital alarm clock (4×1) — merely the function of awakening.

To add a widget:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop.
2. Select Widgets from the bottom menu.
3. Find the Watch and drag the desired widget to the screen.
4. Click on the widget to quickly add or edit the alarm.

The advantage of this method is that you can instantly access the alarm clock from the home screen, for example, if you forgot to turn off the signal for the weekend, just one tap on the widget.

Analog clock |

Digital alarm |

I don't use widgets |

Your own version (write in the comments)-->

3. Voice alarm setting via Alice or Google Assistant

On the Xiaomi Mi 9, you can set the alarm clock with your voice, which is convenient when your hands are busy or the screen is locked.

• 🤖 Voice assistant Xiaomi (Alice) – works offline for basic commands.
• 🎤 Google Assistant – Supports more complex scenarios (e.g., “set an alarm for 7:30 on weekdays").

Examples of voice commands:

• "Okay, Google, set the alarm for 6:45."
• "Alice, wake me up tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.."
• "Put an alarm on every Monday at 7:00 with the words 'Get the kid to school' on it."

To activate voice control:

1. For Alice: Press and hold the Home button (or say "Hi Alice").
2. For Google Assistant: Say “OK, Google” or click on the microphone icon in the search bar.

💡

If the voice assistant doesn't recognize the command, check the language settings in Settings → Additional → Language and Input → Voice input. For Alice, select "Russian (Russia)", for Google, "Russian".

Limitations of the voice method:

• Alice on Mi 9 does not support the creation of repeating alarm clocks (only one-off).
• Google Assistant may conflict with AliExpress and other Chinese apps – if the command doesn’t work, close the background processes.

4.Using Google Clock to sync with other devices

If you have other Android devices (tablet, second phone), it’s convenient to use Google Clock — alarm clocks will sync through your Google account. This is especially useful for those who often switch between gadgets.

To set up Google Clock on Xiaomi Mi 9:

1. Install the Google Clock app from the Play Market.
2. Open it and resolve all requests (access to microphone for voice commands, notifications).
3. Press + in the lower right corner and set the alarm.
4. Enable the option of Synchronizing alarm clocks in the application settings.

The advantages of Google Clock over the standard Xiaomi app:

⚠️ Note: If you use both apps (Hours and Google Clock) at the same time, alarm clocks may be duplicated. To avoid this, turn off sync in one of the apps or remove unnecessary ones.

5.Smart alarm clock: waking up in REM sleep

Xiaomi Mi 9’s signature feature on MIUI 12.5+ is a Smart Alarm Mode that tracks sleep phases through an accelerometer and wakes you up at the optimal moment (30 minutes before the set time), which helps you wake up alert, without feeling broken.

To activate the smart alarm clock:

1. Open the Watch app → Alarm clock.
2. Create a new alarm clock or edit an existing one.
3. Activate the Smart Alarm (a time slot slider will appear).
4. Set a range (e.g. 7:00–7:30).

How it works:

• 📱 The smartphone analyzes movements during sleep (if you lie still – deep sleep, if you move – fast sleep).
• 🎯 30 minutes before the alarm clock, the device picks the moment when you are closest to the awakening phase.
• 🔔 The signal is triggered at this time, not at a fixed time.

⚠️ Warning: The Smart Alarm feature consumes an extra battery charge (about 5–7% per night) as the sensors are continuously running. If you have less than 20% of the charge left, the system will automatically turn off this option.

6. Problem Solving: The alarm clock doesn't work

If the alarm clock is on Xiaomi Mi 9 It doesn't ring, it can be software or hardware.-5 causes and ways of eliminating them:

1. Battery optimization blocks the application

• Go to Settings → Battery → Selection of applications.
• Find the Watch (or Google Clock) and select Unlimited.

2. Sound or vibration is off.

• Check the physical volume switch on the left end of the Mi 9.
• Make sure that the tune is selected in the alarm settings (not "No sound").

3. Conflict with the Do Not Disturb regime

• Open the settings → Sound → Do not disturb.
• Add alarm clocks to the list of exceptions.

4. System time failure

• Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
• Enable date and time Autodetermination and time zone Autodetermination.

5. Dynamic damage

• Check if the sound works in other apps (like YouTube).
• If the sound is missing everywhere, the speaker may be faulty (repair required).

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If the alarm doesn’t go off once, check the Notification Log in your settings. It’s possible that the signal was suppressed by another active task (e.g., a game or video call).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the alarm clock on Xiaomi Mi 9