Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones provide users with a wide range of options for personalizing the appearance of the interface. One of the most popular requests among owners of these devices is the desire to set or change the display of time on the home screen. The watch widget is not just a decor element, but also a functional tool that allows you to quickly find out the current time, date and weather without opening unnecessary applications.
With MIUI and its updated version of HyperOS, the widget installation process is intuitive, but beginners often have difficulty finding the right settings. There are several ways to do this, from using standard system tools to installing third-party themes. The specific method depends on the appearance you want to get in the end.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at all the options available to put a watch on the Xiaomi Redmi screen. You will learn how to work with standard widgets, how to activate Always On Display mode for a locked screen, and what nuances should be considered when customizing your desktop for maximum performance and aesthetics.
Use of standard widgets in MIUI and HyperOS
The easiest and most reliable way to set the clock is to use the built-in tools of the system. The MIUI shell offers a wide range of widgets of different sizes and styles. To start, you need to go to the desktop editing mode. To do this, you need to pinch two fingers on the home screen (make them together) or just hold your finger for a long time in the icon-free area.
When you go into edit mode, you'll see a menu bar at the bottom of the screen, and you're interested in the Widget button. When you click on it, you'll see a list of all the system modules available. You'll find the Watch section in the list, and you'll find a few design options, from simple digital scoreboards to complex analog second hand movements.
⚠️ Warning: When adding a widget, make sure there is free space on the screen. If the grid is occupied by icons, the widget may not install or shift other elements. 2x2 or 4x2 cell-box.
Once you have a design you like, click on it and hold your finger until the vibration appears, then drag the element to the desired area of the screen. Once installed, the widget can be further customized. This often requires you to click on the widget itself or select the widget settings item in the menu that appears. Here you can change the time zone, the time format (12 or 24 hours), and even choose a city to display the weather.
Importantly, standard widgets are optimized to work with the system and have minimal impact on battery consumption. Unlike third-party applications, they do not require additional permissions and do not load RAM with background processes.
Always on Display (AOD) for a locked screen
Many users confuse desktop widgets with time display on a locked screen. Always On Display (AOD) technology allows you to see hours, dates and notifications even when the smartphone screen is turned off. This feature is available on models with AMOLED or Super AMOLED matrices, where each pixel burns independently, saving energy.
To activate the function, go to the Settings menu and select the Lock Screen section. In the list that opens, find Always On Display and lock the screen or just Always On Display. Switch the slider to the active position. The system will suggest you choose a style: not only numbers, but also animated images, captions and even characters.
- 🕒 Classic: displays only the time and date in a strict format, taking up a minimum of space.
- 🎨 Artistic: time is inscribed in a beautiful background or picture, can vary depending on the time of day.
- 📅 Informative: Shows time, date, battery level and icons of the latest notifications.
- 🖼️ Personal: the ability to upload your own photo from the gallery, which will be overlaid with hours.
You can also set a schedule in AOD settings, which is a critical option to save energy, so you can only set it at night while you sleep, or you can turn it off at night so that the lights don't get in the way, and you can also have a "Show 10 seconds after touch" option that completely shuts down the constant lighting, activating the clock only when you're moving or taping.
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If you rarely look at a locked screen, select Show 10 seconds after touch, which will significantly extend the battery life of your Redmi, while retaining the function of fast viewing time.
It is worth remembering that on some budget models Redmi with the IPS-screen function AOD may be absent or operating in limited mode, in such cases, the time may only be displayed immediately after notification or unlocking, but not continuously.
Working with the theme and theme store
If you don't have enough standard functionality, the Themes app comes to your rescue, a powerful customization tool that allows you to change not only wallpaper, but also system fonts, icons and, of course, watch widgets. The The Theme store contains thousands of author's works, many of which include unique, animated time widgets.
To find a new watch, open the Themes app and go to the Widgets section or search for "Clock." You can sort the results by popularity or release date. Before installing, be sure to check the screenshots to make sure that the style of the widget fits with your wallpaper and overall interface concept.
| Type of widget | Description | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|
| Static | Simple numbers or arrows without movement | Minimum |
| Animated | Contains moving elements, second hands | Average. |
| Video background | Uses video as a clock background | High. |
| interactive | Responds to touch or gyroscope | High. |
After downloading and installing the theme, widgets are usually added automatically or appear in a shared widget library. However, using third-party themes can lead to unstable system operation if the theme is poorly optimized. In some cases, time out-of-synchronization or increased heating of the device may occur.
What to do if widgets disappear after installing the theme?
Installation of third-party apps from Google Play
When the system and the store are less powerful, users turn to third-party developers, and there are many widget-making apps in the Google Play store, and the leaders in this niche are Overdrop, HD Widgets, and Chronus, which allow you to create a watch from scratch, choosing each setting manually.
The installation process is standard: download an application, open it, and go to desktop editing mode. The widget list will have new items with the logo of the installed application. The advantage of these programs is the incredible flexibility of settings. You can change the color of each digit, font, add a background image, adjust transparency, and even tie the widget to a music player.
⚠️ Warning: Third-party widgets often require permanent permissions to access geolocation (for weather) and background work.This can lead to more aggressive battery consumption compared to standard solutions from Xiaomi.
The synchronization feature is particularly noteworthy, because many advanced widgets can sync with smartwatches or other devices in ekosisteme, but be careful with apps that contain a lot of ads in the free version, which can overload the interface and cause slowdowns when you scroll through the desktop.
☑️ Selection of a third-party widget
Problems with the watch widget and their solution
Despite the stability of MIUI, users may find themselves in a situation where the watch widget stops updating, shows the wrong time or simply disappears from the screen, most often due to an aggressive energy saving system that kills the widget processes to save resources.
To fix this, you need to go to the battery settings. Find the System Watch or Widgets app (the name may vary depending on the firmware version). In the Battery Management menu, select No Limits mode. This will prevent the system from forcibly stopping the time update process.
- 🔄 Reset widget settings: Remove the widget from the screen and add it again through the edit menu.
- 📡 Network Check: Make sure network time synchronization is enabled in settings → Date and time.
- 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Annexes → All applications, find the system clock and clear the cache (not data!).
Another common problem is to desynchronize time after travel or arrows are translated. If the widget shows the time with an error, check if the time zone is correct. Global versions of firmware sometimes fail to automatically determine the region, in which case it is better to manually select your city in the date and time settings.
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The main reason widgets fail on Xiaomi is aggressive energy saving, and switching the system clock to No Limits mode solves 90% of the time update problems.
Optimizing the interface for better performance
Installing a variety of widgets, especially heavy and animated ones, inevitably affects smartphone performance. Xiaomi Redmi is often mid-range devices where CPU and RAM resources are limited. Excessive decorating of the desktop can lead to micro-freezes and slow system response.
It is recommended to adhere to the principle of reasonable sufficiency. If you want just a watch, choose a static widget without complex animations. Avoid installing widgets that constantly update content from the Internet (for example, news feeds or live wallpaper with a clock) if you have a weak network signal or want to save as much charge as possible.
On high PPI displays, complex fonts look better but require more resources to render. If you notice that the phone is warming up in standby mode, try removing all widgets from the home screen and leaving only the necessary app icons.
In conclusion, setting up the Xiaomi Redmi watch is a creative process to make your smartphone your own. Whether it’s a strict digital format to work with or a bright animated dial for the soul, the system provides all the tools to realize your ideas.