How to put a watch on the home screen Xiaomi Redmi 9T: 5 ways + problem solving

Time display on the main screen of a smartphone is a basic feature that should work out of the box. However, owners of the Xiaomi Redmi 9T (model M2010J19SG) often find that the standard watch widget is missing or behaves incorrectly. The reason lies in the peculiarities of the MIUI shell: since version 12.5, Xiaomi has simplified the interface by removing some of the settings. In this article, we will analyze all the available ways to return the clock to the desktop, from built-in tools to third-party applications.

Complicating the problem is that the set of widgets may differ from one Redmi 9T regional firmware (global, Chinese, European) to another, for example, MIUI Global has a minimalist time widget available by default, whereas MIUI China has to manually activate it, and we tested all methods on current firmware versions (up to MIUI 14 inclusive) and identified those that work stably.

1. Standard MIUI widget: where to look and how to add

The most obvious way is to use the built-in widget from Xiaomi. In MIUI 12.5-14, it is hidden in the widget menu, but it does not always appear immediately.

1. Touch the empty space on the home screen and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds until the menu appears.
2. Select the item "Widgets" (icon with squares).
3. Scroll down to Systems – there should be a Watch widget (an icon with a dial).
4. Press the widget and drag it to a free space on the desktop.

If the widget is not listed, the reason may be:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After upgrading to the new shell version, some widgets are reset.
• 🌍 Regional firmware: in Chinese assemblies (MIUI China) watch widget is often disabled by default. The solution is to change the region in the settings (see section 3).
• 📱 Third-party launcher: If you are using Nova Launcher, Apex or other alternative launcher, system widgets MIUI may not be displayed.

The standard MIUI widget supports 3 sizes: 2×1 (compact), 4×1 (date) and 4×2 (weather). To resize, press the widget, then release - a zoom frame will appear.

💡

If the watch widget disappeared after the MIUI update, try clearing the launcher cache. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher, then click Clear Cache.

2. Google Watch Widget: Google's Alternative

If the system widget is not satisfied or not, the best alternative is the Google Clock app, which is pre-installed on all Redmi 9T smartphones with Google services, but the widget is disabled by default.

To add it to the main screen:

1. Open the widget menu (holding your finger in the free screen space).
2. Find the Google section and select “Hours”.
3. 3 options available: ⏰ Analog clock (dial with arrows). 🕒 Digital clock (time) + date). 🌅 Weather watches (requires geolocation permission).

Drag the selected widget on the screen.

The advantages of Google Watch widgets:

• 🔄 Automatic sync with Google servers (exact time without manual setup).
• 🎨 More design options (you can choose the color, size, style of the dial).
• 🔔 Integration with alarm clocks and timers from the app.

If the widget doesn’t appear on the list, update the Google Watch app through the Play Market. In rare cases, reinstallation helps:

Settings → Applications → Google Watch → Remove Updates → Update

Make sure there is a free space on the screen (at least 2×1 cell)

Check for the latest version of MIUI (Settings → About Phone → System Update)

Disable energy saving mode (may block widget updates)

Reboot your phone (if widgets don’t appear after changes)-->

3. Change of firmware region: if the widget is hidden

Owners of the Redmi 9T with MIUI China firmware often face a lack of watch widgets, which is due to Xiaomi’s policy: in Chinese builds, some features are limited or replaced with local counterparts (for example, Mi Clock is used instead of Google Watch).

To return widgets, you can change the firmware region without completely reflashing:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Region.
2. Choose India or Russia – in these regional assemblies, the watch widgets are available by default.
3. Confirm the change and restart the phone.

After the change of region:

• 🔄 Widgets MIUI will appear on the menu in 5-10 minutes (sync with servers is required).
• ⚠️ Some system applications (such as Mi Video) may reset to standard settings.
• 📱 If the widget never appeared, try to clear the launcher data (Settings) → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data).

4. Third-party widgets: top-3 supplant 9T

If the built-in solutions don't work, you can install a third-party watch widget, and we've tested dozens of apps and picked out those that work well on the Redmi 9T with MIUI 12.5-14:

To install a third-party widget:

1. Download the app from the Play Market.
2. Open the widget menu on the main screen.
3. Find the section with the name of the installed application (for example, “Chronus”).
4. Select your favorite widget and drag it to the screen.

💡

Party widgets may conflict with MIUI's energy-saving mode. To keep your watch updated on time, add the app to exceptions: Settings → Battery → Application Selection → [application name] → No restrictions.

5. Problem Solving: The watch doesn't update or disappear

Even after successful installation, the watch widget may not work properly. Consider typical problems and ways to fix them:

🕒 The clock is not updated (stagnates at one time)

• 🔋 Check if the power saving mode for the launcher or watch application is turned on.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes system processes MIUI «hang».
• ⚙️ For Google Watch widgets, update Google Play services (Settings) → Annexes → Google Play Services → Update).

❌ The widget disappears after the reboot

• 📱 Reset the launcher settings: Settings → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data.
• 🔄 If you use a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex), upgrade to the latest version.
• 🔧 V MIUI 14 may help disabling the “Optimization” function MIUI» developer (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → For developers → Optimization MIUI → Off.).

⚠️ The widget is displayed incorrectly (the format is lost)

• 🎨 Check the font settings in the system: Settings → Screen. → Font size and display.
• 🔄 For third-party widgets (like Chronus), update the app and reinstall the widget.
• 📱 If the problem is only with MIUI-With the widget, try changing the theme of the design (Settings) → Theme → My subjects).

💡

If the clock is showing the wrong time, check the date and time settings: Settings → Additional → Date and Time → Network Autodetermination (incl.). If the option is disabled, set the time zone manually.

6. Alternative methods: always at hand

If the widget on the home screen is fundamentally not suitable, there are other options for displaying time:

🔄 Notification panel

In MIUI, time is always displayed in the top bar, so you can quickly see the date and the time:

• Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen.
• In the expanded notification menu, the time is shown in large font.

🔋 Lock screen

Set up the clock display on the locked screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select “Clock Style” and adjust the look.
3. Activate the “Show date” option.

📱 Gestures and fast teams

In Redmi 9T, you can set up a gesture to quickly open the clock:

1. Open the settings → Additional → Gestures.
2. Select “Double Touch” or “Triple Touch”.
3. Set the action to “Open the Clock.”

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

On Redmi 9T with MIUI Global Stable 12.5.4.0, the watch widget may disappear after the Google app updates to version 14.+. This is a well-known bug related to the conflict between Google Play services and the MIUI shell.

1. Reverse Google Watch to version 7.3.0 (download APK here).
2. Turn off automatic updates in the Play Market.

Other common mistakes:

• ❌ No widget added → Check if the child mode is on (Settings) → Password and security → Regime for children).
• ⏳ The clock slows down. → Clear the launcher cache or turn off animation in the developer settings.
• 🔕 No alarm clock. → Check the permissions for the Watch app (Settings) → Annexes → The clock → Permits → Notifications).

💡

Before installing third-party widgets, check for MIUI 14 compatibility reviews. Some apps (like Beautiful Widgets) may not work properly on the Redmi 9T due to Xiaomi's energy-saving optimizations.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions