Xiaomi’s widgets aren’t just a home screen decoration, they’re a powerful tool for quick access to important information. Weekly weather, meeting calendar, smart home management, or music player — all of these can be brought to the forefront, saving time finding the right apps. However, many users face the challenge of finding widgets in MIUI 14/15, why they don’t show up, or how to resize them. In this article, we’ll break down all the nuances from the basic setup to the hidden features that aren’t even written about in the official instructions.
The thing about MIUI is that it's updated regularly, and with it the logic of widgets changes. If you've recently upgraded your firmware or bought a new Redmi Note 13, POCO X6 or Xiaomi 14, the old ways may not work. We've tested all the methods on current versions of the system (including HyperOS for flagships) and put together universal solutions. And we'll also tell you how to return widgets if they disappear after the update - this is a common problem that owners of Xiaomi devices face.
Where to find widgets on Xiaomi: 3 ways to open the menu
Before you add widgets, you need to know where to look for them. In MIUI, the widget menu is hidden in a non-obvious way — it's not in the main application list. Here are three proven ways:
- 📱 Long tap on the home screen: touch the empty space on the desktop and hold your finger 1-2 In the menu that appears, select "Widgets».
- ⚙️ Through screen settings: go to Settings → Main screen, then tap on "Widgets" (on some models the item is called "Screen Elements»).
- 🔍 Search by system: scroll down the main screen to open the search, and type in "widgets." The system will prompt you to immediately go to the menu.
If you don't see a menu after a long press, check if Light Mode is activated (it turns off widgets). Go to Settings → Special Options → Light Mode and deactivate the option. Also, some models (such as POCO F5) may need to unlock developer mode first, but this is rare.
Step-by-step: how to add a widget to the main screen
When the widget menu is open, you just have to pick the right item and place it, but there are pitfalls here too -- not all widgets, for example, support resizing, and some require pre-tuning.
- Open the widget menu in one of the ways described above.
- Scroll down the list or use the search (the magnifying glass icon at the top) to find the widget you want: 🌤️ Weather (from) MIUI Google) 📅 Calendar (with events from Mi Account or Google Calendar) 🎵 Music player (such as Mi Music or Spotify) 🏠 Smart home (to manage Mi Home devices)
Press the widget and drag it to a free space on the home screen. If the widget supports several sizes, the system will prompt you to choose the right one (for example, 2×2 or 4×1 cells).
Release your finger, the widget will appear on the screen. Some elements (such as the weather widget) will require additional settings: city indications, sync with the account, etc.
Important: on HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 Ultra), widgets can automatically update in the background, which affects battery consumption. → Annexes → Application management → [Name of the widget] → Battery → Background activity and select "Limit».
Make sure there is a free space on the main screen
Check your internet connection (for weather, news)
Update the application to which the widget relates
Disable Power Saving Mode (may block updates)
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Popular widgets for Xiaomi: what is worth installing
MIUI has both standard widgets from Xiaomi and third-party solutions, and we have selected the most useful options that save time and simplify everyday tasks:
| Type of widget | Example | Functions | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather. | MIUI Weather, Google Weather | Temperature, precipitation, UV-index, forecast for 10 days | MIUI Weather widget supports animation (rain, snow) on the home screen |
| Calendar | Mi Calendar, Google Calendar | Upcoming events, reminders, birthdays | You can sync with your Mi Account or Google |
| Smart home. | Mi Home, Google Home | Control of lamps, sockets, robot vacuum cleaner | Requires connection to the same Wi-Fi network with devices |
| Music. | Mi Music, Spotify, YouTube Music | Reproduction, pause, transition between tracks | Spotify Widget Only Works with Premium Account |
| Notes | Mi Notes, Google Keep | Quick access to notes, checklists | In Mi Notes you can add a widget with a specific note |
Third-party widgets (such as those from Spotify or Yandex.Weather) are installed through the Google Play Market. Once the app is installed, its widgets automatically appear on the menu. However, some apps (such as VK or Telegram) do not offer widgets for MIUI - this is a limitation of developers, not systems.
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If the weather widget shows incorrect data, try manually specifying the city in the MIUI Weather app settings. To do this, open the app, tap three dots in the upper right corner and select "Cities Management".
How to change the size of the widget or remove it from the screen
Not all widgets on Xiaomi support resizing, but most standard widgets (weather, calendar, clock) do.
- Press the widget and hold it for 1-2 seconds until it “rises” above the screen.
- The corners of the widget will appear white dots (size markers). Drag them to stretch or narrow the element. The sizes available depend on the specific widget — for example, the weather widget can be 2×1, 2×2 or 4×2.
- If the markers do not appear, then the widget does not support resizing (for example, the Mi Home smart home control widget).
To remove the widget from the main screen:
- Press the widget and drag it up the screen to the basket that appears (the icon with the inscription “Delete”).
- Release your finger, the widget disappears, and the app data (e.g., saved cities in the weather) is not deleted.
Restore widgets can be in the following ways:
- Reboot device: Sometimes widgets “return” after a normal reboot. Press the power button and select “Reboot”.
- Reset Home Screen: Go to Settings → Home Screen → Reset. This will return the standard layout, but it will not delete the applications.
- Manual reinstallation: If the widget was from a third-party app (like Google Weather), uninstall and reinstall it via Play Market.
- Update rollback: if the problem appeared after the MIUI update, you can roll back to the previous version via Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three points → Select an update package (you need to download the old firmware manually).
What if the widgets don’t appear even after resetting?
Hidden functions of widgets on Xiaomi: what is not written in the instructions
Widgets in MIUI are more than they seem, and here are some life hacks that will be useful for power users:
- 🔄 Auto-update: You can make the weather or currency widget update more often. Go to the app settings (e.g., for this purpose, MIUI Weather) and enable the Frequent Update option (may reduce battery life).
- 🎨 Widget transparency: Some widgets (like a clock or calendar) support changing transparency. → «Edit» → «Style» → «Transparency».
- 🔒 Blocking the widget: in order not to accidentally move the widget from the place, press it → «Lock it. Now it won't move when you clean the screen.
- 📊 Usage statistics: The Security widget can show traffic consumption, battery charge, and even CPU temperature. Add it through the widget menu and select the desired data type.
On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Xiaomi 13T Pro), Dynamic Widgets are available, which automatically change size and content depending on the time of day. For example, the weather widget will show the day’s forecast in the morning and the night’s forecast in the evening. To activate this feature, press the widget → Settings → Dynamic Mode.
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Widgets in HyperOS can consume up to 5-10% of battery power per day if the background update is enabled. Disable it for non-critical widgets (such as currency rates) in the app settings.
Frequent mistakes and how to fix them
Even when installed correctly, widgets can not work properly, and we have collected common errors and ways to fix them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The widget is not updated | Restriction of background activity, no internet | Go to Settings → Battery → Background activity and remove restrictions for the widget application |
| The widget has become gray/empty | App or cache failure | Clear the app cache through Settings → Apps or reinstall it |
| You can't change the size. | The widget does not support scaling | Try another widget or alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) |
| The widget disappears after the reboot | Launcher or firmware failure | Reset the home screen settings or upgrade MIUI to the latest version |
| The widget does not appear on the menu | The application is not installed or supports widgets | Check if the app is installed and update it. Some widgets don't appear until the app is first launched. |
If none of these methods worked, try creating a new user on the system (Settings → System → Additional → Multiple Users). Widgets can work correctly in the new profile, which will indicate a problem with the main account.
⚠️ Note: on root-enabled devices, widgets may fail due to altered system resolutions. Check if Magisk or other software is blocking access to system services.