How to put time on the desktop of the phone Xiaomi: all the ways

Did you just buy a new Xiaomi smartphone and notice that there is no familiar clock on the desktop? Or did the widget disappear with time after the MIUI update? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi devices - the manufacturer often hides standard interface elements under a layer of customization. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to return the watch to the home screen, including hidden MIUI settings 14/15, third-party widgets and even manual editing of themes.

It's important to understand that the display of time on the desktop depends on the version of the shell and the model of the phone. For example, on the POCO F5 with MIUI, 14 hours are hidden by default, and on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, they can only be displayed in the status bar. We tested all methods on current firmware (2026) and collected solutions for even the most stubborn devices. If you tried to add a widget through the standard menu and nothing worked out, do not give up, in this article there is a unique way using the hidden developer mode.

Why Xiaomi doesn’t have a default desktop clock?

Xiaomi has deliberately removed the standard watch widget from the main MIUI element set since version 12.

• 📱 Minimalist design: The company follows the trend towards clean desktops, where time is only displayed in the top notification bar.
• 🔄 Customization through themes: Xiaomi offers to download widgets from the Theme → Widgets, but many users are not aware of this feature.
• 📊 Saving resources: constantly updating the widget on the home screen consumes an additional battery (albeit slightly).
• 🛠️ Technical limitations: on some models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) widgets are blocked due to firmware features.

Interestingly, on older versions of MIUI (up to 11 inclusive), the watch was part of the standard set of widgets, and now you have to add them manually or install them through GetApps (the Xiaomi app store), which fortunately takes no more than 2-3 minutes if you know the right sequence of actions.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO F4 GT) Standard watch widgets may conflict with the branded shell. №4 or №5 of our instructions.

Method 1: Adding a standard watch widget (MIUI 14/15)

The easiest method is to use a built-in widget that is hidden in the theme menu.It works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models (except MIUI devices for POCO).

1. Press and hold the empty space on your desktop (not on the icon!).
2. In the menu that appears, select Widgets (or Widgets in English firmware).
3. Scroll down to Systems (or Systems) section.
4. Find the Watch (or Clock) widget – it can be hidden under the name Analog Watch or Digital Watch.
5. Hold the widget and drag it to the desktop. Release your finger to lock it.

If the widget doesn’t appear in the list, try updating MIUI to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update. On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13.5), the watch only appears after the update.

Update MIUI to the latest version

Free up space on your desktop (remove unnecessary icons)

Check if the power saving mode is on (it can block widgets)

Restart your phone if the watch doesn’t appear on the list.-->

The standard widget supports several styles:

• ⏰ Analog clock (shooting, with dial).
• 🕒 Digital clock (time only, no stopwatch).
• 📅 Date clock (time) + weekday).
• 🌍 World Time (displays multiple time zones).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi 13 Ultra and other flagships, the watch widget can automatically hide when the Always on screen mode is activated (AOD). To avoid this, disable the option in Settings. → Screen. → Always on screen.

Method 2: Set the clock through MIUI themes

If the standard widget is missing or not suitable for the design, use the branded MIUI theme store. There are hundreds of free and paid watch options, including animated and interactive.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Widgets (or Widgets) tab.
3. In the search bar, enter the clock (or clock).
4. Select your favorite widget and click Apply.
5. Return to the desktop, clamp the empty space → Widgets → find the installed widget and add it.

Popular widgets from the themes:

Note that some widgets require a MIUI subscription (starting at 99 rubles per month), free options often contain ads that appear when you click on the widget. To avoid this, download themes marked No Ads.

Analog (with arrows)

Digital (time only)

World Time (Several Cities)

Animated (with effects)

I don't care.-->

Method 3: Using Third-Party Applications

If the built-in solutions don’t work, install a third-party widget from Google Play.

• 🎨 More design options (from minimalist to minimalist) 3D-hours).
• ⚙️ Flexible settings (color, font, size, transparency).
• 🔄 Automatic update (synchronization with weather, calendar).
• 📱 Support AOD (off-screen).

Top.-5 Watch Apps on Xiaomi:

1. Chronus is a weather, calendar and task widget that supports MIUI 14/15 without conflict.
2. Digital Clock Widget is a simple digital watch with a font and color setting.
3. Transparent Clock & Weather is a transparent watch with animation.
4. Minimalistic Text is a customizable widget with Tasker support.
5. Clock Q – watch with paralax effect (3D-phone-tilt).

To install a third-party widget:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and follow the setup instructions.
3. Return to the desktop, clamping the empty space → Widgets.
4. Find the widget of the installed application (e.g. Chronus 4x2) and add it.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI for POCO Some third-party widgets may not be displayed due to shell limitations. In this case, use the Nova Launcher app (see method). №5).

💡

Before installing a third-party widget, check the reviews about compatibility with your Xiaomi model.Some apps are optimized for Samsung or Google Pixel only and may not work properly.

Method 4: Enabling the clock through developer mode (hidden method)

This is a way for advanced users who are ready to turn on the developer mode, and it allows you to activate hidden system clocks that Xiaomi has disabled by default.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI Version (you will be notified you have become a developer!).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option to Enable the system clock on the desktop (or Force show clock widget in English firmware).
4. Activate the switch and restart the phone.

After the reboot, the desktop will have a standard watch widget that cannot be removed through the regular menu, and to remove it, you will have to go back to the developer's settings.

This method doesn't work on all devices, and we tested it on the following models:

• ✅ Xiaomi 12T Pro – the watch appeared after the reboot.
• ✅ Redmi Note 11 Pro+ — The widget is activated, but without a date.
• ❌ POCO F4 — The option is not in the developer menu.
• ✅ Xiaomi 13 Lite – watches are displayed in 24 hours format.

Method 5: Use of an alternative launcher (Nova Launcher)

If none of the previous methods worked, install a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher, which allows you to add any widgets, including those that block MIUI.

• 🔓 There are no restrictions on widgets (even the system clock works).
• 🎨 Flexible configuration of icons, fonts, animations.
• 🔄 Backup of desktop settings.
• 📱 Gesture support (e.g. swipe up for watches).

How to install and configure Nova Launcher:

1. Download Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Open the app and select it as the default launcher.
3. Click the empty space on the desktop → Widgets.
4. Select Nova Clock (built-in widget) or add any other.
5. Adjust the size and position of the widget by holding it with your finger.

For maximum customization:

1. Click on the watch widget and select Change.
2. In the settings menu, select style (analog/digital), color, size.
3. Activate the option to Show seconds or Display the date.

💡

Nova Launcher is the only solution for devices with MIUI for POCO, where standard watch widgets are blocked.The application is free, but for the premium version (299 rubles) additional settings open, for example, adaptive icons.

Problem Solving: The watch doesn’t show up or disappears

If after all the manipulations the watch has not appeared on the desktop, check the following points:

If the problem is not solved, try resetting the desktop settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Restart the phone and repeat adding the widget.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will remove all your desktop settings (wallpaper, folders, widgets) and pre-screenshot the current icon layout to quickly restore it.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the watch on Xiaomi