Many Xiaomi smartphone owners face a situation where the standard display of time or application interface seems incorrect. The request “how to make a 4 3 watch” often arises from a misunderstanding of the difference between the aspect ratio of the screen and the format of the widgets. Modern Mi and Redmi devices are equipped with elongated displays, which creates difficulties when running old content or using specific dials.
In this article, we will discuss the technical aspects of changing the proportions of the screen and adjusting the time widgets. The aspect ratio is a physical characteristic of the matrix that cannot be changed software without loss of quality. However, the MIUI and HyperOS shells offer flexible tools to adapt the image to the user's needs.
You'll learn how to force an app to run in 4:3 mode, how to set up dials on a Smart Band or Watch, and what hidden engineering menu features can help solve scaling problems. Changing DPI through ADB is the only way to globally change pixel density, but it requires caution. Let's take a look at all the available methods in detail.
Understanding the aspect ratio and screen formats
Before you start settings, it is important to understand that the physical screen of your smartphone has fixed parameters.Most modern Xiaomi models have an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 or 20:9. The 4:3 format (1.33) is an outdated standard, typical of old TVs and monitors of the past era.
When you see black bars on the sides or top/bottom, the system automatically tries to maintain the proportions of the original content. This is normal behavior of the Android operating system. Forced full-screen stretching will distort the picture, pull objects and lose visual quality.
But there are scenarios where scaling is really necessary, like when you use specialized industrial applications or when you connect external displays, and then you use software framing or resolution emulation.
- 📱 Xiaomi’s standard smartphones have a stretched screen, not a square 4:3.
- ⚙️ System settings allow you to emulate other resolutions for compatibility.
- 🎨 Time widgets can be configured separately from the overall screen resolution.
- ⚠️ Stretching the image without preserving proportions spoils the picture.
Setting up time widgets in style 4:3
Most often, users are looking for a way to change the look of a watch on their desktop. Standard widgets in the MIUI shell are often rectangularly elongated. To get a classic square or 4:3 look, you need to use third-party solutions or deep theme settings.
The Themes app has thousands of dials, many of which are square, and when you install a widget, it will occupy an area close to 4:3, and you can resize the widget by putting your finger on your desktop and selecting Change Size.
If standard functionality does not satisfy the requests, you should pay attention to widgets from Google Play. Apps like HD Widgets or Chronus allow you to manually set the width and height of the grid, creating a perfect square or rectangle of 4:3.
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Use the 4x4 or 5x5 desktop grid in the screen settings so that the 4:3 time widgets stand up exactly in cells without bias.
For advanced users, custom dials can be installed via Mi Fit or Zepp Life, if it comes to synchronization with wearables, where 4:3 is the standard for many classic watch models.
Use of compatibility mode for applications
In some cases, you need to run an old application that can't handle the extended screens, it can be displayed in a narrow band in the center, and to fix this and force the display mode, Xiaomi has a hidden feature.
You have to go to the settings and find the compatibility section. The path may vary depending on the firmware version. Usually it's Settings → Advanced Settings → Full-screen mode. Here you can uncheck a particular application and it will go to the old screen emulation mode.
An alternative method involves using Developer Options, and in this section you can find the item "Display Scale" or "Minimum Width," and by changing these values, you affect how much content is placed on the screen, which indirectly changes how you perceive proportions.
☑️ Checking compatibility settings
Be careful when changing the DPI settings. Too high can make the text unreadable and the interface too small, in which case resetting the display settings or rebooting the device will help.
Customization of dials on Xiaomi and Amazfit watches
If you were asking about a smartwatch like the Mi Band, Amazfit Bip or Mi Watch, it’s a simpler matter, and many models (especially the Bip S, Lite) have square or 4:3 screens.
To change the dial, open the Zepp Life or Mi Fitness app. Go to your device profile and select Dials. There are a lot of options available in the store. Square dials fill the screen of Bip series devices perfectly.
The table below shows the popular models and the face formats they support, which will help you choose the right option for imitating a 4:3 style.
| Model of the device | Screen type | Support 4:3 | Annex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazfit Bip S | Square. | Yes (indirectly) | Zepp Life |
| Mi Band 7/8 | Extended | No (only sprained) | Mi Fitness |
| Mi Watch Lite | Square. | Yes (indirectly) | Mi Wear |
| Redmi Watch 3 | rectangular | Partially. | Mi Fitness |
For round-screen models, 4:3 is not physically applicable, as the useful area is limited to a circle, and round dials are used that occupy the entire available area.
Advanced customization through ADB and engineering menu
For users who aren't afraid of the command line, there's a way to change the pixel density (DPI) globally, which will make the system think the screen has a different resolution, and this method requires connecting to a computer and installing ADB drivers.
First, you need to activate USB debugging in the developer menu. Then, when you connect the phone to the PC, type a command to change the density. The standard value for full HD screens is usually 390-420 dpi. Reducing this value will increase the scale of the elements.
adb shell wm density 320Once the command is done, the interface will restructure, the elements will become larger, and some applications can automatically switch to tablet mode or 4:3 if they find the screen resolution is not wide enough.
⚠️ Attention: Set too low a value DPI (less than 200) can make the interface unreadable and require resetting through Recovery.
Back it all up is adb shell wm density reset, a safe way to experiment with proportions without the risk of building a device, unlike building.prop.
How to return the screen settings if the image is missing?
Solving black band problems in video and games
A common problem is black bars when watching videos or in games, which users perceive as a 4:3 error, when in fact the content just doesn't fill the entire screen due to different proportions of the source and matrix.
Xiaomi's Video app has a built-in buzzer. When you play it, click the zoom button (usually a two-arrow or square icon) to stretch the video to the full screen, cutting the edges.
For games, the situation is more complicated. Many games do not support 20:9 elongated resolutions. In the game settings, there is often an option called "End ratio" or "Screen mode." Select "Stretch" or "Full" to remove the stripes.
- 🎮 Enable the “No Borders” mode in the game settings.
- 📺 Use the built-in Xiaomi video player buzzer.
- 🔧 For emulators (PSP, PS1) Set up the ratio in the video menu.
- 📱 Turn off the “Advertent Press Protection” if it covers the edges.
In older console emulators like DuckStation or PPSSPP, you can manually set the 4:3 aspect ratio in the rendering settings, which will ensure that the objects in older games are properly geometryd.
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Black stripes are not a mistake, but a way to keep the image geometry correct, and stretching is only permissible to fill the screen completely, at the expense of proportions.