How to change the clock on Xiaomi devices: from smartphones to smart watches

Time on Xiaomi devices can be lost for various reasons, from time zone change to software failures. Incorrectly configured watches lead to missed notifications, errors in the call log and problems with data synchronization. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change time on Redmi, POCO, Mi and Mi Band/Xiaomi Watch smartwatches – from automatic synchronization to manual adjustment through the engineering menu.

We will focus on common errors: why time is reset after rebooting, how to fix a constant shift of 1-2 hours and what to do if the device does not sync with NTP servers. All instructions are tested on the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and firmware for wearable gadgets from 2023-2026.

1. Automatic time synchronization over the network

The easiest way is to enable automatic time settings via mobile network or Wi-Fi. This method works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and later, as well as on smartwatches with support for NTP- protocol.

For activation:

📱 Open the Settings. → Additionally. → Date and time
🔄 Switch the switches "Date and Time Auto Determination" and "Time Zone Autodetermination" to the position "On".
🌐 Wait 10–30 seconds – the device syncs with Google or Xiaomi servers

If time hasn't updated:

🔌 Reconnect to another network (e.g., from 4G to Wi-Fi)
📡 Manually select operator in Settings → SIM- Maps and Mobile Networks
🔄 Reboot the device – sometimes resetting the NTP- services cache helps

⚠️ Warning: On some firmware (e.g., Global ROM for POCO X3), automatic sync may conflict with Google Play services. In this case, temporarily disable Google Time Sync in your account settings.

📊 How often do you have time lost on Xiaomi?

Never strayed.

Once a month

After each reboot

Constantly straying for 1-2 hours

2 Manual change of time and date

If automatic synchronization is not working or you are in a region with limited access to NTP- servers, set the time manually.This method is suitable for all devices, including the Xiaomi Mi A1/A2 (on Android One) and older models on the MIUI 9.

Instructions:

Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time
Turn off the "Date and Time Auto-Detection" option
Click Set a date and select the current date in the calendar.
Click Set time and enter current time in the format ChCh:MM
For time zone, select Select time zone manually and specify your region (e.g. Moscow, GMT+3)

On the Mi Band 7/8 or Xiaomi Watch S3 smartwatch, manual time setting is only available through the Mi Fitness app:

📱 Open Mi Fitness → Select Device → Device Settings
🕒 Press Time and Date → Turn off "Sync with Phone"
⏰ Set the time manually and save the changes

⚠️ Warning: On the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, when manually setting the time, the synchronization with weather widgets may disappear. To fix this, reset the clock after changing the time (press the power button for 10 seconds).

☑️ Preparation for manual time setting

Turn off automatic synchronizationCheck the current time zoneEnsure a stable connection to the network (for saving)Reboot the device after changes

Done: 0 / 4

If time on Xiaomi is constantly lost (for example, after each shutdown), the problem may be in the system files timezone or NTP- cache, in which case the reset via the engineering menu MTK Engineer Mode (for MediaTek processors) or Qualcomm Service Mode.

For devices on MediaTek (e.g. Redmi Note 11, POCO M4 Pro):

Enter the code in the phone application: ##36446337##
Go to Connectivity → NITZ (Network Identity and Time Zone)
Click Update NITZ and wait for confirmation
Go back to the main menu and select Time/Date → Reset Time.

For Qualcomm Snapdragon devices (e.g. Xiaomi 13, POCO F5):

📞 Enter the code: ##4636##
🔧 Select Phone Information → scroll to Network Time
🔄 Press Update NITZ and restart the device

On some models (for example, Redmi 10C) after resetting through the engineering menu, you may need to re-activate the SIM- card - insert it again or restart the phone.

What is NITZ and why is it important?

NITZ (Network Identity and Time Zone) is a protocol that transmits accurate time and time zone over a mobile network. If the NITZ does not work, the device can use outdated data or knock down time when roaming. On Xiaomi, NITZ crashes often occur after a MIUI update or a SIM- card change.

4. Correction of time synchronization errors

If time on Xiaomi is straying regularly, check out the following points:

Problem.	Reason.	Decision
Time resets after resetting	/system/etc/timezone file or NTP cache is damaged	Reset the time settings through the engineering menu or reinstall the firmware
Continuous shift of 1-2 hours	Incorrect time zone or conflict with Google servers	Turn off Google sync in your account settings and use Xiaomi servers
The watch on the smart bracelet is not updated	No phone connection or outdated Mi Band firmware	Update the firmware through Mi Fitness and reconnect the bracelet
Time in the status line does not coincide with the system	Failure of SystemUI or MIUI launcher	Clear the SystemUI application cache in Settings → Applications

For root-access devices, you can manually fix the time files:

adb shell


su




rm /data/time/*




reboot

⚠️ Warning: On Xiaomi with bootloader lock, manually changing system time files can lead to a "brick" (device breakage).

💡

If time is only lost in certain apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram), check the sync settings in the messengers themselves. Sometimes the conflict arises from different time display formats (12-hour vs 24-hour).

5.Tune time on Xiaomi smartwatches and bracelets

Xiaomi smartwatches and fitness bracelets (Mi Band, Xiaomi Watch, Amazfit) synchronize time with a connected smartphone. If the clock displays the wrong time, the problem may be:

📵 No communication between the watch and the phone (check Bluetooth)
🕒 Incorrect time zone settings on a smartphone
🔄 Outdated watch firmware (update via Mi Fitness or Zepp)
🔋 Discharged battery (at a charge level below 10%, synchronization may be disabled)

For the Xiaomi Watch S3 and Watch 2 Pro:

Open the Xiaomi Wear app on your phone
Select your watch → Device settings → Time and date
Activate the option "Sync with the phone"
If the time is not updated anyway, reset the clock to factory settings (Settings → System → Reset)

For the Mi Band 6/7/8:

📱 In Mi Fitness, go to Profile → Your Device → Settings
🔄 Press Sync Data and wait for the time update
🔋 If the bracelet doesn't respond, put it on charge for 30 minutes - sometimes the failure is due to energy-saving mode.

💡

On Xiaomi smartwatches, time can be lost due to conflict with running or training apps (like Strava or Nike Run Club).Close all background apps associated with GPS before setting the time.

6. Features of time settings on different versions of MIUI

Depending on the version of MIUI and regional firmware (Global, China, EEA), the time settings menu may differ.

MIUI version	The Way to Time Settings	Features
MIUI 12–14 (Global/EEA)	Settings → Additional → Date and time	There is a separate switch for "Use 24-hour format"
MIUI 15 (Beta)	Settings → System and device → Date and time	Added option "Synchronization with 5G network" (for Xiaomi 14)
MIUI for POCO (e.g. POCO X5 Pro)	Settings → Additional → Region and time	Time zone is selected from the list of cities (without reference to GMT)
China ROM (without Google)	→ →	Sync only works with Xiaomi servers (no Google NTP option)

On Xiaomi with Android One (such as Mi A3), the time menu is identical to the “pure” Android:

📱 Go to Settings → System → Date and time
🔄 Include "Network-defined time" and "Network-defined time zone"
🌍 If automatic determination does not work, manually select a time zone from a list (e.g., Europe/Moscow)

7.Tackle time issues after MIUI update

After major MIUI updates (e.g., MIUI 13 to MIUI 14), users often experience time disruptions.

🔄 Old settings conflict NTP with new servers
📦 File Damage /system/usr/share/zoneinfo
🔋 Energy optimization that disables background synchronization

To fix the problem:

Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update and Check the Relevance of the Firmware
If the update didn’t help, reset your network settings: Settings → SIM- Maps and mobile networks → Reset network settings
For devices with unlocked bootloader, run in ADB: adb shell settings put global auto_time 1 adb shell settings put global auto_time_zone 1

If the time is lost only in the mode of energy saving:

📱 Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Power Saving Mode
🔋 Press Mode Settings → uncheck the box from "Limit background activity"
🔄 Add the Watch app (com.android.deskclock) to the list of exceptions

Why can the MIUI update “roll back”?

When updating, system time files are sometimes reset (/data/time/) if the device cannot write new data, it uses default values (often January 1, 2016), in which case only a full reset or flashing will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up time on Xiaomi

❓ Why is Xiaomi’s time gone 3 hours ago?

This is a problem when choosing the wrong time zone. Most likely, the device uses GMT+0 instead of your local time. Check: Time zone in Settings → Additional → Date and time of Sync settings in your Google account (if used) SIM- region of the map (sometimes the operator forcibly sets his time zone) If the problem persists, reset network settings or update the firmware.

❓ How do you change the format of time from 12-hour to 24-hour?

Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time and activate the option “Use 24-hour format”. On some firmware (China ROM), this option can be in Settings → Language and Region → Date and Time Format. On Xiaomi smartwatches, the time format changes through a companion app (Mi Fitness or Xiaomi Wear).

❓ Can you set up time on Xiaomi without the Internet?

Yes, but with reservations: 📱 On smartphones — manually only via Settings → Date and time (turn off automatic synchronization). ⌚ On smartwatches — only if they have already been synchronized with the phone at least once. Without initial synchronization, manual time adjustment on most Mi Band models is impossible. Without the Internet, neither will work: Automatic time zone updates as you move between regions Synchronization with servers NTP (time can gradually "go" due to inaccuracy of the internal generator)

❓ Why does Xiaomi’s battery change time go down?

On some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) When the battery is disconnected, the settings are reset. RTC (Real-Time Clock. This is due to: No backup capacitor on the motherboard Chain Damage PMIC (Power management) Incorrect build after battery replacement (e.g., battery plume not connected) Solution: Check battery density and plumes. Update firmware with new versions MIUI added time saving support for short-term power outages, if the problem recurs, contact the service - you may need to replace the chip RTC.

❓ How to sync time on Xiaomi with Windows/PK?

To synchronize time between Xiaomi and your computer: On your PC, enable Internet time synchronization (Settings → Time and Language → Date and Time). On your smartphone, activate Date and Time Autodetermination. Connect your devices to the same Wi-Fi network or USB (with debugging enabled). Use apps like ClockSync (from Google Play) to force synchronization. For Xiaomi smartwatches, synchronization with your PC is only possible via your phone (no direct connection to your computer).