How to permanently remove the alarm icon on Xiaomi smartphones: from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14

The alarm icon on Xiaomi’s screen is one of the most annoying trifles for many users, showing up in the status bar even when the alarm is off, taking up space among the notifications, and spoiling the minimalist look of the interface. Worse, standard MIUI settings don’t always hide it: some firmware versions simply don’t have the option on the menu, and others reset after rebooting.

In this article, we will look at 5 proven ways to remove the alarm icon on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO – from basic settings to hidden engineering menu features. We will focus on models on MIUI 12-14, where the problem is most common, and we will also find out why the icon can return after updates and how to prevent this.

Why does the alarm clock appear and can it be removed forever?

The status bar alarm icon is the system notification that MIUI displays when:

🕒 An active alarm clock (even if it’s scheduled for tomorrow or next week).
⏰ Disabled but not deleted alarm clock (the system stores it in memory).
🔄 Mi Cloud sync failure (if alarm clocks sync between devices).
📱 Firmware updates – sometimes the icon gets stuck after the upgrade MIUI.

In theory, you can remove the icon forever, but in practice it depends on the firmware version and the model of the smartphone. 11T (MIUI 13) the icon is hidden through the notification settings, and on the Redmi Note 10 Pro (MIUI 12.5) - only through ADB-In some cases, resetting the settings of the Clock app helps, but this is a temporary solution.

It's important to understand that if you use your alarm regularly, the system notification will reappear. The only radical way is to completely remove the Watch app, but this will lead to a loss of functionality. The alternative is to install a third-party alarm clock (like Google Clock) that is not integrated into MIUI.

📊 What kind of smartphone you Xiaomi?

Redmi Note Series Series Series

POCO F/X/M

Xiaomi 11/12/13 series

Another Xiaomi

Not Xiaomi.

Method 1: Disable notifications from the Clock app (works on 80% of devices)

The easiest method is to block notifications from the Clock system app, which will work if the icon appears due to an active (or inactive) alarm clock.

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Find the Clock (or Clock) app and tap it.
Go to the Notifications section.
Turn off the display notification slider.
Agree with the warning system.

If the badge has disappeared, the problem is solved. If not, try it again:

🔄 Reboot your smartphone.
🗑️ Remove all alarms in the Clock app (even those that are disabled).
🧹 Clear the application cache (Settings) → Annexes → The clock → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

Make sure the notification slider is off |

Reboot the phone |

Check the status line for the presence of an icon |

Remove all alarm clocks in the app "Clock"

-->

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 for global version), when the notifications are turned off, all alarms, including beeps, stop working. If you need an alarm clock, this method will not work.

Method 2: Reset the settings of the Watch application (for MIUI 12.5 and below)

If disabling notifications didn’t work, try resetting the Watch app to factory settings, which will remove all stored alarm clocks and can fix the failure that keeps the icon stuck in the status bar.

How to reset:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Watch.
Press Warehouse.
Tap Clear the data (no cache!).
Confirm the action.

After discharge:

🔄 The alarm clock should disappear.
⏰ All your alarm clocks will be removed and you will have to reset them.
⚙️ If the icon returned after rebooting - the problem is in the firmware (see Method 4).

What if the alarm clocks don’t work after resetting?

If the Watch app stopped running after cleaning the data or the alarms didn’t work, try: 1. Update the app via Google Play (if there is one). 2. Set an alternative alarm (e.g. Google Clock or Sleep as Android). 3. Reset MIUI settings (but this is an extreme measure, as it will delete all personal data).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 13/14 Resetting the Watch app data can cause you to lose sync with Mi Cloud. If you use cloud-based alarm backups, pre-save them manually (e.g., take screenshots of the screens with settings).

Method 3: Use ADB-Teams (for advanced users)

If standard methods don't work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader or USB debugging enabled, and allows you to disable system notifications from the "Hours" at the Android level.

Instructions:

Enable USB debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Additional settings → For Developers).
Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
Open the command line in the adb.exe folder and type:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.deskclock

This command will disable the Clock system application.

✅ The alarm clock will disappear.
❌ All alarm clocks (including timers and stopwatches) will stop working).
🔄 To get it all back, use the command:

adb shell pm enable com.android.deskclock

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi firmware (especially Chinese) this command can cause the system launcher to crash. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

💡

If ADB-commands are not working, try first to run an adb shell dumpsys notification to find the notification ID from the "Clock". Then turn it off selectively using the adb shell cmd notification allow_listener [package_name].

Method 4: Update or roll back firmware (if the icon appeared after the upgrade)

Sometimes the alarm clock icon gets stuck after the MIUI update, and this is due to bugs in specific firmware versions. For example, MIUI 12.5.4 for the Redmi Note 9 Pro had a problem with the icon always showing up, even if there were no alarm clocks.

Problem.	Decision	Risks.
The icon appeared after the MIUI update	Reverse to the previous version of the firmware	Data loss, possible bugs
The icon does not disappear after resetting the settings	Upgrade to the latest stable version	New bugs in fresh firmware
The badge flashes or disappears on its own	Clear the cache through Recovery	Minimum (reboot possible)
The problem is only on a particular device	Reset the settings to factory	Deletion of all data

How to update/roll back the firmware:

Download the desired version of MIUI from the official Xiaomi website.
Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the phone’s memory.
Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
Please specify the path to update.zip and confirm the installation.

If you decide to roll back on the previous version, consider:

🔐 You may need to unlock the bootloader (Bootloader).
📱 All data will be erased (take backup!).
🔄 After the retraction, you may need to re-examine TWRP functionalize.

💡

Firmware rollback is a last resort. Before you do, try all the other ways and check if there is a bug fix in the latest MIUI updates.

Method 5: Install custom firmware (for power users)

If none of the methods helped, and the alarm clock icon spoils your life - consider installing custom firmware, for example:

📱 Pixel Experience (Pure Android without unnecessary notifications).
🔧 LineageOS (Stable and Light Firmware).
🚀 Xiaomi.eu (modified) MIUI without Chinese services).

Advantages of custom firmware:

✅ No system notifications from MIUI.
✅ More opportunities to customize the interface.
✅ Regular security updates.

Disadvantages:

❌ Installation difficulty (needs unlocked loader).
❌ Possible bugs (not all functions may work).
❌ Loss of warranty (if the device is under warranty).

Instructions for installing Xiaomi.eu:

Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool.
Install TWRP Recovery for your model.
Download the firmware Xiaomi.eu from the official website.
Reboot to TWRP and run the firmware.

⚠️ Note: Installing custom firmware may result in a Mi Account being blocked if the device was linked to a Xiaomi account. Unplug the account in the settings before firmware (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Get out).

What to do if the alarm clock is back after rebooting

One of the most common problems is that the alarm icon reappears after you reboot or update your applications, and that's because MIUI automatically restores some system settings.

Turn off automatic app updates: Go to Google Play → Settings → App auto-update. Select Not to update automatically.
Freeze the Watch app (root rights required): Use Titanium Backup or App Quarantine. Find the Watch and select Freeze.
Set up Tasker to Auto Reset: Create a task that clears the Clock cache when you boot the system.

If the problem repeats, check if any third-party application (for example, optimizers or launchers) conflicts with the system.

Reboot to Safe Mode (press the power button → long tap on Turn off → Safe Mode).
Check if the alarm clock appears.
If not, delete the app one by one until you find the culprit.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the alarm clock icon on Xiaomi

❓ Why does the alarm clock appear even if the alarm clock is off?

This is a MIUI bug that keeps the alarm state in cache, and even if you turn it off in the interface, the notification ghost may still be in the background. Try Method 2 (Clock Data Reset).

❓ Can I remove the alarm clock without root rights?

Yes, in most cases, Method 1 (disable notifications) or Method 2 (data reset) help. ADB (Method 3) also does not require root, but you need debugging over USB. Root is only needed to freeze applications.

❓ Will the icon return after the update? MIUI?

The probability is high, especially if the update contains changes to system applications. After the upgrade, check the notification settings and, if necessary, repeat the actions from Method 1 or Method 2.

❓ Why some Xiaomi phones don’t have the option to turn off notifications from the Watch»?

This depends on the MIUI version and regional firmware, for example, Chinese versions often lack some settings, in which case ADB or global/European firmware installation will help.

❓ Can I transfer alarms to another app before removing the clock»?

Yes, use apps like Sleep as Android or Google Clock, which can import alarm clocks from the system app, and you can manually record the time of alarm clocks and reset them after you delete them.