An alarm icon on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen can be a real headache — especially if you have long turned off all reminders, and the icon stubbornly stays in the status bar. Most often, the problem arises from a malfunction of the system application “Clock”, a conflict with the MIUI shell or residual data from deleted alarms. In some cases, the icon does not even disappear after rebooting the device.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can remove your alarm icon, from basic settings to radical measures like resetting to factory settings. You’ll learn how to check active alarms through hidden menus, why an icon can appear on a locked screen, and what to do if standard methods don’t work. The instructions are relevant for all modern models, from the Xiaomi 14 Pro to the budget Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5.
Why the alarm clock doesn’t disappear: the main reasons
Before we get to the bottom of this problem, it's important to understand the root of the problem, and 80 percent of the time, the alarm clock gets stuck on the screen because of one of the following factors:
- 🔄 System cache of the “Clock” application». MIUI Sometimes incorrectly updates the status of alarm clocks, leaving the icon even after their cancellation.
- 📱 Shell error MIUI. This is especially true after system updates (e.g., transition from the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14).
- ⏰ Hidden alarm clocks: Some apps (like Google Clock or Sleep as Android) create reminders that don’t appear in the standard menu.
- 🔧 The conflict with battery optimization. MIUI «The app “Clock” has been put to sleep, it may not have time to update the status of the icon.
- 📲 Residual data after reset. When you transfer data from another device, sometimes the old alarm settings come.
Interesting fact: on some models (for example, Xiaomi 13T), the alarm icon can appear even when the alarm function is turned off, this is because MIUI uses a single process to display all time notifications, including timers and sleep reminders.
Method 1: Checking and disabling alarm clocks in a standard application
Start with the obvious, check if there are any active alarm clocks left in the system app, and even if you're sure you've turned everything off, sometimes reminders "hide" in unexpected sections.
- Open the Clock app (icon with dial).
- Go to the “Alarm” tab (usually the second icon below).
- Check the list: even the grey switch alarm clocks that are turned off can leave an icon in the status bar. Delete them by clicking on the basket in the upper right corner.
- Slick down – sometimes alarm clocks are duplicated or created automatically (for example, for Do Not Disturb mode).
If the list is empty but the icon is still there, try creating a new alarm clock, then delete it immediately. This technique sometimes resets the app cache. Also check the Timer tab** - sometimes the alarm icon is displayed incorrectly due to an active timer.
Open the Watch app | Check the alarm tab |Delete all gray (off) alarms |Check the Timer tab |Create and delete the test alarm-->
Method 2: Clearing the cache and data of the Clock application
If standard check doesn’t work, the next step is to reset the settings of the Watch app through the application management menu, which will delete any temporary files that may be causing the crash.
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the “Clock” in the list (or Clock in English firmware) and tap it.
After the reboot, the icon should disappear. If not, try repeating the steps, but before clearing the data, turn off the application (the "Disable" button in the same menu), then turn it back on. This will forcefully restart all related processes.
💡
Before clearing the data, take a screenshot of the alarm clock list to quickly restore them after resetting.
Method 3: Turn off alarm notifications in MIUI settings
Sometimes the alarm icon is not a failure, but simply a notification that MIUI displays too intrusively, in which case turning off the alerts for the Clock app will help.
- Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management.
- Find the “Clock” list and tap it.
- Turn off the switches: 🔔 «Show notifications”** (main switchboard) 📌 «Badges on the lock screen»** 📱 «Pop-up notifications»**
Reboot the phone.
The downside of this method is that you won’t see any notifications from the Watch app, including timer reminders. If you only need alarm clocks, return the settings after the icon disappears.
What if there is no “hour” in the notification?
Method 4: Resetting Date and Time Settings
The alarm clock is closely linked to the system clock of the device, and if the time zone or time zone is not configured correctly, the MIUI may mistakenly assume that the alarm clock is active, and to correct this,
- Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
- Turn off automatic time and time zone settings.
- Manually set the right time (within minutes!) and select your time zone.
- Turn back on automatic synchronization.
- Reset the device.
If the icon disappeared after that, but reappeared after a while, the problem may be synchronizing with Xiaomi servers. Try disabling your Mi Account account in your account settings, then log in again.
| Cause of failure | Manifestation | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The wrong time. | The badge flashes or appears at random times | Manual date/time setting |
| Time zone conflict | The badge is only visible in roaming | Turn off the automatic belt |
| Sync failure with Mi Account | The badge disappears after the reboot, but returns | Peralogin in the account Xiaomi |
| Mistake. NTP-server | Time is a mess of its own. | Use a different time server (e.g., time.google.com) |
Method 5: Radical measures - system reset or firmware
If neither method worked, the problem could be at the firmware level, and there are two options left:
- Reset to factory settings (without data loss if you select Save Media Files»**): 🔧 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Resetting settings. 📱 Select Reset Settings** (not to be confused with Erase All Data»!). 🔄 Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.
⚠️ Note: Resetting will delete all installed apps and personal data (except photos, if the appropriate option is selected).Fastboot flashing may result in a loss of warranty if the device is not officially unlocked. Before the procedure, check if the bootloader is unlocked (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then check the status in Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Unblocking status).
If you are not sure about your abilities, you should contact Xiaomi Service Center, and in some cases, the alarm icon can be a symptom of a more serious firmware problem, such as damage to the /system partition.
💡
Factory reset is the last chance to fix the problem without losing data, and if the icon is still there, the firmware is to blame, and MIUI needs to be reinstalled.
Additional advice and answers to frequent questions
Here are some other hacks that can help in unusual situations:
- 🔍 Check out third-party apps. Remove or disable notifications for all alarm-related programs (e.g. Sleep Cycle, Alarmy).
- 📴 Flight mode. Turn it on for 10 to 15 seconds, then turn it off. Sometimes it resets the system's stalled processes.
- 🔋 Battery discharge to 0%. The last method: completely discharge the phone, then charge to 100% without turning on.
- 📦 Related: Retreat of the update MIUI. If the problem has occurred after the update, try to roll back to the previous version through the Mi Flash Tool.
If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the alarm icon can be part of the shell, in which case only installing an alternative launcher or returning to an official MIUI will help.