How to reduce the widget of the watch on Xiaomi: all working methods

The Xiaomi watch widget often takes up too much space, especially on small-size devices or custom launchers. The problem is compounded by the fact that standard MIUI settings don’t always provide flexible size adjustment — users face fixed options or no option at all. Meanwhile, the oversized widget not only spoils the aesthetics of the desktop, but also prevents the placement of other interface elements.

In this article, we will analyze all available ways to reduce the watch widget – from basic settings. MIUI We'll focus on the nuances of different versions of the shell (MIUI 12/13/14) and models (Redmi Note) 12, Poco X5, Xiaomi 13T If you tried to resize through the standard menu, but it didn't work out, you'll find alternative methods here, including: ADB-Commands and configuration via Nova Launcher.

Before you make any changes, make sure your device has the latest version of MIUI installed. Old firmware (below MIUI 12.5) may not have features, and check if your launcher blocks editing widgets, which is important for users who have installed third-party shells (such as Apex Launcher or Microsoft Launcher).

1. Standard size change via MIUI

The most obvious way is to take advantage of the built-in MIUI tools. However, there are pitfalls here: not all shell versions support flexible customization, and in some cases the option is hidden in a non-obvious menu.

To reduce the watch widget by standard means:

1. Long press on the free desktop area → select “Widgets”.
2. Find the Watch widget (usually under “Xiaomi” or “Tools”).
3. Drag it to your desktop. If the widget is already added, click on it and hold it for 2-3 seconds until the size reset box appears.
4. Pull the corner markers (usually indicated by dots or squares) inside to reduce the dimensions.

Important: in MIUI 14, for some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) only 2-3 fixed-size widgets are available. If the markers do not appear, your version of the shell does not support manual adjustment.

Also, pay attention to the style of the widget. Some design themes (like "Super Wallpaper" or "Dark Mode") can block the resizing. Try to temporarily switch to a standard theme:

1. Open the settings → Display → Themes.
2. Choose a “Classic” or “Standard” theme.
3. Try again to change the size of the widget.

2.Using Nova Launcher to fine-tune

If standard MIUI tools do not give the necessary flexibility, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher. among them, Nova Launcher stands out for the ability to accurately customize widgets, including resizing in 1 pixel increments.

Instructions for setting:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Make it the default launcher (at the first start the system will prompt you to do this).
3. Long tap on the desktop → Widgets → find the Watch widget (may be called Clock or Xiaomi Clock).
4. Drag it onto the screen. After adding, press and hold the widget until the menu appears.
5. Choose Resize and pull the markers to reduce the size.

Nova Launcher allows you not only to change the size, but also:

• 🎨 Adjust the transparency of the widget background.
• 🔄 Turn the widget on 90.° (horizontally).
• 📏 Fix the size so it doesn’t reset after rebooting.

Download Nova Launcher from the official store

Make it a default launcher

Disable battery optimization for Nova (Settings → Applications → Permissions → Battery Optimization)

Reboot the device after installation-->

Warning: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Poco F4) may experience system gesture conflicts when using Nova Launcher. If swipes stop working after installing the launcher to call the menu or return, turn off gestures in the Nova settings (Settings → Gestures and Sign-in → System Navigation) and use the classic buttons.

3. Editing via ADB (for power users)

If you're not afraid to work with ADB, you can manually change the widget settings through system settings, which is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader and USB debugging enabled.

Procedure:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
2. Enable debugging over USB: Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging over USB
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute a command to check the connection: adb devices (you should display your device).
4. Use the command to change the size of the widget (example to reduce to the size of the widget). 2×1): adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.miui.home/.launcher.UninstallShortcutPreview -e itemType widgets -e spanX 2 -e spanY 1 -e packageName com.android.deskclock spanX is the width in cells. spanY is the height in cells. packageName is the name of the widget packet (usually for watches com.android.deskclock).

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If the command does not work, check the correct packet name. Use the command adb shell pm list packages | grep clock to find the exact identifier of the watch widget on your device.

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, this method may not work due to security limitations, so try an alternative way to edit the settings.db file (requires root rights).

To edit settings.db:

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk).
2. Open the file. /data/data/com.miui.home/databases/settings.db anywhere SQL-Editor (e.g. SQLite Editor).
3. Find the favorites table and change the spanX and spanY values for the line with itemType=4 (widgets).
4. Reboot the launcher (adb shell am force-stop com.miui.home).

On some devices (such as the Redmi Note 11), there is a hidden section in the theme settings Additional → Customize widgets.

1. Open the settings → Display → Themes.
2. Click on the Three Dots icon in the upper right corner.
3. Select “More” → “Setting up widgets”.
4. Move the Size slider for the watch widget.

5. Alternative watch widgets from Google Play

If none of the above methods worked, the last option is to install a third-party watch widget with the ability to fine-tune the size. Google Play has dozens of free and paid solutions, including:

To install an alternative widget:

1. Download your favorite app from Google Play.
2. Long press on the desktop → Widgets.
3. Find the widget from the installed app (usually at the end of the list).
4. Drag it to the screen and adjust the size/appearance through the widget menu.

Advantages of third-party widgets:

• 🎯 Accurate size adjustment (up to) 1×1 cell).
• 🎨 More styles of design (analog, digital, minimalistic).
• 🔄 Additional features (weather, calendar, events).

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The widget side is the only solution for MIUI 14 devices where standard clocks don't decrease, but they can consume more battery due to background processes.

6.Reset launcher settings (if the widget is "stuck")

Sometimes the watch widget freezes in the wrong size because of a failure in the launcher settings, manifested as the inability to change the dimensions or the disappearance of editing markers, in which cases, resetting the launcher settings helps.

How to reset your settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Launcher» («MIUI Launcher or Poco Launcher»).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

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Before reset, take screenshots of the location of the icons on the desktop - after cleaning the data, the launcher will return to the factory settings.

What to do if the reset does not help:

• 🔄 Try switching to another launcher (like Nova) and back.
• 📱 Remove and add the widget again (hold it and drag it to the basket).
• 🔧 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (sometimes bugs are fixed in new builds).

On devices with MIUI 13 and later, after the launcher is reset, navigation gestures may need to be activated again.

1. Go to Settings → Display → System Navigation.
2. Select “Gestes” and reset them.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When changing the size of the watch widget, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:

⚠️ Note: If after reducing the widget it began to display incorrectly (cut text, missing part of the dial) - try to increase the size by 1 cell in width or height.

Problem 1: Size change markers don't appear.

• 🔹 Reason: Widget blocked by current theme or launcher.
• 🔹 Solution: Switch to a standard theme or use Nova Launcher.

Problem 2: After rebooting, the size is reset.

• 🔹 Reason: Launcher does not save settings due to battery optimization.
• 🔹 Solution: Disable optimization for launcher (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Optimizing the battery).

Problem 3: The watch widget disappeared after the MIUI update.

• 🔹 Reason: New version of the shell reset the settings.
• 🔹 Solution: Add the widget again or reset the launcher (see Section 6).

Problem 4: ADB-teams are not working.

• 🔹 Reason 1: Wrong widget packet name.
• 🔹 Solution: Clarify the name through adb shell pm list packages | grep clock.
• 🔹 Reason 2: No rights ADB.
• 🔹 Solution: Re-activate debugging by USB and confirm access on the device.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global Stable Some Teams ADB They can be blocked by Xiaomi politicians, and only reflashing on the software will help. MIUI EU or use of the Nova Launcher.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions