How to reduce the widget of the watch on Xiaomi Redmi 9T: from standard settings to hidden tricks

The watch widget on the Xiaomi Redmi 9T home screen often takes up too much space, especially if you use minimalist wallpaper or want to accommodate more app icons. Unfortunately, the manufacturer didn't provide a direct slider to resize, but there are several workarounds - from standard MIUI features to using alternative launchers.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods, including little-known tricks with system settings and third-party tools. You will learn how to reduce the widget without loss of functionality, what restrictions exist in different versions of MIUI (12, 13, 14), and what to do if standard methods do not work.

Important: All methods are tested on Redmi 9T with original firmware. If you use custom software (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some steps may differ.

1. Standard size change via MIUI settings

The most obvious way is to try resizing the widget through the built-in options. In MIUI 12/13/14, this is not done through the settings menu, but directly on the home screen:

1. Press and hold the watch widget until the menu appears.
2. Select Change the size (if active).
3. Pull the corner markers to reduce the widget. Note that not all widgets support free zooming — some only offer fixed sizes (e.g., 2×2 or 4×1).

⚠️ Warning: On Redmi 9T with the standard launcher MIUI, the default watch widget is often blocked from resizing. If Change Size is inactive, proceed to the following methods.

If the standard method didn’t work, check out your launcher version:

• 📱 Open Settings → About Phone → Version MIUI. If version is lower than 12.5, upgrade the system – in older builds, the functionality of the widget is limited.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone after the update: sometimes changes only apply after the reboot.
• 🛠️ Try resetting the launcher settings: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear the data (this will reset the location of the icons!).

2. Use of alternative launchers

If the built-in MIUI settings don’t allow you to shrink the widget, the most reliable way is to install a third-party launcher, such as a Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, giving you full control over the size of the widgets, including the system clock.

The following is a step-by-step instruction for Nova Launcher:

Install Nova Launcher from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher)

Set Nova as the default launcher (the first start will be a suggestion)

Add the watch widget to the main screen (hold your finger in free space → Widgets → Watch)

Press and hold the widget → a frame with markers will appear

Pull the markers to reduce size (Nova supports smooth scaling)

Save the changes (click on the box or off the box)

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⚠️ Attention: When using third-party launchers, the Xiaomi watch system widget may not display correctly (for example, without animation or with cropped elements).

• 🔄 Install an alternative watch widget (e.g., Chronus or Digital Clock Widget).
• 🎨 In the Nova Launcher settings, enable Adaptive Icons (Settings → Appearance → Adaptive Icons) to make the widget fit into the grid.

Advantages of third-party launchers:

3. Size editing through ADB (for advanced)

If you're not afraid of the command line, you can resize the widget through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires USB debugging and doesn't work on all versions of MIUI, but gives you maximum control.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times on the line with the version, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect the phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm grant com.miui.home android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS This will give the launcher the rights to change system parameters.
3. Install the App Inspector app from Google Play to find the watch widget ID (usually com.miui.home/.launcher.ClockWidget).
4. Execute the command to change the size (example to reduce to a 2×1): adb shell am broadcast -a com.miui.home.RESIZE_WIDGET -e packageName com.miui.home -e className com.miui.home.launcher.ClockWidget -e spanX 2 -e spanY 1

⚠️ Warning: Misuse of ADB can cause launcher failures.

• 🔄 Create a backup of data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
• 📱 Make sure the battery is more than 50% charged – interrupting the process can cause errors.
• 🛠️ If the widget is gone after commands, restart the phone or reset the launcher settings (Settings → Applications → Launcher → Clear data).

4. Decrease through screen settings (hidden method)

MIUI 13/14 has a hidden option that allows you to change the density of the screen (DPI), which indirectly affects the size of the widget, which does not reduce the widget itself, but makes it visually more compact by reducing all elements of the interface.

How to change the DPI:

1. Enable Developer Mode (as in the ADB method).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Developers → Minimum width.
3. Set the value 360-400 (usually 411-440 by default). The smaller the number, the more compact the elements will be.
4. Reboot the phone.

Important: changing the DPI will affect all applications – some may not display correctly (such as banking or games).If the watch widget becomes blurred after changing, return the standard DPI value or use another method.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Does not require the installation of third-party applications.
• 📱 It works on all versions. MIUI.
• 🎨 Allows you to fine-tune the appearance of the system.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Some applications (e.g. SberBank Online or VKontakte) may be broken.
• 🔍 The text on the menu will get smaller, which is inconvenient for users with poor eyesight.

5. Installation of a custom watch widget

If none of the methods worked, consider replacing the system widget completely with an alternative. Google Play has dozens of free widgets with flexible size, animation and design settings.

Top-3 widget for Redmi 9T:

1. Chronus: Home & Lock Widgets – Supports zoom, themes and weather integration.
2. Digital Clock Widget Xperia is a minimalistic digital widget with a customizable font size.
3. Transparent Clock & Weather is a transparent design, adaptive grid.

How to install and configure:

1. Download your favorite widget from Google Play.
2. Click and hold the free space on the main screen → Widgets.
3. Find the widget installed in the list and drag it to the screen.
4. Click on the widget to open its settings and select the size (usually there are options 1×1, 2×1, 4×2, etc.).

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If after installing the new widget, the system clock continues to display, delete them: press and hold the widget → drag it to the basket (the “Delete” icon) at the top of the screen.

⚠️ Warning: Some widgets require additional permissions (e.g., location access to display weather).

• 🔒 Reviews on Google Play for data collection.
• 📱 Compatible with your version of Android (Redmi 9T runs on Android 10/11 with a shell MIUI 12–14).
• 💾 Application size – Some widgets weigh 50+MB due to built-in themes.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To make it easier for you to decide, we have collected a comparative table of all methods, taking into account their pros, cons and complexity of implementation.

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For most users, the best option is to install a third-party launcher (Nova) or custom widget, which does not require technical skills and gives a stable result.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When changing the size of the watch widget, users often face typical problems.

1. The widget doesn’t scale even in Nova Launcher Reason: Xiaomi’s system widget can be blocked Solution: install an alternative widget (like Chronus) or use ADB.
2. After changing the DPI, applications are displayed incorrectly Reason: Some applications do not support non-standard DPI values. Solution: return the standard value or set App Settings (requires root) to change the DPI for the launcher only.
3. ADB- commands are not working Reason: no rights or incorrect widget identifier Solution: check that debugging on USB is enabled, and use App Inspector to accurately determine the packet name.
4. The widget became blurred after the reduction Reason: launcher stretches the image. Solution: install a widget with vector graphics (for example, Digital Clock Widget Xperia).

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI: Some features may be disabled on beta versions of the firmware.
• 🔄 Launcher Cash: Clean it in Settings → Applications → Launcher → Storage → Clear the cache.
• 🛠️ Theme conflicts: Turn off the MIUI theme in Settings → Theme and check if the widget behavior changes.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions