The modern smartphone is not just a means of communication, but a full-fledged digital lifestyle control center, where every second counts. Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often strive to personalize the desktop, displaying the most important information on it, and time and weather widgets become key elements of this interface, allowing you to assess the situation with a single glance.
MIUI and its successor HyperOS offer a wealth of customization tools, but standard widget installation methods may not be obvious to beginners. There are different ways to place these elements, from the classic widget menu to the use of special add-on applications.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for installing, configuring, and troubleshooting problems. You will learn how to change the display style, why the widget may not be updated, and what hidden features are available in system components. This guide will help turn your smartphone’s home screen into a convenient information hub.
Standard method of installation through the widget menu
The most obvious and frequently used way to add information to the desktop is to use the built-in widget menu, which requires a long tap (tap and hold) on the free area of the home screen, and the system will react with vibration and suggest a lower toolbar where you should select the Widgets.
You'll find a gallery of available items that are sorted by category or app brands, and you'll need to scroll through the list to Systems, or find the logos for Watches and Weather. In the Xiaomi ecosystem, these widgets are often bundled together into a single block, but they can also be found separately, depending on the shell version.
Once you have selected the desired design, the system will suggest dragging it to the desktop screen. It is important to consider that different widgets occupy different numbers of grid cells. Some occupy the standard 2x2, others may require a horizontal 4x2 space. Once placed, the widget will automatically adjust the current time and geolocation to determine the weather.
If a standard set doesn't meet your aesthetic needs, you should look for alternative design options. Often users overlook that if you press a widget long enough, you can see a context menu with an "Edit" or "Tune in" button, where you can change the color profile, the time format (12/24 hours) or the temperature measurement unit.
Use of the "Hours" and "Weather" app
Deep within the system settings, there are additional features available through native apps. Go to the menu of all apps and find the standard Watch shortcut. Inside the app, in the upper right corner, there is often a settings menu (three dots or gear) where you can find the option "Add widget to desktop."
The same is true of the Weather app, which not only shows the forecast, but also serves as a hub for widget management. By clicking on the menu icon inside the app, you can see a list of available widget styles that don't appear in the standard gallery when you first run, which is especially true for global firmware versions.
- 🕒 Open the Watch app and go to the alarm or timer settings to find hidden widget options.
- 🌤️ In the Weather app, check the city settings: the widget will display data specifically for the default settlement selected.
- ⚙️ Use a search on your phone settings by entering the word “widget” to quickly move on to managing system elements.
It's worth noting that new versions of HyperOS have changed the logic of widgets, and they can now be interactive: you can click on the alarm widget and turn it off immediately without opening the app, which requires permission to access the security menu.
☑️ Pre-installing check
Third-party applications and interface customization
When standard tools are not enough, third-party solutions come to the rescue from the Google Play store, apps like Widgetsmith, Overdrop or Today Weather offer thousands of design options, allowing you to create widgets of any shape, size, and color range, completely ignoring the limitations of the stock interface.
However, installing third-party widgets on Xiaomi has its own peculiarities: the aggressively system optimizes background processes, which can cause the widget to stop updating or disappear from the screen.
⚠️ WARNING: When installing widgets from unknown sources or questionable launchers, you risk accessing your geodata and travel history.
To fully work custom widgets, follow the following steps: go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find the installed widget and select Autorun, turning it on. Also in the Energy Saving menu for this application, select the “No Limits” mode.
Another powerful tool is themes, and the Themes app doesn't just have wallpaper, it has widget packets, and once you install that theme, you'll have new widgets in the menu that are styled to the design code you've chosen, and it's the best way to change the look of the watch and the weather without having to install any extra software.
Customization and personalization of display
Once you put the widget on the screen, you can customize it in detail. Most Xiaomi system widgets support resizing. You press the widget and hold your finger until the marker frame appears. You pull around the corners, you can stretch the element to the entire screen or shrink it to a minimum.
Some versions of the shell have a dual tap feature. If the widget supports this action, double tap can open not just a weather app, but a specific city or alarm clock. You can check the support for the feature in the widget settings, if this option is available in your version of MIUI.
| Parameter | Description | Where to set up |
|---|---|---|
| Time format | 12-hour or 24-hour format | Settings → Date and time |
| Weather units | Celsius or Fahrenheit | Weather App → Settings |
| Update | Data synchronization interval | Weather App → Settings |
| Transparency | The degree of transparency of the widget background | Editing the widget (if supported) |
Don't forget the font styles. If you install a third-party font through the Themes app, it will apply to the numbers on the watch widget, which allows you to achieve complete harmony in the visual design of the desktop, but some complex fonts can not be displayed correctly in small widgets.
The secret function of weather widgets
Solution: Widget not updated or missing
One of the most common problems Xiaomi users have is when the weather widget shows yesterday’s data or time lags behind, due to the system’s aggressive energy saving policy, which “kills” background processes to save battery life.
To fix this, you need to go to the battery settings. Find the Weather app (or "Clock" if there is a time problem) and change the battery mode to "No Limits." It is also recommended to enable auto-start for system applications, if this option is available in your firmware version.
- 🔋 Check if the Power Saving mode is turned on, which blocks background data synchronization.
- 📡 Make sure the application has permission to access the geolocation (always or only when in use).
- 🗑️ Clear the Weather app cache through the application management menu if the data has stopped being fully updated.
If the widget just disappeared from the screen, try rebooting the launcher. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → System Launcher and press Stop. The screen will blink and the icons will return to their seats, and the widget should reboot.
⚠️ Note: When cleaning the Weather or Clock data, you can reset all your alarm settings and city lists. Use the "Clear Cache" option, not "Clear All Data" option if you want to save the information.
Features of widgets in HyperOS and new versions of MIUI
With the release of the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi redesigned the architecture of widgets to make them more like iOS, and there was support for widgets of different sizes in a single menu, as well as the ability to overlay them with transparency (stacking), now the weather widget can be part of a large information unit.
The new versions also allow you to take widgets directly from apps, keeping their icon in the app menu for a long time. If the app supports this feature (for example, the updated Mi Fitness app or Yandex), you will see the item "Add widget".
Special attention should be paid to the smart home widgets. If you have Mi Home ecosystem devices, light control widgets or air purifier can be displayed directly on the home screen, dubbing the functions of the watch and weather in a single style.
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Use folders on your desktop to group widgets, create a folder, call it Info, and put widgets on the weather, currency rates, and calendar to make room on the main screen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why does the weather widget show the wrong city?
Can you change the color of the numbers on the watch widget?
The widget disappeared after the system update, what to do?
How to make a widget transparent?
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The main secret of stable operation of widgets on Xiaomi is proper resolution management and disabling aggressive battery optimization for system applications.