How to set a watch on the screen of the Xiaomi phone: styles, settings and Always On Display

Personalizing the look of a smartphone is the first thing that new device owners are looking for, and setting a watch on a locked Xiaomi screen is one of the most popular requests. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS offer users the widest toolkit to change the appearance of the lock, going far beyond the standard dial. You can choose a minimalist design, install animated live wallpaper or even use your own photos, on top of which will display time.

However, the customization process can seem confusing due to the abundance of options and periodic changes in the interface of system applications. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to install a watch on the screen of a Xiaomi phone, from standard functions to hidden features of the theme of the design. We will touch on the work with the Wallpaper application, configuring Always On Display and solving common problems when the dial does not display or works incorrectly.

Understanding the principles of the Xiaomi theme system will allow you not only to copy the settings, but to create a unique visual style of your gadget.

Use of the Wallpaper app for style installation

The main tool to change the look of the lock screen in Xiaomi smartphones is the regular Wallpaper application. This is where the library of ready-made solutions is concentrated, which can be instantly applied to your device without having to download third-party software. To start, open the application through the settings menu or find it in the folder with system utilities on the desktop.

At the bottom of the app interface, you need to switch to the Lock screen tab, and here you will find a few categories: popular, new arrivals, and sections sorted by design type, so you can choose a static clock background or a dynamic theme where time is displayed as part of complex animations.

When choosing a particular theme, look for a preview that shows exactly what the watch will look like when unlocked and locked. Some styles offer interactive touch-responsive elements or change the color of the dial depending on the time of day. After choosing the right option, click Apply or Download if the the theme is paid or requires downloading additional resources.

It is important to note that using a new theme of the lock screen can automatically change the wallpaper of the main screen, if it is provided by the author of the theme. If you want to save the current desktop wallpaper, before applying the theme in the design settings, you can often choose the option “Do not change the desktop wallpaper”.

Always on Display to save energy

The feature is Always on Display (AOD) It allows you to display time, date and notifications on a screen that is off without having to activate the display in its entirety. OLED-Matrix, where each pixel glows independently, allowing you to show information while consuming a minimum amount of power. LCD-screens this function is either absent or operates in a limited mode with periodic illumination.

To activate this mode, go to the Settings menu, then select the Lock Screen section and find Always On Display. Inside you will see the function activation switch and a set of ready-made styles. The system offers you to choose the time to work: constantly, on a schedule (for example, from 8:00 to 23:00) or with activation by picking up the phone.

⚠️ Always on Display increases battery consumption by 1-3% per hour depending on the brightness and complexity of the dial chosen, it is recommended to use schedule mode for maximum autonomy or "10 seconds after touching".

In AOD style settings, you can often change the color of the dial, its size and position on the screen. This is especially useful to prevent the matrix from burning out, since the system can automatically shift the image by several pixels at certain intervals, and you can also turn on the display of a pedometer or charge of wireless headphones if they are paired with a smartphone.

Some users experience a situation where the AOD screen goes out immediately after locking, which may be due to the power saving mode on or the limitations imposed by the system on the background processes, check if you have activated the Ultra-energy saving mode, which forcibly disables all decorative screen functions.

Creating your own dial through the store

If standard design options are not enough for you, the Xiaomi theme store offers the ability to create your own dial from scratch. To do this, in the Themes app, you need to go to the user profile (usually the person icon in the lower right corner) and select the Create theme section or theme editor. This tool allows you to combine various interface elements.

The process of creating starts with choosing a basic template, so you can upload your own image from the gallery to serve as a background, and then add time and date widgets on top of it. The editor lets you change the clock's fonts, color, shadow, even animation, and it gives you complete creative freedom, allowing you to make the lock screen unique.

Once the editing is complete, the project must be saved and applied. The system may offer to install the created theme as paid or free if you decide to publish it to other users. The locally created theme is instant and available under "My Topics".

• 🎨 Use high-resolution images so that the background doesn’t look blurry on a high-pixel density screen.
• ⏱️ Consider the position of the front camera and speaker so that the watch does not overlap with the cutout in the screen.
• 🔋 Avoid using bright white for the background if you have a AMOLED screen, as this significantly increases energy consumption.

Setting up time widgets on the desktop

In addition to the lock screen, the watch can be installed directly on the home screen (desktop) in the form of widgets of various sizes. This allows you to see the time without unlocking the phone, and often provides additional information such as weather forecast or calendar. To add a widget, swipe up the desktop or use a pinch of two fingers to enter editing mode.

In the menu that opens, select Widgets. In the list of available widgets, find the Watch category. The system will offer several options: large digital watches, analog with arrows, compact iOS-style widgets or classic double clocks that show time in two cities at the same time.

Drag the widget you select to the free desktop space. Most MIUI and HyperOS time widgets are customizable. By clicking on the widget (or holding your finger and selecting settings), you can change the dial style, color accent, and time display format (12 or 24 hours).

It is worth noting that widgets can stop updating if the phone is on a hard power saving mode, in which case the time on the widget can “froze” until the device is unlocked or restrictions are removed, and widgets require permission to access the geoposition if they display weather data along with time.

Solving Time Display Problems

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the clock on the lock screen stops showing, does not work correctly or disappears after applying the theme. Most often this is due to a conflict of versions of the theme system components or damage to the app cache. The first step in diagnosis is to check for updates to the Themes and Wallpaper application through the GetApps store or Google Play store.

If the update didn’t work, try clearing the app’s theme data. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find themes in the list and select Clear Data. Don’t worry, your purchased themes will be saved to the cloud, but the interface settings will reset to factory ones.

Another common reason is a third-party launcher or screen locking app installed. Android only allows you to use one active locking app. If you have installed a third-party blocker, Xiaomi's system clock may not show up. Check settings in the Passwords and Security section → Privacy → Special features and disable suspicious apps.

⚠️ Note: Installing third-party Lock Screen Apps from the Play Market often leads to system conflicts MIUI/HyperOS, causing lags when unlocking and incorrect display of time widgets.

In rare cases, the problem is that you have damaged the system font. If you have installed custom fonts through an engineering menu or third-party utilities, return the standard font Mi Sans or Roboto. Unsupported characters in the font can result in squares or spaces being displayed instead of numbers.

Additional features of customization of the interface

Xiaomi's ecosystem takes it a step further in customizing the look, and you can change not only the watch, but also the unlock style, the charging animations, and even the sounds of the system. New versions of HyperOS have a feature called "Super Wallpaper" and live components that make the lock screen truly dynamic.

Note the Smart Screen (Glance) feature, which is often pre-installed on Xiaomi devices, which automatically changes the wallpaper on the lock screen, downloading content from partners. In the settings of this feature, you can also choose the display style of the watch that will be superimposed on news images.

💡

Expert advice: To create the perfect visual style, select the theme, desktop widgets and ringtone in a single color scheme. This will make using a smartphone more harmonious and enjoyable.

Also worth mentioning is the ability to adjust the time format. In the Settings menu → Additional → Date and time, you can switch between the 12-hour and 24-hour formats, and also choose whether the seconds will be displayed on the lock screen. Having seconds can be useful for time management, but visually overloads the interface.

Remember that too many animations and live elements on the lock screen can reduce the performance of the device, especially on models of the past. If you notice that the phone began to slow down when the screen was turned on, try to return to static, light themes of design.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

Xiaomi’s flexible theme system allows you to completely change the perception of the interface, but requires careful attention to the balance between the beauty and power consumption of the device.