The Xiaomi home screen watch widget is not just a design element, but a useful tool for quickly controlling time without unlocking the phone. However, many users have difficulty installing it: the widget disappears after the MIUI update, it does not appear in the list of available, it takes up too much space. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to add watches to the desktop, including hidden shell functions and bypassing restrictions for older models.
Xiaomi smartphones are flexible, but not all features are obvious at first glance. For example, in MIUI 14, the algorithm for adding widgets changed compared to MIUI 12, and on some devices (for example, POCO F5), the default clock is hidden in the launcher. We tested all methods on current firmware and collected working solutions, from standard to alternative using third-party applications.
Why Xiaomi doesn’t have default clock widgets?
The MIUI concept is a minimalist desktop, where the priority is given to app icons and smart elements like weather or calendar, and the watch is often integrated into the notification panel or lock screen, but not on the home screen.
- 📱 Battery Optimization: Dynamic widgets (especially with animation) are spent up to 5-7% day-time.
- 🎨 Design solutions: Xiaomi strives for a “clean” look of the desktop, offering the watch as a theme design.
- 🔄 Regional settings: on firmware for Europe/Russia, the watch widget can be disabled by default, unlike the Chinese versions.
Also, on budget models (such as the Redmi 10A or POCO M4), the manufacturer limits the functionality of widgets to save CPU resources, but even in such cases there are workarounds - we will talk about this later.
Method 1: Standard watch widget in MIUI (for all models)
The easiest method is to use the built-in widget. It is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 11 and later, but the path to it may vary depending on the version of the shell.
- Click and hold the empty space on the home screen (not on the icon!).
- At the bottom of the screen, a menu will appear – select Widgets (or Widgets in English firmware).
- Scroll through the list to the Clock section. There may be options here: 🕒 Analog clock (with hands) 📟 Digital watches (electronic format) 🌤️ Weather watches (combined widget)
Click on your favorite widget and drag it to a free space on the screen.
If the Watch section is not in the list of widgets, it is disabled systemically on your device, in which case try to update the firmware to the latest version or use alternative methods from the following sections.
Update. MIUI last-minute|Free up space on the home screen (remove unnecessary icons)|Check if the "Light Interface" mode is enabled in the special features settings|Reboot your smartphone if the widgets don’t show up-->
Method 2: Hours through "Themes" (hidden MIUI function)
Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden mechanism for adding watches through the Topics section, which works even on devices that don't have a standard widget (like the Redmi 9A or the POCO C40).
- Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
- Go to My Profile (the person icon in the lower right corner).
- Select theme settings → Additional settings.
- Activate the option to Show the clock on the home screen (could be called Display Clock on Home Screen).
- Return to the home screen – the watch will appear at the top (usually next to the battery indicator).
This widget is minimalist and does not support customization, but does not occupy a place among the icons. If the option is inactive, then your theme does not support this feature - try changing the theme to a standard one.
What if the “Show the Watch” option is inactive?
Method 3: Third-party watch applications (maximum customization)
If the built-in solutions don't work, use third-party widgets, which offer hundreds of styles, from retro hours to futuristic designs with animations.
| Annex | Features | Compatibility | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Widget | 100+ styles, weather support, color/size customization | MIUI 10+ | Advertising in the free version |
| Digital Clock Widget | Minimalistic digital watches, low power consumption | All models. | Limited font settings |
| Chronus | Integration with Google Fit, widgets to lock the screen | Android 8.0+ | A complex interface for beginners |
| UCCW | Creating custom widgets from scratch (for advanced ones) | MIUI 12+ | It takes time to set up. |
To install a widget from a third-party application:
- Download and install an app (like Clock Widget) from Google Play.
- Click and hold the empty space on the home screen → Widgets.
- Find the widget of the installed application (usually with its logo) in the list.
- Select the style of the watch and drag it to the screen.
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If the widget doesn’t update the time, check the app’s permissions: Settings → Applications → Permissions Management → Watch (enable “Mapping on Other Windows” and “Autostarting”).
Method 4: Watch in the notification panel (alternative to the widget)
If you don't care about having a desktop clock, you can put it in the notification panel, and it saves space and doesn't require you to install widgets.
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
- Press the badge. ⚙️ Settings (or Edit on English firmware).
- In the list of available items, find the Clock and drag it to the active area.
- Press Ready – Time will now be displayed in the top curtain.
The advantage of this method is that the watch is visible on any open application, but it is less visible than the widget on the home screen, and does not support customization (size/color depends on the MIUI theme).
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The watch widget in the notification panel does not consume an additional battery, as the time is displayed by the system process, rather than by a separate application.
Method 5: Watch on the lock screen (for quick viewing)
If the main goal is to watch the time quickly without unlocking your phone, set up the clock display on the lock screen. This method does not replace the widget on the desktop, but is convenient for everyday use.
- Go to Settings → Lock screen.
- Select the Watch Style (analog, digital and minimalist options are available).
- Activate the option to Show the date and weather (optional).
- In the section Additional you can adjust the color and font size (on some models).
On Xiaomi AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12 Pro or Redmi K50) The locking clock supports the Always-on Display function (AOD). It allows you to see the time even when the screen is turned off, but increases the battery consumption on the screen. 2-3% hourly.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with LCD-The Always-on Display function is not available due to technical limitations, in which case the watch will only be displayed when the lock screen is turned on.
Problem Solving: The watch doesn’t show up or disappears
If the watch widget is missing after the MIUI update or doesn’t want to be installed, check out these points:
- 🔄 Launcher reboot: Press the Home button (or swipe up) → Launcher settings → Reset.
- 📦 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Annexes → Launcher (or) MIUI Launcher) → Clear the cache.
- 🔧 Reset widget settings: In the same launcher settings, select Reset desktop settings (application data will not be deleted).
- 🛠️ Update rollback: If the problem has appeared after the update MIUI, Try to revert to the previous version through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Select a Service Package.
On some firmware (especially Chinese) watch widgets are blocked due to regional restrictions, in which case the change in the settings will help:
- Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Region.
- Choose India or Europe (where widgets are available by default).
- Restart your phone – the watch should appear in the widget list.
⚠️ Note: Change of region may affect the performance of some services (e.g. Google Pay or banking applications.