How to install a clock on the desktop of the smartphone Xiaomi: all the ways and settings

Why Xiaomi doesn’t have a home screen clock and how to fix it

You just bought a new Xiaomi smartphone (or upgraded your MIUI firmware) and found that there are no regular clocks on your desktop? It's no coincidence — in the latest versions of the shell, the time widget is hidden by default to make room for app icons. But you can literally return it in 3 taps. Moreover, new styles of displaying time, including animated dials and minimalistic options, have appeared in MIUI 14.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can install a watch on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO desktop, from a standard widget to third-party apps with advanced features, learn how to change size, style, and even add seconds or a date, and if the watch suddenly disappears after the upgrade, you’ll find a solution to this problem.

Important: the instructions are relevant for all modern models (Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/11, POCO F5/X5, etc.) based on MIUI 12-14. For older versions (up to MIUI 11), the process may be different - see the section on outdated firmware.

Method 1: Adding a standard watch widget to MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in shell widget, which does not require any additional applications to be installed, and supports all the system functions, including automatic theme change (light/dark).

How to do this:

1. Touch any free space on your desktop and hold on for 1-2 seconds until the settings menu appears.
2. At the bottom of the screen, select “Widgets” (the icon with squares).
3. Scroll down to Systems and find the Watch widget (usually the first on the list).
4. Press the widget icon and drag it to the desktop. Release your finger when the placement frame appears.

If the widget doesn’t appear in the list, check:

• 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Update MIUI).
• 📱 Make sure there is a free space on the desktop (the widget takes up the cell). 4×2 or 4×1).
• 🔧 Restart your phone – sometimes system widgets “disappear” after crashing.

Check out the MIUI version.

Make room on the desktop

Restart your smartphone (if the widget doesn’t show)

Turn off power saving for launcher-->

After adding the widget can be changed in size: press its edges and stretch to the desired dimensions (the options are 4×1, 4×2 and 2×2). To remove - drag to the basket at the top of the screen.

Minimalistic (time only)

Classic (dial with arrows)

Digital with seconds

Animated (with effects)

Other-->

Method 2: Configure the style and format of displaying time

The standard MIUI widget supports several display styles, but to change them, you need to go to the theme settings.

Steps to change style:

1. Click on the watch widget and hold on for 1 second until the context menu appears.
2. Select “Widget Settings” (or Edit, depending on the version).
3. In the window that opens you will see the options: 🕒 Analog clock (dial with arrows). 🕔 Digital (time only, with or without seconds). 📅 With a date (time) + weekday). 🎨 Thematic (style depends on the wallpaper or the chosen theme).

"Done."

MIUI 14 has introduced the Adaptive Watch feature, which automatically changes color depending on the wallpaper to avoid merging with the background. If this option does not work, check the theme settings in Settings → Design → System Colors.

⚠️ Note: If the watch is not displayed correctly after the change of style (for example, numbers are superimposed), try to reduce the size of the widget or reset its settings.

Method 3: Using third-party widgets (Google Clock, Chronus, etc.)

If you don’t like the built-in MIUI, you can install third-party widgets from Google Play, which offer more options for design, additional features (such as weather or alarm clocks), and often look more modern.

Top.-3 desktop-based watches:

• ⏰ Google Clock – the official application from Google with minimalistic widgets and synchronization with the account.
• 🕐 Chronus – advanced widget with weather, calendar and font settings.
• 🎨 UCCW (Ultimate Custom Clock Widget – for those who want to create a unique design of watches.

How to install a third-party widget:

1. Download the app from Google Play (like Google Clock).
2. Return to the desktop, clamp the free space and select "Widgets".
3. Find the widget of the installed app (for example, Google Watch 4×2) in the list.
4. Drag it on the screen and configure according to the application instructions.

⚠️ Note: Some widgets (e.g, UCCW) If the clock does not show after installation, check the permission settings in Settings → Annexes → Permit management.

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If the watch widget doesn’t update the time, try turning off battery optimization for the watch app in the MIUI settings (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization).

Method 4: Watch on the lock screen - how to turn on and configure

If you want a watch not only on your desktop but also on your lock screen, you can set it separately. MIUI has several options for displaying time on a locked screen:

Instructions for setting:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select the item "Clock style".
3. Scroll through the list of available styles (MIUI 14 has more than 20 of them, including animation styles).
4. Click on your favorite option and confirm the choice.

Additional settings:

• 🔦 Brightness of the watch – you can make them dimmer so that you do not blind at night.
• 📱 Position – Move time up/down screen.
• 🎨 Color – choose from the palette or synchronize with wallpaper.
• 🕒 Time format: 12- or 24-hour.

If the clock on the lock screen is not displayed:

• Check if Show the clock in the lock settings is enabled.
• Make sure that Black Screen AOD is not activated (it may conflict with styles).
• Update the firmware – older versions of MIUI had time-display bugs.

Problem Solving: The clock is gone, not updated or knocked off

Sometimes, after updating MIUI or resetting, the desktop clock will disappear or not work properly. Here are the most common problems and solutions:

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the launcher settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or Lawnchair if you use it).
3. Select "Storage» → «Clear the data».
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will reset the location of the icons on the desktop! Before the procedure, take a screenshot of the current location of the applications to quickly restore it.

Desktop clocks in older versions of MIUI (up to 11)

If you have a smartphone on MIUI 9-11 (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 8, Redmi Note 7), the process of adding the watch may be different. In these versions, the time widget was built into the system launcher and did not always appear in the widget list.

Alternative ways to use old silk:

• 🔄 Update the firmware to MIUI 12+ (recommended).
• 📱 Use a third-party launcher (such as a Nova Launcher or a Nova Launcher). POCO Launcher, where the watch widget is added standard.
• ⏰ Install Google’s Watch app and use its widget.

There is another trick for MIUI 9/10:

1. Hold the free space on the desktop.
2. Select the Widgets → Other widgets.
3. Find the “Clock” in the list and add it to the screen.

If nothing helps, check if the system widget is disabled in the settings:

Settings → Additional → Functions Laboratory → Widgets on the desktop

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Xiaomi Watches

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If standard MIUI watches don’t suit you, third-party widgets (Google Clock, Chronus) offer more customization options, including seconds, weather, and unique styles.