How to set a clock on a locked screen Xiaomi Redmi: 3 proven ways

Why do you need a lock screen clock and why it’s not the default

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that you only pull out your phone to watch the time? On Xiaomi Redmi (especially in Note 10 Pro, Redmi 11 Prime or Redmi 12 models), the default lock screen can only display date, notifications or wallpaper — but it doesn't always show the current time. This is not a system bug, but a feature of the MIUI shell, where the watch display settings are hidden in non-obvious menus.

The reasons for not having a clock on a locked screen are different, from a randomly disabled feature to conflicting design themes. For example, after the MIUI 14 update, some users complain that the watch is lost due to a reset of the lock screen settings. Others face a problem after installing third-party launchers or those of the Theme. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to return (or configure from scratch) the display of time, from basic settings to hidden MIUI chips.

It's important to understand that a lock screen watch is not only convenient, but also a way to save battery power. If you're used to waking up the screen just to check the time, constantly displaying the watch on Always-on Display (AOD) (available on the Redmi K50, Note 12 Pro+, etc.) will reduce the number of unlocks, which is minus 5-10% of battery consumption per day.

Method 1: Standard lock screen settings in MIUI

To start with, basics testing works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12-14 shells, including budget models like the Redmi 9A or Redmi 10C.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Lock Screen section (in some versions of MIUI it is called Lock and Protection).
3. Slip on the item Style of the lock screen.
4. Choose any style that says “Clock” (e.g. Digital, Analog, or Minimalist).
5. After choosing a style, go back and make sure the Show Clock slider is active (on).

If the watch never comes up after that, it may be the design theme that's the problem. Some custom themes from the store Redesign themes to check out the standard settings.

• 🎨 Go to Settings. → Topics and choose a standard theme (MIUI or by default).
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.
• 🔍 If the watch came up, the problem was the theme. Return your favorite theme and manually adjust the time mapping to its settings.

Make a backup copy of themes|Make sure the phone is charged (>20%)|Close background annexes|Shut down. VPN (It can block time synchronization)-->

Method 2: Configure Always-on Display (AOD) to display permanently

If Redmi supports the Always-on Display feature (AOD) (available on models AMOLED-screens, for example, Redmi K40, Note 11 Pro+, Redmi 12 Pro, you can configure a constant display of the watch even when it's off. It's not only convenient, it's also economical: AMOLED-displays consume minimal charge to display static elements.

You can activate AOD as follows:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Always-on Display.
2. Turn on the Always-on Display slider.
3. Choose the display style: Digital Watch, Analog Watch or Custom Watch (if available).
4. Set up a schedule: Always, on schedule or when you get up (the clock appears when you pick up the phone).

Pay attention to additional parameters:

Important: On LCD-screen models (e.g. Redmi 10 or Note 10S), AOD is not available due to technical limitations.

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If the AOD watch flashes or disappears after the AOD is turned on, update the firmware via Settings → About Phone → System Update. Some versions of MIUI 13 had an error with the time display on AOD.

Method 3: Use of widgets and third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work, you can go a workaround by installing a watch widget on the lock screen through third-party apps, which is suitable for all Redmi models, including older ones (such as the Redmi 8 or Note 7) where there is no AOD.

The best applications for this task:

• ⏰ Always On AMOLED — It supports customization of the clock, even works on LCD-screens (with limitations).
• 🕒 AcDisplay – Shows the clock when you receive notifications or when you pick up your phone.
• 🎨 Lock Screen Widget – allows you to add widgets to the lock screen (rights required) ADB).

Instructions for Always On AMOLED:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and provide all the permissions you request (including Overlay over other apps).
3. Choose the style of the watch and adjust the display (color, size, position).
4. Activate the option to Show on the locked screen.
5. In Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization, add the application to the exceptions.

⚠️ Note: Applications for customizing the lock screen may conflict with MIUI. If after installing widgets, the phone began to brake or discharge quickly, remove them and use standard settings.

Problem Solving: The clock is missing or not updated

Sometimes the clock on the lock screen Xiaomi Redmi behaves strangely, showing the wrong time, disappearing after a reboot or not synchronizing.

• 🕰️ Incorrect time: Check date and time settings in Settings → Additionally. → Date and time: Make sure Automatic (network time) is enabled).
• 🔄 Watch resets after update: This is a known bug MIUI 13.The solution is to reset the lock screen settings to standard (Settings) → Lock screen → Drop it).
• 📱 Launcher Conflict: If you use a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher or Hyperion), go back to the standard launcher. MIUI Launcher and check the clock.
• 🔋 Battery savings: In Ultra-Economic or low-charge mode (<15%) MIUI It can turn off background processes, including updating time. Charge your phone or turn off saving mode.

If none of these methods worked, try resetting the lock screen settings:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Reset settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting the lock screen settings will remove all saved wallpaper, watch styles and fingerprints. Before the procedure, back up important data via Settings → The phone. → Backup.

Hidden chips: customization of watches on Redmi

The MIUI shell offers several hidden options for fine-tuning the clock on the lock screen, which are not available in all regional firmware versions, but can be manually activated.

1. Change of the clock font

By default, MIUI uses a system font to display time, but it can be replaced by:

1. Download a font in.ttf format (for example, from the Google Fonts website).
2. Place the file in the Download folder.
3. Install the iFont app from Google Play.
4. In iFont, select the downloaded font → Install → Apply.
5. Restart your phone – the clock on the lock screen will change the font.

2. Clock animation

On MIUI 14, some models (Redmi K50, Note 12 Pro+) have an animation of the watch when unlocked.

Settings → Lock screen → Lock screen style → Clock animation

3. Second hand display

By default, MIUI hides the second hand on an analog clock, but it can be returned:

Settings → Lock screen → Lock screen style → Setup → Show seconds

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In the models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Redmi) K40) customization of the clock AOD It gives more opportunities than on LCD. Use this to create a unique style!

FAQ: Frequent questions about the watch on the Redmi lock screen