Smartphone users today are used to getting up-to-date information with a single look at a lock screen or desktop. This is especially true for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, as the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS offer extensive customization options. Installing a weather widget allows not only to monitor temperature, but also to plan the day, seeing the likelihood of rainfall or wind strength.
However, despite its apparent simplicity, many users have difficulty trying to add this element to the screen. Standard methods may vary depending on the firmware version, and sometimes the widget simply disappears or refuses to work correctly. In this article, we will discuss in detail all ways to solve this problem, including working with built-in tools and third-party solutions.
We will look at the nuances of the system application “Weather”, which is an integral part of the Mi ecosystem. Also touch on the issues related to permissions and geolocation, without which accurate data display is impossible. If you want your smartphone to look stylish and be as functional as possible, follow our recommendations.
Standard installation of the widget through the editing menu
The easiest and most obvious way to add climate information to your desktop is to use the built-in editing menu, which requires unlocking the device and going to the home screen, and pressing a blank area of the screen for a long time or using a special gesture (two finger pinches) activates the editing mode.
At the bottom of the display, you'll see a toolbar where you can select "Widgets." The list that opens will look for the "Weather" or "Tools" category, and there's usually a few design options, from minimalist numbers to large blocks with a background image, and if you pick the right design, drag it to the free space on the screen.
⚠️ Warning: If the widget displays incorrect data or there is an exclamation point icon, this means that the application is not given access to the geoposition. Once the item is placed on the screen, you can resize it by pulling special markers around the edges (if the shell version supports this function). Also, in many cases, you can change the display style directly from the widget menu, which allows you to adapt the appearance to the theme of the design. 📊 What style of weather widget do you like more?Minimalism (numbers only)Classics (background and text)Animated (live wallpaper)Third-party (for example, Today Weather) Setup and personalization of the system widget After successful installation of the widget on the desktop, there is often a need for its thin setting. Xiaomi’s Weather system application allows you to flexibly manage the information you display. To access the settings, click on the widget itself or open the weather app and go to the settings menu. In the settings section, you can select units of measurement (degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit), the time format (12 or 24 hours) and the frequency of updating the data. 🌡️ Units of measurement: the choice between Celsius, Fahrenhei or Kelvins for displaying temperature. 📍 Location Management: Adding multiple cities to quickly swipe between them. 🎨 Background style: Turning on or off dynamic backgrounds that vary with the current weather. In modern versions of Android and HyperOS, the system requires explicit confirmation for each application. If the widget is not updated, check in the privacy settings whether the resolution is "Always" or "Only when used" for system weather. 💡To save battery life, set the weather interval to 30 or 60 minutes if you don't need real-time data every minute.Working with Google widgets and third-party apps Not all users are satisfied with the standard design offered by the smartphone manufacturer. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem makes it easy to swap system solutions for products from Google or third-party developers.Google widget is known for its conciseness and integration with the search engine, which often looks more aesthetic on a clean desktop. To install the Google widget, make sure the Google app is installed and updated through the Play Store.The addition process is similar to the system: go to the widget menu, search for a Google list, and select Weather. The advantage of this approach is the absence of advertising, which is sometimes found in native applications of Chinese manufacturers. For lovers of beautiful design, there are specialized applications such as Today Weather, Overcast or YoWindow. They offer unique animations, detailed graphics and widgets of various sizes. Installing a third-party widget requires pre-installing the app itself from the store. → Annexes → Application management → [Title of the annex] → Permits → Geolocation The path above in the settings shows where to manually check access rights if the third-party application widget doesn't work. Often the problem lies in the lack of location rights or in aggressive energy saving, which “kills” the background update process. ☑️ Widget is displayed on the screen Shows the current temperature The background image corresponds to the weather Data updated when swipe: 0 / 4 Fixing Update and Display Problems Quite often, users are faced with a situation where the widget is installed, but shows yesterday's weather or dashboards instead of degrees. MIUI. To save charge, the system can limit the operation of background processes, considering them irrelevant. To correct the situation, you need to go to the battery settings and find the Weather app (or the widget you use). In the parameters of energy saving, you should select the mode "No restrictions». This will allow the application to freely update data in the background without system intervention «--» No Internet access Check Wi-Fi or mobile network Wrong city Disabled geolocation Turn on GPS and give access to the application Data is not updated Energy Savings Put "No restrictions" in the battery settings Widget disappeared from the screen Launcher Failure Clear cache application "Conductor" or "Themes" Another cause of failures can be a crowded cache of system services. Periodically cleaning the weather app cache through the app management menu helps restore stability. Don't be afraid to clear the cache - your saved cities and settings will not be lost. ⚠️ WARNING: When you reset your network settings or completely reset your phone, widgets can fly off. This is normal Android security behavior, requiring re-authorization and customization of access rights. One of the strengths of Xiaomi smartphones is the Themes store. Many users do not know that installing a new theme often automatically replaces system widgets, including weather, with stylized counterparts. This is the easiest way to radically change the appearance of the desktop without installing unnecessary programs. In the the theme store, you can find thousands of options where the weather widget is in the style of anime, cyberpunk, minimalism or imitation of retro devices. When applying the the the theme, the system will offer to use all components, including wallpaper, icons and widgets, you can only select the application. However, be careful: some third-party themes may be poorly optimized and cause increased battery consumption or conflicts with the system. If you don’t like the theme widget, it can be removed with a long press, like any standard widget. After that, you can install the standard Xiaomi widget or Google widget on top, as they have display priority. If you're going back to the standard look, just change the theme to classic "Default" or "No Theme" in the design settings. Widgets will return to their original state, defined by the factory firmware. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Why doesn't the weather widget automatically update? Most often the problem is with the power saving settings. MIUI/HyperOS. Go to the weather app settings, select Activity Control, and set "No Limits" to "No geolocation enabled. Can you resize the Xiaomi weather widget? Yes, in most cases, it's possible. Press and hold the widget on your desktop, then release your finger. If the widget supports the size change, a frame will appear around you to pull. Not all widget styles support this feature. How do you add weather from another city to the home screen? Open the Weather app, click on the city menu (usually three stripes or plus), add the weather widget to the arangle in between the city? In the system app, you can turn off ads in the weather app settings by finding “Get recommendations” or similar and disabling it. 💡For stable operation of the weather widget, it is critically important to provide the application with constant access to geolocation and remove background activity restrictions in the battery settings.