How to install a widget on the smartphone Xiaomi Redmi: from basic to hidden functions

Why do Xiaomi Redmi widgets work differently than other Androids?

Widgets on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones are both a powerful personalization tool and a source of headache for beginners. Unlike pure Android, the MIUI shell has its own rules of the game: here widgets can hide in unexpected menus, require additional permissions or refuse to display without prior configuration. For example, on Redmi Note 12 models and the newer, the widget layout algorithm has changed — they are now tied to the MIUI launcher, rather than the standard Android interface.

Another feature is that widgets from third-party apps (like Google Weather or Spotify) can conflict with system ones if you don't have the "Show all widgets" option in your screen settings on, not a bug, but a feature: Xiaomi is trying to optimize performance. But for the user, this means extra body movements. In this article, we'll look at not only basic installation methods, but also little-known tricks - like how to return widgets after resets or why they disappear after a MIUI update.

Preparation of the smartphone: what to do before installing the widget

Before you add a widget, make sure your Xiaomi Redmi is ready for it. Let's start with the obvious: check the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. On older versions (below MIUI 12), the widget placement algorithm is different - there is no Long Press feature.

• 📱 Free space on the screen: widgets occupy cells (usually 2×2 or 4×1). If the screen is full of icons, free up space.
• 🔄 App updates: Some programs’ widgets (like Google or Yandex Weather) may not show up if the app is outdated.
• 🔒 Permissions: Weather widgets, calendars, or fitness trackers will require access to location, contacts, or health data.

Pay special attention to the launcher. By default, Redmi uses MIUI Launcher, but some users install third-party (for example, Nova Launcher or Hyperion). In this case, the algorithm for adding widgets changes! For example, in Nova Launcher, widgets are added through the Widgets menu with a long press on the screen, and in the standard Xiaomi launcher - through a separate tab.

Method 1: Standard long-press addition (MIUI 12 and later)

This is the simplest method that works on most modern Redmi (e.g. Redmi Note 11/12/13, Redmi 10/10A).

1. Unlock your phone and go to the main screen.
2. Make a long tap on any free screen spot (not on the icon!). The settings menu will appear.
3. At the bottom of the screen, select the Widget tab (the icon with squares).
4. Scroll through the list of available widgets. They are grouped by application (e.g. Weather, Calendar, Google).
5. Click on the desired widget and, without letting go, drag it to the free screen space.
6. Release your finger, the widget will set up, and if necessary, resize it by pulling corners.

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

• 🔍 Is the appropriate application installed (for example, Google Search widget needs Google App).
• 🔄 Is the app updated to the latest version (via Play Market or GetApps).
• 📵 Is the power saving mode disabled for this application (in Settings) → Battery → Choice of applications).

Method 2: Alternative method for older versions of MIUI (up to 12)

If you have a Redmi 8/9 or another model with MIUI 11 or older, the algorithm for adding widgets is different. There's no Widget tab with a long press, instead, the application menu is used:

1. Open the app menu (swipe up the main screen).
2. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select the Widgets.
3. In the list, find the widget you want and click on it. The system will suggest adding it to the main screen.
4. Choose a free seat and confirm the placement.

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 10 on Redmi 7) may not have widgets on the menu at all.

⚠️ Note: If the widgets do not appear in the application menu or with a long press, try resetting the launcher settings. → Annexes → Application management → Launcher and press Clear Data.This won't delete your files, but it will reset the location of the icons!

Widget problems: why they don’t install or disappear

Even when installed correctly, the widgets on Xiaomi Redmi can behave in an unpredictable way, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

Especially often, users encounter a problem when Google widgets (like Search or Weather) don’t want to install, because Xiaomi defaults to blocking some of Google’s system services to fix:

1. Install Google App from Play Market.
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Google.
3. Click on Permissions and enable all available options (especially “Overlapping Other Apps”).
4. Reboot the phone.

💡

If the weather widget shows incorrect data, try manually specifying your city in the MIUI Weather app settings. Auto-location sometimes fails due to energy saving.

Hidden widgets and secret MIUI features

Few people know, but MIUI has hidden widgets that don't show up in the standard list.

• 📊 System Statistics widget: shows the boot CPU, RAM To activate it, you need to turn on Developer Mode (7 times press the Version). MIUI in the phone settings, then in the settings → Additionally. → Widgets.
• 🔋 Battery widget: displays detailed statistics on the charge consumption of applications. MIUI 13+.
• 🎵 Music widget: appears automatically when playing tracks in MIUI Music, but it can be fixed to the screen manually through the player settings.

Another little-known feature is the widget transparency setting.

1. Add the widget to the screen.
2. Click on it long and select Change Style (if the option is available).
3. In some widgets (for example, MIUI Calendar) you can adjust background transparency, text color and even animation.

On the Redmi K50 and later, there is an experimental feature called Dynamic Widgets, which changes size and content depending on the time of day, to enable it:

Settings → Display → Additional settings → Dynamic widgets

Widgets from third-party applications: how to add and configure

Widgets from third-party applications (e.g. Spotify, Telegram, Yandex Maps) are installed on the same principle as system ones, but often require additional permissions, for example, the Spotify widget will not work if the application does not have access to:

• 🎵 Notifications (to show the current track).
• 📱 Overlay on other applications (to display over other windows).
• 🔄 Auto-run (to keep the widget updated in the background).

To add a Telegram widget:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of Telegram installed from the Play Market (versions from the APK may not support widgets).
2. Click on the main screen → Widgets → find Telegram.
3. Choose a 4×1 widget (shows unread chats) or 2×2 (fast access to favorite contacts).
4. After adding, tap the widget and hold to set up the chats displayed.

If the third-party app widget is not updated, check:

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI 14+ There's aggressive battery optimization, which can block the background widgets. To fix this, go to Settings. → Battery → Select applications, find the desired application and select No restrictions. Also disable the option Adaptive battery in additional settings.

How to remove or change the widget Xiaomi Redmi

Removing the widget is easier than installing it, but there are nuances here.

1. Click on the widget you want to remove.
2. At the top of the screen will appear the icon of the basket (🗑️) — Drag the widget there.
3. Release your finger to confirm the removal.

If the widget is not removed (this happens with MIUI system widgets), try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes it resets “stuck” widgets.
• 🛠️ Use a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) where removing widgets is more flexible.
• 📵 Disable and turn on the application to which the widget belongs (in Settings) → Annexes).

To resize the widget:

1. Long press the widget.
2. The corners will have white dots – pull them to change size.
3. Not all widgets support size change (for example, the MIUI system clock has fixed dimensions).

On the Redmi models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Redmi) K60) If you change the size of the widget, you can see an artifact in the form of black stripes. AMOLED. To eliminate:

Settings → Display → Additional settings → Smoothing the edges of widgets

💡

If the widget stopped updating after the MIUI update, try removing it and adding it again, often due to a change in the structure of the system files in the new firmware.

FAQ: Frequent questions about widgets on Xiaomi Redmi