How to set time on the screen Xiaomi: step-by-step guide

Modern smartphones have long been the main keepers of our daily routine, and the correct time on the display is a critical parameter for the operation of dozens of system applications. If your Xiaomi or Redmi device has a wrong watch, it can lead to authorization errors in banking programs, inability to log into messengers and even failures in the display of the news feed. SSL-certificates without which traffic encryption is impossible.

Often, users are faced with a situation where, after turning on a gadget or traveling to another region, the display clock lags or runs ahead. In the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS, a separate module is responsible for this, which usually works automatically over the Internet. However, manual adjustment is sometimes necessary, especially when using custom firmware or in the absence of a stable connection to the network.

In this article, we will take a look at all the possible ways to set timestamps, from standard menus to hidden engineering options. You will learn why settings are reset after turning off the phone and how to force the system to pull up current data from the NTP server. It is important to understand that desynchronization is often caused not by a software failure, but by a discharged internal RTC battery on the motherboard.

⚠️ Warning: Never set a date manually if you have two-factor confirmation of login to Google or Mi accounts activated. Abrupt time change may result in your data being blocked due to security tokens being out of sync.

Standard settings through the Date and Time menu

The easiest and most reliable way to get your watch in order is to use the standard interface tools. The path to settings may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same for all POCO and Xiaomi models. You need to go to the system parameters section, where the basic metrics of the device are adjusted.

To start, open the Settings app and find the option "More" or go straight to the "Date and Time" section. This is where the "Use Network Time" switch is activated by default. If it's on, the phone will determine your location and adjust the clock. If you need to set the time manually, this switch should be turned off.

Once the automation is disabled, the manual input fields will be active. You can choose the year, month, day, and exact hour and minutes. The time format (12 or 24 hours) also changes in the same menu, which is convenient if you are used to the American standard or, conversely, you want to avoid confusion with the AM/PM designation.

📊 How do you prefer to display time?
12-hour format (AM/PM)
24-hour format
I don't care.
I use widgets instead of watches.

Remember to check the set values, as some customizations of the theme can visually distort the display of numbers. If after setting the time it continues to "swim", try to restart the device to the cache of system services updated. In rare cases, it helps to re-energize and turn off flight mode to reconnect to cell towers.

Time zone and geographical location setting

A common cause of wrong time is not so much a clock failure as a wrong time zone, which is especially true for those who travel or live in border regions where zone boundaries can run outside the box. Android relies on geolocation data or carrier codes to determine your zone.

In the date settings menu, you can find the item “Time Zone”. If the automatic definition is disabled, you will see a list of cities or offset relative to UTC (Coordinated World Time). For Russia and CIS countries, it is important to choose the right representative city, for example, Moscow, Yekaterinburg or Vladivostok, since it is on them that the transition to daylight saving time (if applicable) and the history of legislative changes depends.

  • 🌍 Automatic geolocation: Allows the phone to change the belt when crossing borders without your involvement GPS and wifi.
  • 📡 Operator Network: Uses Data SIM-maps to determine the region, which is useful in areas with poor signaling GPS.
  • 🏙️ Selection of a city: Manual installation of a specific settlement, whose time will be used as a reference.

It is worth noting that some operators may transmit incorrect time data, especially when roaming. In such cases, it is better to rely on Internet synchronization. If you are in a border area where time in a neighboring city differs, make sure that your locality is chosen in the settings, and not a major center of the neighboring region.

⚠️ Note: When manually selecting a time zone, make sure that the winter/summer time transition is taken into account if it is valid in your country.

Problems with automatic synchronization via the Internet

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is based on the “Use Network Time Protocol” feature, which is enabled but the time on Xiaomi’s screen is still incorrect, which means that the device cannot communicate with the time server, which can be caused by a locking provider, a lack of Internet access when the phone is turned on, or a failure in the com.android.settings system process.

To diagnose a problem, try switching between Wi-Fi and mobile Internet. Sometimes mobile providers block the ports needed for synchronization, or vice versa, the Wi-Fi router has incorrect settings. DNS. You can try to prescribe static settings in the network DNS-servers, such as those from Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), which often solves the problem of unavailability of time servers.

It is also worth checking whether the date and time for specific applications in the Security or Applications section are turned off. If the system service responsible for synchronization is denied access to the network in the background, the correct time will not be set. In MIUI, aggressive energy savings often kill the background processes necessary to keep the system clock up to date.

Hidden commands for time resetting
In the terminal or through ADB You can try the "settings put global" command. auto_time 1" forcing autosynchronization to be enabled if the interface does not respond.

Synchronizing time through SIM-map

A separate mechanism for obtaining time stamps is through the network of the cellular operator. This is an older but more reliable method that works even without Internet access. When a phone is registered on the network, the operator transmits the current time and date. On Redmi and Xiaomi devices, this process is often a priority in the initial setup.

If the automatic setting over the Internet does not work, make sure that SIM-The card is set correctly and is determined by the system. In some cases, especially on dual-symbol devices, the phone may try to take time from the computer. SIM-card that is in call-only mode or has no coverage.Try to retrieve the second SIM-map and leave only the main one for verification.

In the settings menu, a separate item “Auto-update time and date” is sometimes found with the choice of source: “On the network” or “On the network” SIM-Selection of source by map SIM-card" ensures that the time will coincide with the operator's time, which is important for correct billing information and call detailing.

Synchronization methodInternet is requiredprecisionDependence
Over the network (NTP)Yes (Wi-Fi or 4G)High (MS)Time servers
Po Po Po SIM-mapNo (only signal)Medium (sec)Communications operator
GPS-synchronizationNo (needs satellite)Very high.Satellites
Hand-mountedNo.Depends on the user.Absent.

Using the Engineering Menu for Diagnostics

For advanced users who are faced with persistent failure to keep time, there is access to the engineering menu, which is a hidden section of the diagnostics, where you can check the status of the modem and radio module, which directly affect the receipt of time signals, login is through a set of special code in the "bell ringer".

Type ##4636## in the phone app. If the code works, the Test menu will open. Here you select "Phone information." Although there is no direct time setting here, you can see the status of the network registration and the strength of the signal. If the phone is not registered on the network (Not Registered), then the time for the SIM-The map won't come.

adb shell settings get global auto_time


adb shell settings get global auto_time_zone

These teams ADB They allow you to check the autosynchronization status at a deep level, if the commands are returned. 0, So it's disabled at the settings database level, even if the slider is on, and it helps to detect software glitches of the interface. auto_time 1.

☑️ Check before resetting settings

Done: 0 / 4

Resetting and extreme measures

If none of the above methods worked and your Xiaomi time continues to get lost after each reboot or shutdown, the problem may be deeper. First of all, it is a software failure that is treated with a full reset (Hard Reset).

Resetting will return all system clocks and timers to factory values, often eliminating conflicts in configuration files that could have been damaged after a failed firmware update or installation of questionable applications, and after resetting, the phone will contact the server at the earliest opportunity and establish current data.

However, if the time is reset to a specific date (such as January 1, 2015) immediately after you turn off your phone and take out the battery (if it is removable) or simply let it run out completely, this indicates a hardware problem. On the motherboard of the smartphone soldered tiny battery (RTC A battery that powers a real-time watch, and it runs out of life over time.

  • 🔋 Clear. RTC-Battery: Requires a replacement at a service center if the phone is constantly wasting time off.
  • 🔄 Firmware failure: Treated by flashing the device through Fastboot with all data cleaned.
  • 🧲 Magnetic fields: Rarely, but strong magnetic field can affect the operation of a quartz generator.

⚠️ Note: Replacement of the battery RTC On modern smartphones, it's a complicated procedure that requires disassembling the device and working with a soldering iron. Don't try to do it yourself without skills, so as not to damage the plumes.

💡

If time is reset only after the phone’s battery is completely drained, then the internal real-time clock battery (RTC) has run out, and that’s a hardware problem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why does Xiaomi have a time when it turns off its phone?
Most likely, the internal RTC battery on the motherboard, which is responsible for storing the time when the main power is turned off, has run out, and the cause may be a software failure, which is solved by resetting the settings to the factory.
How to make time appear with seconds on the lock screen?
In the standard MIUI shell, this feature is often hidden, and can be activated through the Themes app -> Profile -> Lock screen time, by selecting a style with seconds, or through third-party widgets and launchers.
Can you synchronize time only through Wi-Fi, without SIM-map?
Yes, if the settings are “Use network time” (Internet), then the presence of SIM-The phone will receive accurate data from Google servers or NTP via any available Wi-Fi connection.
What if time changes by itself an hour ahead or backward?
Check your time zone settings. There's probably an automatic summer/winter switch that might not work properly in your area, turn off automatic belt change, and select the city manually.

💡

If you travel frequently, turn on the Automatic Time Zone feature in geolocation settings so that the phone switches time itself when landing.