The modern smartphone is not just a means of communication, but a central node of our digital life, where every minute counts. For owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices, correctly displaying time on the lock screen is a critical parameter that affects the planning of the day and the timeliness of notifications. MIUI offers flexible tools for personalization, but sometimes users face the need to manually intervene in the settings of the system clock.
Often the problem is not a breakdown, but a failure of synchronization with the network operator or the wrong time zone after traveling. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to set the time on the Xiaomi phone so that it always appears correctly on the lock screen, and consider the nuances of working with different versions of the firmware.
You'll learn how to switch from 12-hour to 24-hour, force syncs, and what to do when the clock is constantly lagging, and accurate timing is the basis of many applications, from alarm clocks to banking services, so you shouldn't ignore the bugs in this setting.
Basic time and date settings in MIUI
The first step to solving any problems with the watch is to check the basic parameters of the system. In the shell of the MIUI, the time settings menu is not hidden deep, but the path to it may vary slightly depending on the version of Android.
The path is usually: Settings → Additional → Date and time. In some firmware versions, this item may be located directly in the root settings directory or inside the System Applications section, and there are key switches that control the behavior of your Redmi watch.
☑️ Checking basic settings
In the window that opens, you'll see some important options, the most important of which is Automatic Time Adjustment. If this switch is activated, the phone receives accurate data from the cellular operator or via the Internet. For most users, turning on automatic synchronization is the only necessary action to eliminate errors.
⚠️ Note: If you use a dual-sim phone, make sure you have the time chosen to automatically adjust the phone. SIM-card with active network coverage, otherwise synchronization may not pass.
Automatic synchronization through the network
Using Network Time (NTP) is the most reliable way to guarantee accuracy up to a second. When the Use Network Time feature is turned on, your Xiaomi regularly polls time servers and adjusts internal clocks, which is especially important for messengers and two-factor authentication applications.
But automation sometimes fails, like if you're in a bad signal area or you've just changed. SIM-In such cases, the system may continue to show the old time received from the previous operator. To fix this, try to switch the automatic switch: turn it off, wait 10 seconds and turn it on again.
You should also check your mobile network settings. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks and make sure that data transmission is not limited to system processes. GSM The phone will not be able to get up-to-date time data.
If the automatic setting is on but the timing is wrong, it may be a problem in determining the location. GPS-coordinates for determining the correct time zone, especially when crossing the borders of regions.
Manual setting of time and time zone
There are situations when the automation does not work or you need to set a specific time other than the network (for example, for experiments or work in an isolated environment).
Click on Time to open a digital dial. Here you can manually set the hours and minutes. Here is the Time Zone item. It is critical to choose the right city or region from the list, as this is the setting that determines the transition to summer/winter time (if supported in your version of MIUI) and the correct time mapping in calendars.
- 🌍 Open the Date and Time menu and turn off autosetting.
- ⏰ Click on the current time and set the desired values.
- 🗺 Choose the right time zone from the list of cities.
- ✅ Save the changes and check the display on the lock screen.
When manually choosing a time zone, focus not only on the name of the country, but also on a specific city, since in large countries such as Russia, the United States or China, there may be several time zones. 1-3 hourly.
Why change the time zone manually?
Formatting: 12 or 24 hours
One of the most common user requests is to change the format of the display of time. The standard 12-hour format (designated AM/PM) in many countries can be unusual. Xiaomi has a separate switch 24-hour format.
Find this option in the same Date and Time menu. Activating this switch will instantly change the display of the clock in the status bar, on desktop widgets and, most importantly, on the lock screen.
It is worth noting that some third-party themes downloaded from Themes store may ignore the system format settings. If the switch works in the menu, but the format does not change on the locked screen, try changing the theme to a standard one or checking the settings of the theme itself.
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If after changing the format, the time on the lock screen has not updated, try to simply turn on and off the smartphone screen (lock and unlock) so that the system redraws the interface.
Customize the styles of the clock on the lock screen
The MIUI shell is famous for its customization capabilities, and the lock screen is the first thing you see when you wake up, and the look of the watch plays a key role here, and you can change the style, size and font of the time through the design menu.
Go to Settings → Wallpaper and Personalization → Lock screen. Here is a catalog of available styles. You can choose a classic digital look, analog watch or minimalist format. Some styles allow you to change the color and position of the watch on the screen.
| Parameter | Description | Where to change |
|---|---|---|
| Time format | 12 hours or 24 hours | Settings → Date and time |
| Type style | Appearance of numbers | Topics → Profile → Font |
| Registration of the lock | Location and background | Settings → Wallpaper and personalization |
| Widgets | Additional information | Editing the lock screen |
For deeper customization, you can use the Always On Display app, if it is supported by your Redmi model, and there are separate settings for the time when the screen is in sleep mode, allowing you to save energy and save style.
Problem Solving: Time is lost or not displayed
If your Xiaomi is constantly stuttered after rebooting or turning off your phone, it could indicate a more serious problem, most often because of a discharged internal CMOS battery, which is responsible for storing the settings for the time and date when the main power is turned off.
In modern smartphones, this battery is integrated into the battery or main board, and its replacement requires skilled repair. However, before you carry the phone to the service, try resetting the network settings or updating the firmware to the current version, as the problem may be software.
- 🔋 Check the charge of the main battery (at a deep discharge, time can be reset).
- 📡 Make sure the work is stable SIM-maps and networks.
- 🔄 Update the system through Settings → The phone.
- 🛠 In extreme cases, perform a complete data reset (do not forget to make a backup copy!).
⚠️ Note: If time is strayed back several years (e.g. 2010) at every full battery discharge, it is almost guaranteed to be a hardware problem with a real-time watch power element.
Also, the lack of time on the lock screen can be caused by activated Do Not Disturb mode or special energy saving modes that turn off the display of information to save charge.
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Constant resetting of time after turning off the phone is a sure sign of wear of the internal power supply or a critical firmware error that requires specialist intervention.