How to set up a watch with seconds in Xiaomi phone: all ways

Why Xiaomi doesn’t have a default clock seconds – and how to fix it

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face one feature of the MIUI branded shell: the default lock screen and status bar displays time without seconds. This is not a mistake, but a conscious decision of the developers - this makes the interface look minimalistic and the battery is spent more economically. However, for many users, the second hand (or digital display of seconds) is not just a detail, but a key element of accurate time control, especially important for athletes, photographers or those who synchronize actions on the stopwatch.

In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways to enable second display on Xiaomi watches, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features and third-party apps. Instructions are relevant for 2020-2026 Android 11–14 models and MIUI 12–14 shells, including Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14 and others. If your phone is released before 2020, some methods may not work – we’ll warn you about this separately.

Before you go to settings, make sure your device has the latest firmware installed. Check this out in the Settings menu → About Phone → System Update. If updates are available, install them – this will eliminate time-display bugs.

Method 1: Standard MIUI settings (without root and applications)

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI options, and unfortunately not all versions of the shell support this out of the box feature, but in MIUI 13 and 14 it appeared for most models.

  1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the home screen or in the application menu).
  2. Go to Lock Screen (or Lock and Password → Lock screen settings on some models).
  3. Find the option of Watch Style or Time Format (the name may vary).
  4. In the list of available styles, select the one that says “with seconds” (e.g. Digital Watch (with seconds) or Analog with second hand).
  5. Save the changes and check the result on the lock screen.

If you don't have one on your menu, your model or MIUI version doesn't support it in standard ways, so move on to the next one.

📊 What kind of Xiaomi model do you have?
Redmi Note 12/13
POCO X5/F5
Xiaomi 13/14
Another model
I don't know.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M4 Pro after updating to MIUI 14, the second display option may go missing. This is a bug that is fixed by resetting the lock screen settings in Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Settings (three points) → Resetting settings.

Method 2: Watch widget on the main screen with seconds

If you don't have a locking screen for seconds, but you need them to quickly control the time, you can display them on the home screen through a widget, which works on all Xiaomi models regardless of the MIUI version:

  • 📱 Long pressing in the free place of the main screen → Widgets.
  • 🔍 In the list, find the Watch widget (usually in the category "Tools" or "Systems").
  • 🖱️ Drag the widget onto the screen and select a style with seconds (such as Analog Watch or Digital with stopwatch).
  • ⚙️ Click on the widget after adding → Settings → Enable the option to Show seconds (if available).

The widgets are updated in real time, so the second hand will move smoothly. The downside is that the watch is only visible on the home screen, not on the lock, but it is a 100% working way for all models, including the old Redmi 8 or Mi A3.

Update MIUI to the latest version

Make sure there is free space on the main screen.

Check if the widgets are disabled in the launcher settings

Make a backup copy of the theme (if you use custom)-->

Method 3: Hidden settings through the engineering menu (for advanced)

On some Xiaomi models (especially POCO and Xiaomi 12/13), the display of seconds is hidden in the engineering menu, a method that requires caution, but gives access to advanced system options.

  1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
  2. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information (or Testing).
  3. Scroll down to the UI or Display Settings section.
  4. Find the Show Seconds in Clock (or similar) option and turn it on.
  5. Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.

If you don't see a second after the reboot, your model doesn't support this option through the engineering menu. Don't change the other options in this section, it can cause system failures!

What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
If nothing happens after you enter the #4636### code, it means that the manufacturer has blocked access to the engineering menu on your model, and the alternative is to use applications like MTK Engineering Mode (for MediaTek processors) or Qualcomm EngineerMode (for Snapdragon), but they require superuser rights (root).

Method 4: Third-party applications for displaying seconds

If the standard methods didn't work, Google Play apps will come to the rescue, and we tested a few options and selected the most reliable ones:

AnnexSupport for secondsLockdown workRoot is required.
Clock Widget✅ Digital and analog❌ Only on the home screen.❌ No.
Digital Clock Widget✅ With stopwatch.❌ No.❌ No.
Always On Edge✅ On the lock screen✅ Yes. AMOLED)❌ No.
Second Clock✅ Just a second.❌ No.❌ No.

For installation:

  1. Download one of the applications at the link above.
  2. Open it and select the style of the watch with seconds.
  3. Add the widget to the home screen or activate the display on the lock (if supported).
  4. Set up transparency, size and position to your liking.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Always On Edge only work on phones with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or POCO F4). On devices with IPS (For example, Redmi 10 will quickly drain the battery.

💡

If you use Always On Display (AOD), try turning it off before installing a third-party watch, and conflicting these features can cause the screen to flicker or display time incorrectly.

Method 5: Castom firmware and root access (for power users)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can change the MIUI system files to force the second to turn on.

  • 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (unlocked bootloader).
  • 📱 Root rights (for example, through Magisk).
  • 💻 Ability to work with ADB or system file editor.

Instructions:

  1. Install Magisk and get root access.
  2. Download a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer).
  3. Cross the path. /system/media/theme/default/ and find the files responsible for displaying the clock (usually this is the clock_op.xml or systemui.apk).
  4. Edit the parameter show_seconds falsely.
  5. Save the changes, restart the phone and check the result.

This method is only suitable for experienced users, as the wrong actions can lead to a "brick" (inoperability) of the device. If you are not sure about your skills, you should use other methods from this article.

💡

Changing system files without a backup can make the phone unusable.Always create a backup via TWRP or Mi Flash Tool before editing.

Why seconds may not show up even after setting up

Sometimes users are faced with the fact that seconds on Xiaomi watches appear and disappear, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

  • 🔋 Battery savings: In Ultra-Economic or low-charge mode (<15%) The system can turn off dynamic elements, including seconds. Solution: turn off energy saving in Settings → Battery.
  • 🎨 Custom themes: Some themes from the Mi Theme Store redefine the system clock. Solution: return the standard theme or choose one that has second support.
  • 🔄 Failures after the update: If seconds are missing after the update MIUI, Reset the lock screen settings (see the warning above).
  • 🛠️ Application conflict: Optimization programs (such as Greenify or Battery Doctor) can block the time update.Solution: add the watch app to the exceptions.

If the problem persists, try clearing the Cache of the System Watch app:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
  2. Find the clock (or System UI).
  3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
  4. Reboot the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up seconds on Xiaomi

Can I output seconds on the clock in the status bar (top panel)?
Unfortunately, MIUI doesn't have a standard option for displaying seconds in the status bar, and the only way to do that is to use custom firmware (like Pixel Experience) or apps like Status that replace the notification system bar. Note that this requires root rights and can disrupt the stability of the phone.
Why is it that after upgrading to MIUI, there are no 14 seconds on the watch, even though there were before?
In some MIUI 14 builds (especially for Redmi Note 11 and POCO X4), developers have removed the second display option from standard settings. This is due to performance optimization. Solution: Try resetting the lock screen settings (see method 1). Use a widget or third-party app (method 2 or 4). Reverse the previous version of MIUI via the Mi Flash Tool (risky, only for power users).
Will the battery run out faster if you turn on the second on the clock?
Dynamic updates to the second hand (or numbers) require additional CPU and screen resources. AMOLED-The difference in battery consumption is about 1-2% in 8 hours of active use. IPS-screens (e.g. Redmi) 9A) The impact is slightly higher, up to 3-4 percent, because the backlight is constantly running. If you're concerned about autonomy, use seconds only when necessary or turn them off overnight.
Can I customize the sound of ticking seconds on Xiaomi?
There's no such feature in standard MIUI settings. However, you can use sound-based stopwatching applications, like Seconds Ticker, which mimics the ticking of a mechanical watch; Metronome Beats, which allows you to adjust the interval of sound (e.g., every second); Clock Tick Sound, which plays the ticking sound in the background. Keep in mind that constant playback can increase battery consumption.
Do these methods work on the POCO F5 and Xiaomi 14?
Yes, all of these methods are tested on POCO F5 (with MIUI 14 based on Android 13) and Xiaomi 14 (with HyperOS, the successor to MIUI).The exception is the engineering menu (mode 3) - on Xiaomi 14, the code #4636### may not work due to changes in HyperOS. In this case, use widgets or third-party apps.