You turned on the Xiaomi Redmi smartphone, and the usual watch from the home screen disappeared somewhere? This problem is familiar to many users of devices based on MIUI, the Xiaomi brand shell. Watches can disappear after updating the firmware, resetting or even accidentally pressing. Fortunately, you can return them back in several ways, from basic to little-known tricks with system settings.
In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods that work on most Redmi models (including Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13C and others), learn how to return the watch through standard widgets, hidden MIUI options, and what to do if they disappeared after the update, and pay special attention to the typical errors that cause the watch to disappear again after a few days.
Before you get to the instructions, check two things: first, whether the watch is hidden under the theme of the design (some MIUI themes remove them by default), and secondly, whether the system process com.android.deskclock is disabled in the application settings. If everything is fine, proceed to restore!
1. Method: Adding watches through MIUI widgets
The most obvious and quickest method is to use a standard watch widget, available on all MIUI versions (12 to 14), but its location may vary depending on the Redmi model.
Press and hold the empty space on the home screen until the settings menu appears. At the bottom of the screen, select Widgets. In the list, find the Watch section (or Clock in English firmware) and drag the option you like to the home screen. If the widget doesn't appear, try scrolling the list to the left - sometimes it's hidden on the second page.
- 🔍 For MIUI 14: Watch widgets can be hidden in the Tools or System category.
- ⚙️ Customize appearance: After adding, click on the widget and select Change to change style (analog/digital), color or size.
- 📱 Redmi Note: On some devices (such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro), the clock widget is disabled by default – you need to activate it in Settings first → Annexes → Application management → The clock.
If the watch widget is not listed at all, it may mean that the Watch system app has been disabled or removed, in which case move on to the next method.
2. Method: Recovery through theme settings
The design of MIUI is closely related to displaying system elements, including the clock. If you recently changed the theme or used third-party themes from the Mi Theme Store, they could remove the watch from the home screen to return it:
- Open Settings → Theme.
- Choose My Theme (or Online for downloaded themes).
- Click on the current theme and select Theme Settings.
- Find the Lock Screen or Main Screen section and turn on the option to Show the Watch.
If you don’t have an option, try changing the theme to a standard one (Default or MIUI). Some custom themes remove the watch from the interface completely, in which case only a theme reset or manual adjustment through ADB will help (we will discuss this below).
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Before changing the theme, take a screenshot of the current screen settings – this will help quickly restore the location of the icons if something goes wrong.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Watch goes missing after reboot | Failure of the system launcher cache | Clear the Launcher app cache in the settings |
| The watch widget is not added | App Clock disabled | Include in Settings → Appendices → Hours |
| The clock is displayed but not updated. | Time synchronization error | Enable automatic synchronization in Settings → Additional → Date and time |
| Watch disappears after MIUI update | Resetting launcher settings | Add the widget again or reset the launcher settings |
3. Method: Resetting the settings of the MIUI launcher
If the watch is lost after updating the firmware or experimenting with the screen settings, resetting the launcher will help, which does not affect user data, but will return the standard location of icons and widgets.
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the Launcher app (or MIUI Launcher) and select it.
- Click Warehouse → Clear the data and confirm the action.
- Reset the device.
After the reboot, the main screen will return to factory settings, and the watch will appear in the upper right corner (if it is the standard location for your model). Note: this method will also reset all your application folders and icon layout, so take screenshots of the current layout in advance.
What if the launcher reset didn’t help?
⚠️ Note: On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro), a launcher reset may cause a temporary lag of the interface.
Method: Manually enabled via ADB (for advanced)
If standard methods didn't work, the watch could be disabled at the system settings level, and you can restore it through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for users who are willing to work with the command line.
- 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
- 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
- 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).
Connect your phone to your PC and execute the following commands in the terminal (or Command Prompt):
adb shell
pm enable com.android.deskclock
pm grant com.android.deskclock android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
pm grant com.android.deskclock android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGEIf the clock is disabled at the system level, these commands will restore it. After you run, restart the device. If you see Package com.android.deskclock not found in response to the first command, then the system app of the watch has been removed, in which case only the firmware will help.
Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable debugging over USB on your phone | Download ADB Tools (platform-tools) | Connect your phone with the original cable-->
5. Method: Reinstallation of the system application "Clock"
In rare cases, the Watch application files may be corrupted, which occurs after failed updates or manually removing the system APKs.
- Download the original APK-The application file clock for your version MIUI (For example, from the APKMirror website, choose the version of com.android.deskclock).
- Install APK through any file manager (you may need permission to install from unknown sources).
- Reset the device.
Important: ONLY install the version of APK that matches your MIUI firmware. For example, version 14.0.XX will work for MIUI 14, and version 13.0.XXX will work for MIUI 13. Installing an incompatible version can cause system failures.
If the watch doesn’t appear after installation, check if it is blocked by an antivirus or MIUI optimizer (such as Security). Go to Settings → Apps → Permissions and make sure the Watch app has all the necessary rights.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even after the clock is successfully returned, it can disappear again, and here are the typical reasons and ways to prevent it:
- 🔄 Auto-Update Themes: If you use custom themes, they may reset screen settings. Turn off automatic themes updates in Settings → Theme → Settings → Auto-update.
- 🧹 Cleaning the launcher cache: Regularly clearing the cache through Settings → The storage can remove widgets. Instead, use built-in optimization in Security. → Cleaner.
- 📲 Factory Reset: If you are planning a reset, pre-export the launcher settings via Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
Another common problem is the conflict with shells from the manufacturer, for example, some Redmi for the Russian market preinstalled the shell Miui+, which can block system widgets, in which case it will help to disable unnecessary services through Settings → Applications → Application Management.
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If the clock goes missing after each MIUI update, the problem lies in the launcher settings. Try installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) and adding the watch through it, this will bypass the limitations of the system shell.