How to return the watch to the home screen Xiaomi Redmi 4: a complete guide with pictures and videos

Xiaomi Redmi 4 is still popular due to its reliability and low price, but owners often face a typical problem: the widget of the watch disappears from the home screen. This can happen after a MIUI update, resetting or accidental removal. Unlike modern models, where the watch is integrated into the default system, on Redmi 4 their return requires manual manipulation — especially if you use custom launchers or outdated versions of firmware.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to return a watch to the desktop, including recovery through MIUI settings, installing alternative widgets, resetting a launcher cache, and even manual addition via ADB (for advanced users). Separately, we will focus on the typical errors that cause the watch to disappear again, and give recommendations for stabilizing the widget. If you have already tried standard methods and they did not work, at the end of the article there is a section with non-obvious solutions for complex cases.

Why did the watch disappear from the Redmi 4 home screen?

Before returning the widget, it is important to understand why it disappeared. On Xiaomi Redmi 4 (and other devices on MIUI 8-12), the watch can be lost for the following reasons:

• 🔄 Update: After major update MIUI Reset desktop settings, including widgets.
• 🧹 Clearing the launcher cache: Forced data cleanup of the com.miui.home app removes all user screen settings.
• 📱 Change of Launcher: Installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher or Apex) may conflict with system widgets.
• ⚙️ Manual removal: The watch could have been accidentally removed with a long tap on the widget and a choice of "Delete».
• 🛠️ System failure: Rarely, but there are errors in the work MIUI, When widgets “fly” for no apparent reason.

On Redmi 4 (Pro, Prime, Standard) the watch is implemented as part of the MIUI Home system launcher. If the widget disappears after the reboot, it is a sign of damage to the configuration files, in such cases, resetting the launcher settings or reinstalling the update via Recovery helps.

⚠️ Note: If the watch has disappeared after installing custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), standard methods may not work).

Method 1: Recovery through MIUI settings (the easiest method)

If the watch is missing after an upgrade or reset, try to return it first using the standard MIUI settings.This method works on Redmi 4 with MIUI firmware 9-12:

1. Open the Settings. → Desktop.
2. Select the widgets (or add widget, depending on version).
3. Scroll through the list to the Systems section and find the “Clock” (the icon with the dial).
4. Press the widget with your finger and drag it to the free seat of the main screen.

If the widget list does not include the "Hours" item, the MIUI Home launcher is not working properly, and resetting the settings will help:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find MIUI Home (or Launcher) and open its settings.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data and confirm the action.
4. Restart your smartphone. Once turned on, the watch should appear automatically.

Make sure there are no important shortcuts on the desktop (they will be removed)

Remember the location of folders and widgets (you will have to reconfigure)

Check that backup is enabled in Mi Cloud (if necessary)

Connect your smartphone to charging (the process can take up to 5 minutes)-->

If the clock has not returned after reset, try an alternative method: add through the desktop editing mode:

1. Click the empty space on the main screen until the menu appears.
2. Select Widgets → Clock.
3. If the widget is gray and does not drag, then it is turned off in the system settings (see method 2).

Method 2: Enable the system clock through date and time settings

On some versions of MIUI (especially MIUI 8-10), the watch widget is tied to the system time settings. If it doesn't appear in the widget list, check:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Make sure that options are included: ⏰ Auto-determining date and time (should be turned off if you use manual settings). 🌍 Time zone autodetermination (included). 🕒 Time format (select 24-hour or 12-hour depending on your preferences).

Reset the device.

If the clock still doesn’t appear, try manually synchronizing the time:

1. In the same menu (Date and time) turn off Autodetermination.
2. Click Set date and Set time, enter current values.
3. Return to the main screen and check if the widget appears.

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If the clock never appears after manually setting the time, try turning on and off the Auto-Date-Time option again. Sometimes this will wake up the system widget.

On the Redmi 4 Pro with MIUI 11+, an additional step may be required:

1. Go to the Settings → About the phone → MIUI version.
2. Tap 7 times on the line with the version to turn on the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the option to Disable MIUI Optimization and activate it.
5. Reset the device.

Method 3: Installation of an alternative watch widget

If the system clock never returned, you can install a third-party widget. This is true for Redmi 4 users with custom firmware or heavily modified versions of MIUI.

How to install an alternative widget:

1. Download one of the applications at the link above.
2. Click the empty space on the main screen → Widgets.
3. Find the installed application (e.g. Chronus 4×2).
4. Drag the widget onto the screen and adjust its size/style.

How to install and configure:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (like Nova Launcher).
2. After installation, click the Home button and select the new launcher as the main one.
3. Click on the blank space on the screen → Widgets → find the “Clock” (system or from installed applications).
4. Drag the widget onto the screen and set it up.

On Redmi 4 with firmware older than MIUI 10, the system clock may not even be displayed in third-party launchers, in which case only installing an alternative widget (method 3) or resetting to factory settings will help.

Method 5: Manual recovery through ADB (for advanced)

If all previous methods failed, you can try to return the clock through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for users who are willing to work with the command line.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Developer mode enabled and debugging by USB on Redmi 4.
• 🔌 USB-plug-in.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Redmi 4 to your computer and allow debugging over USB.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Run the command to reset the launcher settings: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home
5. Reboot your smartphone: adb reboot

If the watch does not appear, try to force the system launcher to reinstall:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.home

For Redmi 4 with root rights, you can try to restore the widget configuration files:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/com.miui.home.preferences.xml




reboot

⚠️ Attention: Su commands require root access. Misuse of the right commands can cause data loss or device blink. If you're not sure, skip this step.

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If the ADB commands never show up, the problem may be the corrupted system files, in which case only flashing through Fastboot or Recovery will help.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even after a successful return to the home screen, the clock may disappear again, and let's look at the typical errors and ways to prevent them:

To keep the clock in place:

• 🔋 Do not use aggressive battery-saving applications (such as Greenify or Battery Doctor) that can freeze system processes.
• 🔄 Clean the launcher cache regularly (Settings) → Annexes → MIUI Home → Clear the cache).
• 📱 Avoid frequent change of launchers – this can disrupt the system widgets.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If none of these methods work, radical measures remain:

1. Factory Reset: Back up your data (Settings → Additional → Backup). Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select Reset all settings (does not delete files) or Delete everything (complete cleanup).
2. Flash through Recovery: Download the official firmware for Redmi 4 from Xiaomi. rename the file to update.zip and place it at the root of the phone's memory. Press Volume up + Power to log in to Recovery. Select Install update.zip and confirm installation.

Installation of custom firmware

If the problem is with MIUI system files, you can install an alternative firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience).

• Unlocked bootloader (instructions from Xiaomi).
• Installed custom Recovery (e.g. TWRP)
• Redmi 4 compatible firmware (markw for Standard, prada for Pro)