How to return the clock to the home screen Xiaomi: the complete guide to MIUI 12-14

Did you accidentally remove the watch widget from the Xiaomi home screen or did it disappear after the MIUI update? Don't worry - you can restore it in a few minutes, even if the standard methods do not work. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of returning the watch to the desktop for smartphones Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi based on Android 11-14.

Widgets disappearing is one of the most common problems among MIUI users, most often after resetting, updating firmware or inadvertently doing long taps on the screen, and 90 percent of the time the widget doesn't get permanently deleted, but simply hides or needs to be re-activated through system settings, and we've put together all the workflows, including little-known workarounds for old and new versions of the shell.

Important: If you have a POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 or a newer model with MIUI 14, first check the Widgets section in the long-press menu on the screen - the manufacturer often changes the location of the controls. Older devices (such as the Redmi 9A or Mi A3) may require additional manipulation with Lawnchair or other launchers.

Why did the Xiaomi home screen watch disappear?

There are several key reasons why the time widget might disappear:

• 🔄 Update MIUI — After installing a new firmware version, system widgets are often reset.
• 🧹 Long press. + «Remove" - Accidental removal of the widget when cleaning the screen.
• 🔧 Launcher reset – return to factory shell settings (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Warehouse → Reset).
• 📱 Change of launcher – installing a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex) can hide system widgets.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI — on certain models, for example, POCO X3 Pro) watch widget locked in child mode.

On devices with MIUI 12.5+, a bug can also trigger that sticks widgets together with folders or icons, in which case it will help to reboot your smartphone or reset the launcher cache. If the clock is lost after installing themes from the Theme, try to return the standard theme - some custom designs remove system elements.

Method 1: Standard addition via widget menu

This is the simplest method that works on 80% of Xiaomi devices, and the instructions are relevant for MIUI 12-14:

1. Make a long press on any free place of the main screen.
2. At the bottom of the screen will appear menu – select Widgets (icon with squares).
3. Scroll down the list and find the Watch widget (usually in Systems or Tools).
4. Hold the widget and drag it to the main screen. Release your finger when the green frame appears.

If the Watch widget is not on the list, try:

• 🔍 Flick through all the widget pages – sometimes it hides in the second or third tab.
• 🔄 Reboot the smartphone – it will update the launcher cache.
• 📌 Make sure there is a free space on the screen (the widget will not fit if all the cells are occupied).

There's a free space on the screen.|Smartphone is not in energy saving mode|All off. VPN/Proxies (they can block system widgets)|Shell MIUI Not in “light” mode (for weak devices)-->

Method 2: Recovery through launcher settings

If the watch widget is missing after a reset or upgrade, it can be returned via a launcher reset, which works on all Xiaomi devices, including Redmi and POCO:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Louncher (or Lawnchair if you use a custom launcher) on the list.
3. Go to the Warehouse section and click Reset (or Clear Data).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the launcher to restart (it will take 10–30 seconds).

Once reset, all widgets and icons will return to factory settings. Importantly, this method will also reset the location of all shortcuts on the screen, so remember or take a picture of the current layout beforehand.

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If the watch widget never appeared after the launcher was reset, try temporarily installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher), adding the watch through it, and then returning to the standard MIUI launcher.

Method 3: Use of alternative watch widgets

If the MIUI system widget stubbornly doesn't want to come back, you can install a third-party counterpart.

To install a third-party widget:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Press your finger on the free screen space and select Widgets.
3. Find the installed application (e.g. Chronus 4×2).
4. Drag the widget onto the screen and adjust its parameters (size, color, time format).

Method 4: Recovery through ADB (for power users)

If the watch widget is missing due to a system settings failure, it can be returned using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method suitable for users who previously enabled USB Debugging.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap on version, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers → Debugging by USB).
2. Download ADB Tools and unpack into any folder.
3. Open the command prompt in this folder and type: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home This command will reset the MIUI launcher settings.
4. Restart your smartphone. Once you turn on, the watch widget should appear in the add-on menu.

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The adb shell pm clear com.miui.home command does not delete your data, but only resets the launcher settings. All applications and files will remain in place.

If this method didn’t work, try an alternative command to force the launcher to restart:

adb shell am force-stop com.miui.home


adb shell am start -n com.miui.home/.launcher.Launcher

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of these methods work, the last option is hard reset, which will delete all the data from the device, so first of all:

• 🔄 Make a backup copy through Settings → The phone. → Backup.
• 📁 Save photos and files on PC or in the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
• 📝 Write down logins and passwords from accounts (they will be deleted).

For discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose Delete all data and confirm the action.
3. After the reboot, perform the initial setup of Xiaomi.
4. Return the watch widget via the long-press menu (see Method 1).

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If the watch widget doesn’t appear after reset, check if it’s disabled in the system settings. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Watch and make sure the app isn’t disabled.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When restoring the watch widget, users often face typical problems:

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The watch widget has become incorrectly displayed (time is lost, no date is shown), try updating the Watch app via Google Play.

If the watch widget is displayed but time is lost, check the date and time settings:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Enable the options Autodetermining Date and Time Zone Autodetermination.
3. If time is still going down, choose a time zone manually.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions