How to turn on the watch on Xiaomi Mi 6: all ways to display time

Did you buy a Xiaomi Mi 6 or pull it out after a long downtime, but the screen doesn't show the time? Or did the watch suddenly disappear after the MIUI update? This problem is common for many users, especially after resetting or replacing the battery. 90% of the time, the solution takes less than a minute - you just need to activate the correct settings.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can turn on your Mi 6 watch, from basic MIUI settings to hidden engineering menu features, how to return time to locked screen (AOD), status bar, and home screen, and if the firmware is the problem, you’ll find instructions for resetting to factory settings without losing data.

Why does the Xiaomi Mi 6 not have a clock?

Before you try to turn on the time display, it is important to understand the cause of the problem. On the Mi 6, the clock may be lost due to:

• 🔄 Reset – After a hard reset, many features return to factory values, including displaying time on a locked screen.
• 🔋 Battery discharge up to 0% – with a deep discharge, the smartphone can reset the energy saving settings that control the clock.
• 📱 Updates MIUI — New firmware versions sometimes change the logic of system widgets, including the clock.
• 🛠️ Incorrect Developer Settings – If you have previously activated Developer Mode, some options (such as Don’t Turn Off the Screen) may conflict with the time display.
• 💥 Launcher malfunction – if the watch is only missing on the home screen, the problem may be in the shell MIUI Launcher.

In most cases, the problem is solved software-based, without going to the service center, except for mechanical damage to the display plume or power controller, which can lead to improper screen operation. If after all the manipulations, the watch does not appear, check the smartphone for physical damage.

Method 1: Enabling a clock on a locked screen (AOD)

The Xiaomi Mi 6 supports Always On Display (AOD), which shows the time, date and notifications even when the screen is off. If the watch is not displayed in a locked state, check the AOD settings first:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Always On Display and Lock.
3. Activate the Always On Display switch.
4. Click on the Watch Style and select any available option (e.g. Digital or Analog).
5. In the Schedule section, set Always or set the display interval.

If the AOD option is not on the menu, then your version of MIUI does not support this feature on the Mi 6.

Important! AOD may not work when the battery is low (less than 15%). Connect the smartphone to charge and try again.

Method 2: Configure the time display in the status bar

If the clock is missing from the top notification bar (status bar), the problem lies in the system interface settings.

1. Go to Settings → Notification Panel and Status bar.
2. Select Status Line.
3. Make sure the clock display switch is active.
4. Click the watch format and select your preferred option (24-hour or 12-hour).

If the Show Watch option is not available (shaded in grey), this may mean that:

• 🔄 Power saving mode is enabled (turn it off in Settings) → Battery).
• 📱 Installed custom firmware that removed system widgets.
• 🛠️ There was a failure in the shell. MIUI (Helps reset or reset the launcher settings).

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If after changing the format of the watch, the time did not update immediately, restart the smartphone - this will reset the cache of system widgets.

Method 3: Adding the watch widget to the main screen

If the watch is missing from the home screen, the standard MIUI widget is likely removed to return it:

1. Press and hold your finger in the free place of the main screen.
2. In the menu that appears, select Widgets.
3. Scroll through the list to the Watch section (or Tools in English firmware).
4. Choose your favorite watch style (for example, Analog or Digital with weather).
5. Drag the widget to the main screen and place it in a convenient place.

If the Watch section is not in the widget list, this may mean:

• 📦 Remote system. APK widget (reflashing required).
• 🔧 The light version is on. MIUI (Turn it off in Settings → Special facilities).
• 🛠️ Use a third-party launcher (set the standard) MIUI Launcher from Settings → Annexes → Silence).

Method 4: Resetting the launcher settings

If the watch is only missing on the home screen but is displayed in the status bar and on the locked screen, the problem may be a MIUI Launcher crash.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Launcher (or MIUI Launcher) in the list and select it.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data and confirm the action.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

Once rebooted, all icons and widgets on the home screen will be reset to factory settings, and you will need to re-place the watch and other elements.

⚠️ Note: Clearing the launcher data won’t delete your files or apps, but it will reset the location of icons and folders on the home screen.If you’ve used third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher), export their settings before resetting.

Method 5: Checking the date and time in the settings

If the clock on the screen is displayed but shows the wrong time, the problem may be in the lost date settings.

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Activate switches: Autodetermining date and time Autodetermining time zone

If the options are already on, turn them off, wait 10 seconds and turn them on again.

Time zone

Moscow, GMT+3

If time is still running out, it may indicate:

• 📡 Network problems – the smartphone can not sync with the servers NTP. Check your internet connection.
• 🔋 Battery discharge - low charge system may not save time correctly. Charge phone to 100%.
• 🛠️ Failure of the module RTC (In this case, only the flashing of the flashing will help.

Method 6: Flashing the smartphone (extreme case)

If none of the above methods worked, the problem could be in corrupted system files, in which case only the Xiaomi Mi 6 flashing will help.

Option 1: Update via Recovery

This method saves user data, but requires a bootable firmware file in.zip format:

1. Download the official firmware for Mi 6 (codename sagit) from MIUI Download.
2. Place the update.zip file in the root directory of internal memory.
3. Turn off your smartphone and press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
4. Select Install update.zip to System and confirm installation.
5. After completion, select Reboot.

Option 2: Clean installation via Fastboot

This method deletes all data, but it is guaranteed to restore the system to work:

1. Download Fastboot firmware for Mi 6 and unpack it on your computer.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Volume down + Power when your phone is off).
3. Launch the file. flash_all.bat (For Windows, run the command in the terminal: fastboot flash all
4. Wait until the process is completed (about 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Attention: Fastboot flash completely erases all data on your smartphone, including photos, contacts and apps. Before the procedure, make a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

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If the watch is still not working after flashing, the problem may be a hardware malfunction (for example, damaged display plume or power controller).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Xiaomi Mi watch 6