How to set the clock on Xiaomi devices: instructions for smartphones and smart watches

Misconfigured time on Xiaomi devices can cause alarm clocks, reminders, cloud syncs, and even mobile phone issues, especially for users who frequently travel between time zones or experience automatic winter/summer time changes. In this article, we’ll look at all the ways Redmi, POCO, Mi, and Mi Band/Xiaomi Watch can adjust their time, including manually, network synchronization, and error-solving.

Many users mistakenly believe that time is automatically adjusted and does not require intervention, but in reality, automatic synchronization can cause failures due to incorrect operator settings, Internet shutdown or software errors. For example, after updating the MIUI 14 firmware, some owners of the Xiaomi 13 Pro complained about a constant time shift of 1-2 hours, we will show how to avoid such problems and guarantee to display the exact watch on any device of the brand.

If your Xiaomi is showing the wrong time, it's not always the device's fault. SIM-In this article, you will find not only basic instructions, but also expert tips for diagnosing faults - from checking to checking. NTP-servers before resetting network settings.

1. Automatic time setting over the network

The easiest and most recommended way is to use automatic time synchronization over the Internet, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and other models) and does not require manual intervention.

First, the device must be connected to a mobile network or Wi-Fi, and second, the automatic sync option must be activated in the settings to enable it:

1. Open Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Activate the switches Autodetermining Date and Time Zone Autodetermining.
3. If you don’t have any options, upgrade to the latest version of MIUI.

Synchronization occurs through the protocol. NTP (Network Time Protocol, which accesses time servers, uses ntp.aliyun.com (for China) and pool.ntp.org (for international versions) by default. If the time is still stray, try manually specifying an alternative. NTP-server:

• 🌍 europe.pool.ntp.org – for users in Europe;
• 🇺🇸 time.nist.gov for the United States;
• 🇷🇺 ntp1.stratum2.ru — for Russia.

Important: If the time is not updated after the automatic synchronization is enabled, check whether access to the system is blocked. NTP-to your servers with your antivirus or traffic saving app (such as Security or Battery Saver) and make sure that the device has the correct settings. APN mobile operator.

2. Manual time and date setting

If automatic synchronization is not available (for example, if there is no Internet) or if it crashes, you can set the time manually. This method is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including older devices on MIUI 10 and newer.

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Turn off the options Autodetermining Date and Time Zone and Autodetermining.
3. Click on the Set a date and Set a time to enter values manually.
4. For a time zone, select your region from the list (e.g. Moscow, GMT+3).

When manually adjusting, take into account several nuances:

• ⏱️ Time on the device will lag behind or rush for a few seconds a day due to the hardware features of the quartz generator.
• 🔄 Once connected to the internet, automatic sync can reset your settings if options are turned on again.
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) manual time setting is blocked if the Child Mode is activated.

Is flight mode off?|Is there access to date/time settings?|Is the time zone chosen correctly?|Whether the changes are saved after the reboot?-->

⚠️ Attention: On devices with an unlocked bootloader, manual time settings may be lost after rebooting, due to modified cores or custom firmware. NTP Sync Fix via Magisk.

3.Tune time on Xiaomi smartwatches

For smart watches Mi Band 7/8, Xiaomi Watch S3 and other wearable devices, the timing algorithm is different. These gadgets sync with the smartphone through the Mi Fitness app (or Zepp Life for new models). If the clock does not match the phone, follow the following steps:

1. Check the synchronization in the application:

- Open Mi Fitness → Go to the device profile → Settings → Data Synchronization.

Make sure that Auto Sync is enabled.

Manually start synchronization by pulling the screen down in the main menu of the application.

2. Update the watch firmware:

- Outdated software may cause time display failures. Check for updates in the firmware section of the device settings.

3. Reset the clock settings:

If synchronization does not help, reset via Settings → Reset to factory (on the clock or in the application).

⚠️ Note: Mi Band watches older than 5th model may be lost due to a discharged battery.If the gadget shows the wrong time after charging, perform a full reset through the application.

4. Solving problems with time-hungry

If time on your Xiaomi is constantly getting lost, the reasons may be as follows:

• 📶 Mobile network problems: The operator transmits incorrect time data (relevant for virtual operators such as Tinkoff Mobile or Yota).
• 🔋 Battery Savings: Applications like Security or Battery Master block background synchronization.
• 🖥️ Firmware failure: Especially after updating to MIUI 14 or HyperOS.

For diagnosis, perform the following actions:

1. Check the current one. NTP-server via ClockSync (available on Google Play).
2. Turn off battery optimization for system applications in Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization.
3. Reset network settings: Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Reset network settings.

If the problem persists, try an alternative method of synchronization through the ADB-Teams (Developer Mode enabled is required):

adb shell settings put global auto_time 1


adb shell settings put global auto_time_zone 1

5. Features of setting the time on different models Xiaomi

Some Xiaomi devices have unique nuances when setting the time.

Smartphones with a chip MediaTek (Redmi 10C, POCO M5):

- Can experience synchronization delays due to hardware limitations of the RTC (Real-Time Clock) module.

Solution: Install ClockSync and set up Forced Sync every 6 hours.

Devices for the Chinese market (Mi 11 China, Redmi K50)

- By default, the server ntp.aliyun.com is used, which can be blocked in some countries.

Solution: Replace the server with pool.ntp.org via ADB or root access.

Smart watch Xiaomi Watch S3 Pro:

Support automatic time zone determination by GPS, but only when you are actively connected to the phone.

If the watch shows the time with a delay of 1-2 minutes, update the firmware through Xiaomi Wear.

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If your Xiaomi is up to HyperOS and displays 12-hour (AM/PM) time instead of 24-hour time, change the format to Settings → Additional → Regional Settings → Time Format.

6. Verification of time accuracy using third-party applications

If you doubt the accuracy of the system clock, use specialized applications to check synchronization.

• 🕒 ClockSync – allows you to manually synchronize the time with the selected NTP-server and adjust the frequency of updates.
• ⏱️ Atomic Clock – Displays the difference between system time and atomic clocks with millisecond accuracy.
• 📡 Network Time – Analyzes delays in accessing NTP-servers and offers the best options.

To verify accuracy, follow the following steps:

1. Install one of the apps from the list above.
2. Run the sync check (click Sync now in ClockSync).
3. Compare system time to reference time. Permissible deviation is up to 0.5 seconds.

⚠️ Note: Applications for forced time synchronization (ClockSync, NTP Sync) require permission to change system settings. MIUI This permission can be blocked by the security system. To activate it, temporarily disable Mi Security in the application settings.

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If the difference between system time and NTP-server exceeding 1 second, this indicates a hardware problem with the module RTC (Diagnostics are required at the service center).

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When setting up time on Xiaomi, users often make the following mistakes:

• 🔄 Ignoring time zone: Sets time manually, but forgets to change the belt, which causes alarm clocks to go off in time.
• 📵 Internet disconnected: Automatic synchronization does not work without a network connection.
• 🔋 Power saving mode: Blocks background activity of system services responsible for time.
• 📱 Outdated firmware: On MIUI 12 and older may not have the exact settings.

To avoid problems:

1. Always check if the time zone autodetermination option is enabled.
2. After manually setting the time, restart the device so that the changes take effect.
3. Use accuracy monitoring apps (such as ClockSync) once a month.

If none of the methods worked, reset your network settings:

Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Resetting network settings

This operation will return the APN and NTP parameters to factory values.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions