How to set time on the Xiaomi smartphone: all ways + error solving

Setting up time on Xiaomi’s smartphone seems like a simple task — until you encounter desynchronization after a flight, failures after a MIUI update or “hang” hours when changing time zones. Error even 1-2 minutes can disrupt alarm clocks, reminders in Google Calendar and synchronization with smart devices of the Mi Home ecosystem. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to adjust time, from basic settings to solving hidden bugs that are not described in the official documentation.

Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models) rely on NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers for automatic synchronization. If your phone shows the wrong time despite the AutoDetection option enabled, the problem may lie in regional settings, conflict with Dual Apps, or even energy-saving mode that blocks background processes. We tested all methods on MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 firmware (including global and Chinese versions) to provide relevant solutions.

1. Automatic time synchronization: how to turn it on and why it doesn't work

By default, Xiaomi smartphones synchronize time with servers from Google (for global firmware) or Xiaomi (for Chinese versions of MIUI), a process that occurs when you connect to a mobile network or Wi-Fi. If the automatic setup fails, check the following settings:

• 🌍 Regional settings: The phone should be tied to the correct time zone, for example, if you are in Moscow, but the settings are specified UTC+3:00 (Athens, the time will be different by 1 hour.
• 📶 Connection: No synchronization is possible without the Internet. Check if the traffic saving mode blocks background processes (including: NTP-request).
• 🔄 Dual Apps: If you cloned apps like WhatsApp or Telegram through Dual Apps, they can “switch” system time for their needs.

To enable automatic synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Activate the switches: "Date and time autodetermination" "Time zone autodetermination"

Reboot your phone, it will reset the cache. NTP-service.

Why is automation not working? In 30 percent of cases (according to the Mi Community forum), energy-saving modes are to blame, such as the Background Limit feature in the battery settings can block synchronization to check:

⚠️ Attention: If in Settings → Battery → Background restriction enabled mode for system applications, disable it for com.android.server.telecom (responsible for time).

2 Manual time setting: when automation fails

If automatic synchronization doesn’t work (for example, after resetting settings or installing custom firmware), you’ll have to set the time manually, which is also useful for testing applications that require you to “rewind” the date back.

Instructions for MIUI 14/15:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Turn off the options “Date and Time Auto Determination” and “Time Zone Autodetermination.”
3. Click on the Set a date and Set a time to enter values manually.
4. To select a time zone, tap the Time Zone and find your city on the list (e.g. Europe/Moscow).

To forcefully update the time zone:

1. Enable geolocation and mobile data (even if connected to Wi-Fi).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
3. Turn off and turn on the “Time Zone Auto-Detection” option again.
4. If it doesn’t work, choose the belt manually (e.g. Asia/Dubai for UAE).

The Dual problem SIM: If you have two. SIM-maps from different countries (for example, Russian and Turkish), the phone can get confused in the priorities of networks:

⚠️ Attention: Go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks and disable automatic network selection for the second SIM. Select the operator manually to stabilize the belt definition.

4. Solving the problems of "hanging" time

Sometimes time on Xiaomi freezes and doesn't update with the clock, automatic synchronization is on.

If the problem persists, try resetting your network settings:

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Network Reset.
2. Confirm the reset (this will remove stored Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices).
3. Restart your phone and wait for automatic synchronization.

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If time is only lost in certain applications (such as WhatsApp or Banking apps), check the permissions of those programs in Settings → Apps → Permissions → Time and Date. Some applications request access to system time for their needs (such as session timeouts).

5. Features of setting the time on different models Xiaomi

Despite the general firmware MIUI, some Xiaomi models have unique nuances:

• 📱 Xiaomi 13/14 Series: Used duality NTP-servers (Google) + Xiaomi) for increased accuracy. If time is lost, try to disable one of the sources in Settings → For developers → Choice NTP-server.
• 🎮 Black Shark 5/6: In Shark Space game mode, time can be “freezed” to avoid distracting the player.
• 💰 Redmi Note 12/POCO X5: Budget models sometimes lack the support for flying time (switching to winter/summer). MIUI.
• 🌍 Global vs. Chinese firmware: In Chinese versions MIUI no choice NTP-The server is only automatic. You'll need to unlock the bootloader to manually set up.

For models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or POCO F5) It is important to keep track of the Always on Display mode (AOD). If the time on the locked screen is not updated:

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Always On Display
2. Turn off and turn on the option again.
3. Check if there is a restriction on updating the AOD in the battery settings.

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On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), time synchronizes faster thanks to hardware acceleration. NTP-However, this can also cause conflicts with some banking applications that block devices with “unconventional” time update rates.

Xiaomi Time and Smart Devices: Why Accuracy Matters

If your Xiaomi smartphone is synced with smart devices (such as Mi Band, Xiaomi Smart Home, or robot vacuum cleaner), inaccurate timing can lead to:

• 🏠 Schedule failures: Yeelight smart sockets or lamps won't turn on on timer.
• 📊 Incorrect statistics: Mi Band stepmers 7/8 Recording activity at the wrong time.
• 🔒 Home Security Cameras May Not Record Events Due to Time Disparity Between Phone and Cloud.

To synchronize time across all devices:

1. Make sure that the phone and the Mi Home app have the same time zone.
2. In the Mi Home app, go to Profile → Settings → Time Zone and select it manually.
3. For Mi Band, update the bracelet firmware through the Zepp Life app (the old firmware had a summertime bug).

Example: Xiaomi Mi 11 users complained that the Mi Robot Vacuum robot vacuum cleaner starts cleaning an hour earlier, and the problem was solved by turning off the “Auto-Time Zone” option in the Mi Home app and manually selecting the region.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

We have collected typical user complaints from the 4PDA and Mi Community forums and prepared solutions:

If none of the methods worked, try an alternative way to sync through ADB:

adb shell settings put global auto_time 1


adb shell settings put global auto_time_zone 1

These commands force automatic synchronization at the Android level, bypassing the MIUI settings.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions