Modern smartphones, especially those based on MIUI and HyperOS, offer users deep customization of the interface. One of the most popular elements of personalization is the ability to display weather information directly to the home screen or lock screen, which eliminates the need to open a browser or run a separate application every time to find out the current temperature or forecast for the week.
Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices have several regular tools to do this, allowing you to use built-in widgets, configure lock screens and even display data on Always-On Display. However, depending on the firmware version and region, menu item names may differ, which often causes difficulties for users.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the available ways to display weather data, and you will learn not only to add standard widgets, but also to customize their appearance, as well as solve typical problems when the widget stops updating or shows the wrong location.
Use of the built-in MIUI weather widget
The easiest and most reliable way to access weather data is to use a standard widget that is pre-installed in the shell and integrated directly into system services, which ensures minimal battery consumption and stable operation without the need to install third-party software.
To add an item to your desktop, you need to go to edit mode. To do this, make a long tap (tap and hold) on the free area of the screen or use the gesture of bringing two fingers to the center. In the bottom menu that appears, select Widgets. In the gallery that opens, find the section related to the weather. Depending on the version of MIUI, it can be called simply “Weather” or “Tools”.
The system will offer you a choice of several design options:
- 🌡️ Compact widget with current temperature and icon.
- 📅 Large block with hourly forecast and weekly data.
- 🎨 Animated widgets with dynamic background.
- ⏱️ Combined widgets that combine clocks and weather.
After choosing the right design, drag it to the desired location of the screen. If the widget displays the wrong city, tap it to open the app, and change the location in the settings. It is important to note that the widget requires permission to access the geolocation to work correctly.
Always-On Display (AOD) to display the weather
The Always-On Display feature allows you to display key information, including time, date and weather conditions, even when the smartphone screen is locked. AMOLED-Matrices where black pixels do not consume energy.
To activate the display of weather data on the off screen, go to the Settings menu → Lock screen. Find Always-On Display and lock screen or just Always-On Display. Inside this menu, you need to choose the display style. Not all styles support weather output, so carefully study the previews.
Choose a style that has a temperature icon or weather conditions. After choosing a style, click on the "Style Settings" or "Edit" button to make sure the weather display switch is activated. You can also set the AOD schedule to keep the screen from burning all night.
Why is AOD not working on my Xiaomi?
Keep in mind that constant AOD can increase battery consumption. If you notice that the smartphone is discharged faster than usual, try to limit the function’s running time or turn off complex animations.
Third-party widgets and widgets from the Theme Store
Staffing options are sometimes not enough, especially if you want to create a unique desktop design. MIUI Themes store and third-party apps offer thousands of alternative widgets that can dramatically change the look of your smartphone.
To install widgets from the theme store, go to the Themes app. At the bottom of the screen, find the Widget tab (sometimes in the user profile), which features both free and paid sets. Once the widget is downloaded, it will automatically appear in the menu for adding items to the desktop.
Popular third-party apps that work great on Xiaomi:
- 🌤️ Today Weather – Minimalist design and accurate data.
- 🌡️ Overdrop – beautiful gradients and many styles of widgets.
- ⛈️ Weather XL — iOS-style widgets for Apple fans.
- 📉 Geometric Weather – fully customizable open source widgets.
When installing third-party widgets, it is important to give them the necessary permissions. Without access to the location, they will not be able to show current weather, and without permission to work in the background, the widget may stop updating some time after installation.
💡
To ensure that the widget does not “fall asleep” and always shows the current weather, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the weather app, select Battery and set the No Limits mode.
Adding weather to the lock screen
The lock screen is the first thing that a user sees when they pick up their phone, and the weather information here allows you to instantly assess the situation outside the window without unlocking the device completely, and in the MIUI and HyperOS shells, a separate mechanism is responsible for this.
To set up, go to Settings → Lock screen. Here you can choose different styles of design. Some default styles include displaying temperature and weather conditions under the clock. If the selected style does not show the weather, try changing it to another one marked with the appropriate icon.
Some versions of the firmware have a wallpaper carousel feature, and if it's on, the widgets can hide, and you need to display them:
- Disable "Carousel wallpaper" in the lock screen settings.
- Or go to the settings of the Carousel itself and choose a style that supports widgets.
It's also worth checking the time format settings. In the time format menu, you can often switch the view of the display, where weather data is an integral part of the dial.
Table of comparison of display methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right option, we have prepared a comparative table of the main methods for displaying weather information on Xiaomi devices.
| Method | Battery consumption | Availability of data | Flexibility of setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| A widget on the desktop | Low. | Only with the screen on | Medium |
| Always-On Display | Medium/High | Constantly (on the screen) | Low (depending on style) |
| Lock screen | Low. | When the screen is turned on | Medium |
| Third-party widgets | Depends on the app. | Only with the screen on | Tall. |
As you can see from the table, standard methods consume less resources, while third-party solutions offer more customization options, and the choice depends on your priorities: autonomy or unique design.
Problem Solving: The widget is not updated or shows an error
Users often encounter a situation where the widget “froze” on old data or displays a loading error message, a common problem associated with aggressive battery optimization in MIUI that “kills” background processes.
First of all, check your Internet connection. The widget needs to access the network to get up-to-date data, and if the Internet works, the problem is with the permissions or the power saving settings.
The troubleshooting algorithm:
- 🔋 Battery: Set the “No Limits” application mode (described in the tip above).
- 📍 Geolocation: Make sure that access to the location is allowed in the “Always” or “When using” mode».
- 🗑️ Cash: Clear the Weather app cache through the App Management menu.
- 🔄 Reinstallation: Remove the widget and add it again by re-selecting the city.
⚠️ Note: If the widget shows the weather for another city despite the correct settings, try changing the region in the settings of the Weather app itself. Sometimes changing the region (for example, from Russia to Kazakhstan and back) resets the geolocation cache and forcefully updates the data.
Also make sure the phone has the current version of the Weather app installed. Updates often contain API baht patches through which data is downloaded.
☑️ Diagnostics of the weather widget
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the weather widget disappear from the screen after the reboot?
Can you change the source of weather data (e.g., AccuWeather)?
Why is the temperature not displayed on Always-On Display?
How to make a widget transparent?
💡
For Xiaomi weather widgets to work smoothly, it is critical to properly configure the battery resolutions, otherwise the system will block background updates.
⚠️ Warning: When using third-party widgets from unreliable sources, be careful about requesting permissions.The weather widget does not need access to your contacts or SMS. If the application requests extra rights, it is better to abandon its use in favor of proven analogues.
Setting up Xiaomi’s weather widgets is a simple but effective way to make smartphone usage more comfortable: Experiment with different styles, use the “No Limits” mode for the battery to keep the widget always up to date, and enjoy a personalized interface that provides all the information you need at a glance.