How to display the watch on the screen of the phone Xiaomi Redmi: all ways + hidden settings

Have you just bought a new Xiaomi Redmi and noticed that the lock screen or desktop does not display a clock? Or maybe the standard view of time does not suit you - too small print, uncomfortable location or no date? In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to bring the watch to the screen, including hidden MIUI settings, which the manufacturer does not advertise.

The problem with displaying time is relevant for many Redmi users, from budget models like Redmi 10A to the flagships of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ series. Most often, the theme settings are wrong, the failures after the MIUI update or accidentally disabled system widgets. But the good news is that you can fix this in 2-3 minutes without resorting to root rights or complex manipulations.

We have tested all methods on the latest versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS (2026), so the instructions will work even on the newest firmware. And if you have an old model (like Redmi 5 or Redmi 7), don’t worry – most of the methods are versatile and will work for devices on MIUI 12+.

1. Standard method: setting the clock through "Themes"

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI personalization tools. The manufacturer offers several options for displaying time, but not all users know where to look for them.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the My profile tab (the person icon in the lower right corner).
3. Select the Lock screen → Clock style.
4. Scroll through the list and select your favorite option (e.g. Digital Watch, Analog Watch, or Minimalist).
5. Click Apply and confirm the changes.

If there are few options on the list, update the Themes app via Google Play or download additional styles from the Recommended section. Note that some themes may hide the clock on the desktop, in which case you will have to choose a different design.

Make sure that MIUI is not lower than 12.0.5 (otherwise, you may not be able to use it)

Check if the power saving mode is turned off (it blocks the theme update)

Remember the current style so you can bring it back.

Restart your phone after the changes are made-->

2. The clock widget on the desktop: how to add and configure

If you want to display time not only on the lock screen but also on the home screen, use the standard MIUI widget.This method works on all Redmi models, including the Redmi Note 11 Pro, Redmi 12 and older devices.

Instructions:

• 📱 Press and hold the empty space on the desktop with your finger.
• 🔧 At the bottom of the screen will appear menu – select Widgets.
• ⏰ Scroll through the list to the Clock section (may be called Time and Date).
• 🖱️ Drag your favorite widget to the free screen space.
• ⚙️ Click on the widget to open the settings (if available) – you can change the size, color and format of the display here.

Tip: If the widget isn’t displayed, check if it’s hidden in the launcher settings. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher and reset the default settings.

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If the watch widget disappears after the reboot, try installing an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher) that offers more customization options and is more stable with widgets.

3. Hidden MIUI settings: how to return the watch if it is missing

Sometimes, after updating the firmware or resetting the settings, the watch suddenly disappears from the lock screen, which is due to a MIUI bug that resets the system interface settings, and you can fix the problem through a hidden settings menu.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to the About Phone section.
3. Click 5-7 times in a row on the MIUI version until the notification appears You became a developer!
4. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
5. Find the USB debugging option and turn it on.
6. Now open Settings → Lock screen → Additional and turn on the Show Clock switch.

If there is no additional item, try another way:

• 🔄 Restart your phone to Safe Mode (press the power button) → Restarting in Safe Mode).
• 🔍 Check if the watch is on. If so, there's a problem in a third-party app that blocks the display.
• 🗑️ Remove newly installed programs or reset the launcher settings.

4.Use of third-party apps to customize watches

If the standard settings MIUI You don't like it, you can install third-party apps to make it more flexible.-3 tested solutions:

Warning: Some apps (like Always On Edge) require permission to Overlay over other windows. To enable it, go to Settings → Applications → Special Access → Overlay and activate the switch for the desired application.

Digital (e.g. 14:30)

Analog (with arrows)

Minimalist (hours and minutes only)

Custom (with animation or unusual design)-->

5. Watch on the screen off (Always On Display)

Many Redmi models (starting with the Redmi Note 10 Pro and later) support Always On Display (AOD) — displaying time, notifications and other data on the screen off — but by default, it is often disabled or not working properly.

How to turn on the AOD:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Always On Display (or Screenlighting on Russian firmware).
3. Activate the switch and set up: 🕒 Clock style (digital/analogue) 📅 Display date 🔔 Showing notifications ⏳ Schedule (always or by time)

Ready.

Important: AOD significantly increases battery consumption (by 5-15% per night).If you are critically autonomous, use Scheduled mode (for example, from 20:00 to 8:00) or turn off the function altogether.

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AOD works only AMOLED-screens (in models with IPS-a matrix, for example, a Redmi 9A, function will be absent).

6. Manual fix via ADB (for power users)

If none of the above methods worked, the problem may lie in system settings that are not available through the GUI, in which case ADB (Android Debug Bridge) – a tool for debugging Android devices – will help.

Warning: This method requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge. Wrong commands can cause system failures!

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Enable USB debugging on your phone (see Section 3).
3. Connect Redmi to the PC via USB-cable.
4. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
5. Use the command to reset your watch: adb shell settings put global lock_screen_show_clock 1
6. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If the watch is still not displayed, try an alternative command:

adb shell am broadcast -a com.android.systemui.demo -e command clock --ez show true

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Before working with ADB, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help restore the system in case of an error.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after all the manipulations, the clock may not work properly, and here is a list of typical problems and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, the last chance is to reset your settings to factory settings. Before that, be sure to save important data, as all user files will be deleted. Reset is done through Settings → About Phone → Reset settings.

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Before reset, check if the loss of the watch is related to the recent MIUI update. If so, a rollback to the previous firmware version may solve the problem.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions