Why Xiaomi doesn’t have a weather widget and how to fix it
Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a paradox: the system has a Weather app, but you can not add its widget to the home screen, the reason is because of MIUI policy - by default, the manufacturer blocks the placement of most system widgets, including weather, to "keep the interface clean." However, you can circumvent this limitation in at least five ways, and we will discuss each in detail.
It is important to understand that the methods differ depending on the shell version (MIUI 14 vs MIUI 15), regional firmware (Global, China, EEA) and even the smartphone model. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 15, the weather widget appears after the update via Mi Pilot, and on the Redmi Note 12 with MIUI 14 you will have to use workarounds. Below are the current solutions for 2026, tested on 15+ models.
Method 1: Standard add-on via "Widgets" (does not work on all firmware)
The most obvious method is to try adding a widget through the widget menu, which will work if you have:
- 📱 MIUI 15 (especially versions 23.12.10 and later)
- 🌍 Global firmware or EEA (China is often blocked)
- 🔄 Latest system updates (check in Settings) → The phone. → Update MIUI)
Instructions:
- Press and hold the empty space on the main screen.
- In the lower menu, select “Widgets”.
- Scroll down to the Tools or Systems section.
- Find the Weather widget (may be called Weather in English firmware).
- Drag it to the home screen and select a size (usually available 2×2 or 4×2) options.
☑️ What to do if the weather widget is not on the list
If the widget is not on the list, don’t despair – move on to the following ways. on the firmware of MIUI 14 for the region of China, the weather widget is hidden at the system level and does not appear even after updates, in which case only manual activation through ADB or third-party launchers will help.
Method 2: Activate via hidden MIUI settings (for advanced users)
This method requires access to hidden MIUI settings and works on most firmware, including MIUI 14.
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB and Xiaomi drivers
Steps:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers. Enable USB Debugging.
- Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command to ADB: adb shell settings put secure sysui_plugin_weather_enabled 1
- Reboot your smartphone.
- Check the widget menu – “Weather” should appear.
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If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:
adb shell am start -n com.miui.weather2/.WeatherWidgetConfigure⚠️ Note: Some firmware (China Stable) may display the widget incorrectly after execution of the command - without animation or with an error in downloading data. → Annexes → Weather. → Warehouse → Clear the data).
Method 3: Use of third-party launchers (universal solution)
If the system methods don't work, the most reliable option is to install an alternative launcher.
- 🌐 It works on any firmware (MIUI 12-15, including China)
Best weather launchers on Xiaomi:
| Launcher | Support for weather widgets | Features | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | ✅ All widgets (including Google Weather) | Flexible configuration of icons, gestures, folders | Google Play |
| Niagara Launcher | ✅ Widgets in the sidebar | Minimalist design, quick access | Google Play |
| Microsoft Launcher | ✅ Built-in widget MSN Weather. | Integration with Windows, synchronization of wallpaper | Google Play |
| Apex Launcher | ✅ Widget support 4×2 and 4×1 | Topics of registration, backup | Google Play |
Instructions for Nova Launcher (recommended option):
- Install a launcher from Google Play.
- Assign it to the default launcher (at the first start, an offer will appear).
- Press and hold the main screen. → «Widgets».
- Select a weather widget (like Google Weather or AccuWeather).
- Set up the size and location.
⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F5, Redmi K60) After installing a third-party launcher, system navigation gestures may disappear. To return them, go to Settings → Display. → Full screen mode → Gestures and turn on “Gesturals” MIUI» manually.
Method 4: Widget via Google (for users of Google services)
If you use Google services, you can add a weather widget through Google (formerly Google Search), a method that works even on blocked firmware from China, as the widget is downloaded from Google Play Services.
Instructions:
- Make sure that the phone has a Google app installed (if not, download from Google Play).
- Press and hold the main screen. → «Widgets».
- Find the Google widget (usually in the G section).
- Select the Weather option (sizes 2×2 or 4×1).
- Drag it on the screen and confirm access to the location.
Advantages of the method:
- 📍 Accurate data from Google Weather API (Updated every 10-15 minutes)
- 🌦️ Support for animations (rain, snow, fog)
- 🔄 It works without root and ADB
How to change the city in the Google Weather widget?
Disadvantage: The widget may disappear after Google Play Services updates. To return it, just reboot your phone or update the Google app manually.
Method 5: Manually create a shortcut through Activity Launcher (for power users)
This is a good way to do this if the weather widget is hidden in the system but not removed, and we're going to use the Activity Launcher app to force the hidden component to run.
Steps:
- Install Activity Launcher from Google Play.
- Open the app and find it in the Weather list.
- Deploy the list of activities (com.miui.weather2).
- Find a paragraph called “WeatherWidget” or “WidgetConfigure.”
- Click on it and select “Create a shortcut”.
- Move the created shortcut to the main screen.
⚠️ Attention: MIUI 15 This method can cause the error "Widget is not supported." In this case, try running the command first. ADB from Method 2 and then create a shortcut through Activity Launcher.
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Activity Launcher allows you to run hidden system components, but requires caution – do not create shortcuts for activities called Test, Debug or Internal, so as not to disrupt the system.
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
To simplify the choice, we have compiled a table with the pros and cons of each method:
| Method | Difficulty | It's working on MIUI 14. | It's working on MIUI 15. | PC required | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard widget | ⭐ | ❌ (more often) | ✅ (on Global/EEA) | ❌ | No. |
| ADB-team | ⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Resetting weather settings |
| Third-party launcher | ⭐⭐ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Conflict with MIUI gestures |
| Google widget | ⭐ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Disappears after updates |
| Activity Launcher | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ | ⚠️ (may not work) | ❌ | Departure of system applications |
Selection recommendations:
- 🥇 For beginners, try Method 1 or Method 4 (Google widget).
- 🛠️ For Advanced: Method 2 (ADB) Method 5 (Activity Launcher).
- 🎨 For customization: Method 3 (third-party launchers).
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after successfully adding a weather widget, users are faced with common errors.
1. The widget does not update the data
- 🔄 Check your internet connection (widget requires mobile data or Wi-Fi).
- 📍 Enable geolocation in Settings → Confidentiality → Location.
- 🗑️ Clear the Weather app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Weather. → Warehouse → Clear the cache).
2 The widget disappeared after the MIUI update
- 🔄 Reboot the phone.
- 🛠️ Repeat the command. ADB (see method 2).
- 📥 Update the Weather app on Google Play (if there is one).
3. The widget is displayed empty or with an error
- 🔧 Reset the Weather app settings (Settings) → Annexes → Weather. → Warehouse → Reset).
- 🌍 Make sure the right city is selected in the weather settings.
- 📦 Reinstall updates for the Weather app (if available).
⚠️ Attention: On firmware MIUI 15 China after resetting weather settings may require re-assignment of the Mi Account. If the widget stopped working after reset, log in to your Xiaomi account in Settings → Xiaomi account.