How to put time on the screen of the phone Xiaomi Redmi: all ways + fixing errors

Have you just bought a new Xiaomi Redmi or upgraded your MIUI firmware and suddenly found that the lock screen time has gone away? Or want to move your watch to your desktop but don't know how to do it correctly? This is a problem that comes across owners of Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5 and other models on MIUI 14/15 — and it's easy to solve.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to display time on the Xiaomi Redmi screen, from standard settings to hidden MIUI features. And also explain why the watch can disappear after an update and how to fix it without resetting the phone. All instructions are illustrated with screenshots from real devices and are relevant for 2026.

1. Standard method: setting the clock on the lock screen

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI settings. It works on all Redmi models (from Note 8 Pro to Redmi Turbo 3) and does not require superuser rights.

Open Settings → Lock screen and find the "Style of Watches" section, 3 display options are available here:

• 🕒 Digital watches – classic format (12:34 or 24:00)
• 🕘 Analog clock - dial with hands (you can choose the design)
• 🌓 Dynamic clock – animation with color change depending on the time of day

If the option is not in the menu, it means that your device has a lightweight version. MIUI For the European/Indian markets, use the method. №3 of this article.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Make sure time synchronization is enabled in Settings → Additionally. → Date and time

Restart your phone if the clock doesn’t show up after the changes-->

2. Transfer of the clock to the desktop (widget)

Do you want time to be displayed not only on the locked screen, but also on the main desktop? MIUI:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop with your finger.
2. In the menu that appears, select "Widgets".
3. Scroll through the list to the Tools section and find the Watch widget.
4. Drag it to the free screen space and select a style (7 options are available).

⚠️ Warning: Some firmwares have a hidden watch widget. To unlock it, run the command to ADB:

adb shell settings put secure widget_allowed_on_keyguard 1

3. Hidden MIUI settings: Enabling alternative watches

If standard methods fail, try activating the hidden time display mode, which works on MIUI 14+ and requires you to turn on Developer Mode:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option “Show the clock on the lock screen” and turn it on.
4. Reset the device.

After that, the Settings → Lock screen will appear an additional item “Extended Watch” with 4 new styles, including watches with a second hand and date.

Error Correction: Why Does the Clock Go Away?

If time appears on the Redmi screen, it disappears - the problem lies in one of 3 reasons:

• ⚡ Time sync failure – the phone can’t connect to servers NTP.
• 🔄 Design themes conflict – some custom themes break the display of the clock.
• 📱 Optimizing the battery — MIUI Kills the system clock process in the background.

To fix the problem:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Turn off and turn on "Date and Time Auto-Detection" again.
3. Select another sync server (e.g., time.google.com).
4. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization and add the “Clock” app to the exceptions.

Settings → Lock screen → Reset style

5. Alternative watch applications

If the built-in MIUI watch doesn't suit you, install a third-party app. We tested the top 5 options for Xiaomi Redmi:

⚠️ Note: When using a third-party clock, disable system widgets MIUI, It's about avoiding conflict:

1. Keep the system clock widget on your desktop.
2. Drag it into the basket (the inscription "Delete" will appear).
3. Install an alternative widget from the Play Market.

Digital (24-hour format)

Analog (with arrows)

Dynamic (with animation)

With the date and the weather.

I don't care.-->

6. Always-On Display: Watch on the screen off

On the Redmi models with AMOLED-screens (Note 10 Pro, K50, POCO F4 The new feature is always-on display (AOD), which shows the time even when the display is off.

To activate the AOD:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Always-On Display.
2. Choose the style of the watch (5 options are available).
3. Set up a schedule or turn on the "Always" mode.
4. Activate the "Show at Notifications" option (optional).

🔋 Important: Always-On Display spends up to 1-2% The battery per hour:

• 🕒 Set a shutdown timer (for example, 23:00 to 7:00).
• 🎨 Choose a minimalist watch style (black and white).
• ⚡ Turn off the notification display in AOD.

💡

Always-On Display is only available AMOLED-On screens, on devices with IPS (Like Redmi. 9A or POCO M4 Pro) this function is not available.

7 Solving problems after MIUI update

After upgrading to MIUI 15, many users complain that the clock on the lock screen has become small or disappeared altogether, due to a change in the policy of displaying widgets in new versions of the firmware.

To get back to the old way:

1. Make a backup of the data through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Perform a reset of lock screen settings: Settings → Lock screen → Reset style.
3. If that doesn’t work, roll back to the previous version of MIUI via Settings → System Update → Three Points → Select an Service Pack.

📌 Tip: Before rolling back, check firmware compatibility with your model on the Xiaomi.eu forum.Incorrectly selected version can lead to a device blink.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the watch on Xiaomi Redmi