Previous articleMissing watch from the screen Xiaomi: 7 ways to return the time widget on Android

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where suddenly disappears the clock from the home screen — instead of the usual time widget is empty space or shifted icons. The problem is relevant for all lines, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, regardless of the version of MIUI (12, 13 or 14). 80% of the time is to blame for the system launcher malfunction, but sometimes the root of the problem lies deeper — synchronization failures or conflicts of the themes.

Why does this happen? Most times, the time widget disappears after a firmware update, a theme change, or a random swipe across the screen. Less commonly, Google Play Services bugs or a time service turned off. In this article, we'll look at all possible scenarios, from the banal removal of the widget to complex system failures, and give step-by-step instructions for each Xiaomi, POCO, and Black Shark model.

If you notice that the watch has disappeared only on one of the desktops (like the second screen), and you've mostly had a problem with the launcher settings, and if the widget goes missing everywhere, including the notification panel, you'll have to dig deeper, start with the simplest solutions and gradually move on to radical measures.

1. Check basic settings: widget accidentally deleted?

The first thing to do is make sure that the watch has not been removed by a random gesture. On MIUI, the time widget can be removed by simply holding your finger and dragging it into the basket (the "Delete" icon at the top of the screen), a common mistake by users who clear the desktop of unnecessary icons.

To get the clock back:

1. Touch and hold the empty space on the main screen.
2. At the bottom of the panel will appear “Widgets” – tap on it.
3. Find the Watch widget (usually in the Xiaomi or System section).
4. Drag it to a free space on the screen.

If the time widget is not listed, it could mean:

• 🔄 Resetting the launcher settings (more on this below).
• 📱 Disabled system application "Clock" (com.android.deskclock).
• 🔧 Problems with the theme of design (especially if you use custom themes).

2.Resetting the settings of the MIUI launcher

The launcher (the program responsible for displaying the home screen) on Xiaomi often resets settings after updates or due to conflicts with other applications. If the watch widget disappears along with the change in the location of the icons, the launcher reset will help:

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, type “Luncher” (or “MIUI Launcher”).
3. Select the app and tap "Storage".
4. Click on “Clear Data” and confirm the action.

Once the smartphone is rebooted, all widgets and icons will return to factory settings. Importantly, this method removes all user folders and the location of icons on the screen – take screenshots of the current arrangement if it is important.

Save screenshots of the current desktop |Remember the location of important widgets |Read backup in Mi Cloud | Make sure there are no hidden folders on the screen-->

If the reset didn't work, move on to the next way, and sometimes the problem is with the system services that are disabled, which I'll talk about later.

3. Enabling system time and date services

On Xiaomi, the home screen clock depends on two key services:

1. Automatic date and time (synchronization with the network).
2. The Clock system application** (com.android.deskclock).

If one of them is disabled, the widget may disappear.

Step 1: Date and time settings

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Date and time.
2. Activate the switches: 🕒 «Automatic date and time (use network data). 🌍 «Automatic time zone (determined by location).

Step 2. Check the system application "Clock"

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the DeskClock in the list.
3. Make sure the app is not disabled (the “Enable” button must be inactive).
4. If the application is disabled, turn it on and restart the smartphone.

How to check:

1. Go to Settings → Design → My themes.
2. Choose a standard theme (Default or MIUI).
3. Reboot your smartphone and check if the watch is available.

If the clock is back, the problem is custom.

• 🎨 Update theme to the latest version (at Mi Theme Store).
• 🔍 Check out reviews for the topic – it’s possible that other users have also complained about missing widgets.
• 📥 Install an alternative theme (e.g. Minimalist or Dark Mode from the official store).

💡

If you use live wallpapers, try switching temporarily to static. Some animated wallpapers conflict with system widgets, especially on MIUI 13 and later.

5. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If none of the previous methods worked, then there is a hard reset of the smartphone, which is a radical solution that should be resorted to only in case of system failures, for example:

• 🔄 The clock disappears after each update. MIUI.
• ⚠️ The time widget is not even available in the list of available.
• 📵 Artifacts appear on the screen or the launcher is constantly rebooted.

Before discharge, it is mandatory:

1. Create a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Save contacts, photos and important files to your Mi Cloud or computer.
3. Remember the Mi Account (login and password).

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Erase all data”.
3. Enter a password (if requested) and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, perform the initial setting of the smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after the reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account to unlock the bootloader. Make sure you have access to the linked phone number or email.

6.Alternative solutions: Third-party widgets and ADB

If the system clock has not appeared, you can use the workarounds:

Method 1. Installation of a third-party watch widget

There are dozens of alternative widgets on Google Play that will replace the standard watch:

• 🕰️ Chronus – custom widget with weather and notifications.
• ⏰ Digital Clock Widget – Minimalist watch with font setting.
• 🌤️ Weather & Clock Widget – a combo widget with time and forecast.

Method 2: Recovery through ADB (for Advanced)

If the watch widget is lost due to a failure in com.miui.home (launcher Xiaomi), you can try to reset its cache through ADB:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

For this:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap the build number, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
3. Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command above.

7. Specific problems for different Xiaomi models

Some Xiaomi models have unique bugs associated with the disappearance of the watch:

📱 Redmi Note 9/10/11 and POCO X3/M3:

On these smartphones, the watch often disappears after upgrading to MIUI 13. The solution is to roll back to MIUI 12.5 or wait for a patch. Alternative: install Nova Launcher and use its widgets.

📱 Xiaomi 12/13/14:

On flagships, the problem may be with dynamic wallpapers. Try turning them off in Settings → Decoration → Wallpaper.

📱 Black Shark 4/5:

Black Shark gaming smartphones use the custom launcher Shark Launcher. If the watch is missing, try switching to the standard MIUI Launcher:

💡

On Black Shark and POCO F-series, the watch may be lost due to a conflict with the performance mode. Turn off Game Turbo mode in the settings if the widget disappears after the games are launched.

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing watches on Xiaomi