Wearables have become an integral part of the digital ecosystem, but even the most advanced devices sometimes fail, when the Mi Band or Amazfit screen displays the wrong time zone or time is behind by a few hours, it is quite common, and it is not just a minor inconvenience, but a serious problem that disrupts alarm clocks, reminders and sleep tracking.
Unlike conventional mechanical or quartz watches, Xiaomi smart watches don’t have a built-in real-time, self-powered module that stores data at full discharge. All current time information is synchronized with your smartphone via Bluetooth connection. So if you notice a discrepancy, 99% of the time the reason lies in the phone settings or the operation of the companion app.
In this article, we will look at all possible causes of desynchronization and provide detailed instructions for setting up, you will learn how to forcefully update data, what to do if the application is “hanging”, and how to avoid losing training data when rebooting devices.
Time synchronization in the Xiaomi ecosystem
It is fundamental to understand that the smart wristbands and watches of the Xiaomi, Redmi and Amazfit brands work as peripherals. They are not designed to set the time parameters by the user through the interface of the gadget itself.
The data exchange process is initiated by the Zepp Life app (formerly Mi Fit) or Amazfit. Once you open the app and it connects to the bracelet, the system time of the smartphone and the clock is matched. NTP-server, it "flows" to the wearable device.
But there's a nuance with time zones: Gadgets often use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) or time set in your account region rather than your phone. If you're traveling or moving to another city, the automatic detection may not work properly, and you'll have to manually adjust your settings in your app profile.
Why does time reset when discharged?
Set up with the Zepp Life app (Mi Fit)
For most Mi Band fitness bracelet owners (versions 4 to 7), the Zepp Life app remains the primary management tool, and that’s where the key time-sensitive settings are hidden, and if you change your phone or reinstall your app, the first thing you need to do is check your profile.
Go to the Profile tab below, select your device from My Devices. Scroll down to Settings or Additional. This may be the Time Zone. It often defaults to the Auto position or corresponds to the account registration region. If you are in Moscow and the account was created in China, the time can vary by 5 hours.
Some versions of firmware and apps have manual installation, but if the time zone is gray and inactive, it means that the app is forced to take data from the smartphone system, in which case the solution to the problem should be found in the settings of Android or iOS, not in the application itself.
☑️ Checking the Zepp Life settings
Solving problems with the Amazfit app
New models like the Mi Band 8, Mi Watch and GTS/GTR series often require the use of the Amazfit app. The logic is similar, but the interface is different. When the app is first launched, it requests permission to access geolocation and time, which is critical for proper operation.
If the time on the Amazfit watch is not the same as the phone, try doing the following: Go to the device profile, find the System or General settings. Make sure the Time Sync switch is active. In rare cases, changing the time format (12/24 hours) back and forth helps, which force the process of updating the interface.
It's worth noting that the Amazfit app is more aggressive in managing energy savings, and if you have Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode on, the clock may temporarily stop syncing to save charge, in which case the time discrepancy will accumulate until the next active synchronization.
⚠️ Warning: If the time on the clock has not changed after the change of time zone in the application, do not rush to reset. Try just to restart the smartphone and reopen the application for forced connection.
System settings for Android and iOS
Often the problem isn't with the clock, but with the phone's operating system. Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI/HyperOS) have their own date settings, which may conflict with Google's global settings. Check the Settings path → Additional settings → Date and time.
Make sure the Use Network Time switch is active. If it's off, the phone can use its own, possibly downed, time, which it broadcasts to the clock. Also check if the city is correctly selected in time zone settings. Sometimes automatic determination is lost when you cross regional boundaries.
For iOS users, the situation is similar, but the control is stricter: you can’t manually change the time on your iPhone if you sync with the network. However, if you use Flight Mode for a long time, the phone can lose the network and stop updating the time, in which case, after turning on the connection, you need to wait 1-2 minutes to update the system clock.
Forced reconnection and discharge
If the software settings are fine but the time is still not right, a tougher approach will be needed. Often, the simple "shaking" of the connection helps. Go to your phone's Bluetooth settings, find your bracelet (such as the Mi Smart Band) and click "Forget the device" or "Disable."
Then remove the device from the list in the app itself (Zepp Life or Amazfit). Reboot the smartphone. Then re-search and pair. When you first connect, you have a full synchronization of all parameters, including time, date and display format.
In extreme cases, if nothing works, you can reset the bracelet completely. On the device, find the System → Reset (or Factory Reset) menu. Remember, this will delete all unsaved workout data that has not yet been transferred to the cloud.
| Action. | Impact on data | The need for a PC | Implementation time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resetting the clock | Data is retained | No. | 30 seconds. |
| Uncoupling in Bluetooth | Data is retained | No. | 1 minute |
| Reset settings (Reset) | All data is deleted | No. | 2 minutes |
| Flip-flashing | Backup required | Preferably. | 10-15 minutes |
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Tip: Before performing a full reset, be sure to open the app on your phone and wait for the synchronization so that your steps and pulse for the last days are preserved in history.
Problems with 12/24 hour format and date
A separate category of problems is not so much the wrong time as the wrong format for displaying it. Users often complain that the watch shows AM/PM instead of the usual 24-hour format.
In Zepp Life, the path is usually: Profile → Device → Settings → Time Format. In the Amazfit app: Profile → Device → Clock settings → Time format. Changes apply instantly after switching the toggle.
If the date is lost (for example, January 1, 2000), this is a sure sign that the bracelet is completely discharged and lost contact with the phone at this point, in which case, just plug the bracelet into charging, wait for the switch on and open the sync application.
⚠️ Warning: When you change the time format (from 12 to 24 hours), the alarm clocks on the bracelet itself may shift or turn off.
Frequent errors and their elimination
One of the most common mistakes is to ignore firmware updates. Developers regularly release patches that fix synchronization bugs. If you have an older version of the software, the time problem may be a known bug.
Also worth paying attention to the app's access rights. Android 12, 13 and 14 have become more secure, make sure that the Zepp Life or Amazfit app has permission to access "Precise Location" and "Background Work," without which the system can block background time synchronization.
Sometimes the conflict arises from third-party dial apps. If you have an unofficial dial, it may not handle system time properly. Try returning the standard dial and check if the problem has gone away.
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The main reason for time errors is to desynchronize the phone’s system time and time zone in your app profile, and always check these two parameters first.