How to set up a clock on a locked screen Xiaomi: from Mi Band 7 to Watch S3

Displaying time on a locked Xiaomi screen is seemingly a basic feature, but many users experience the clock disappearing after a firmware update or reset, especially for owners of the Mi Band 6/7/8, Xiaomi Watch S2/S3 and Redmi Watch 3, where the MIUI for Watch interface is regularly changed.

The problem is compounded by the fact that newer versions of the firmware may have lock settings hidden in non-obvious menu sections or not in the usual way. For example, in the Mi Band 8 Pro, the activation option on the locked screen moved to the Display submenu → Lock screen → Widgets, whereas in older models it was in the main section of the screen settings.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to return a watch to a locked screen, including hidden settings, circumventing the limitations of MIUI and even manually editing configuration files for advanced users.

If you’re using Xiaomi based on Wear OS (like the Watch S3), some of the instructions will be different – we’ll warn you about this in advance. Also note that after upgrading to MIUI Watch 3.0+ (released in 2023), some menu items have been renamed, so the screenshots below may be slightly different from your interface.

1. Standard setup via the Mi Fitness app (for Mi Band)

For most Xiaomi fitness bracelets (Mi Band and Redmi Band series), the lock screen is controlled through the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit).

Algorithm of action:

1. Open Mi Fitness and connect to the bracelet.
2. Go to the Device Profile → Screen settings section.
3. Select the Lock Screen (in some versions - Screensaver).
4. Activate the Time Switch or the Watch Widget.
5. If display styles are available, select the appropriate one (e.g. Digital, Analog, or Minimalist).

On the Mi Band 8 Pro and later, an additional step may be required: after activation of the option, you need to restart the bracelet (press the button for 10 seconds). AMOLED-display that requires re-initiation after changes in screen settings.

Update Mi Fitness to the latest version

Connect the bracelet via Bluetooth

Charge of the device > 20%

Reload the bracelet before setting up-->

⚠️ Attention: On the Mi Band 5 and older when activating the clock on the locked screen may reduce the autonomy time on the 10-15%. This is because the display is briefly turned on to update the time every minute.

2. Set up on Xiaomi Watch (Wear OS and proprietary firmware)

Xiaomi smartwatches are divided into two categories:

• 📱 Wear base. OS (For example, watch. S3) — They use the standard Google interface.
• ⚙️ With proprietary firmware (e.g., Watch) S2, Redmi Watch 3 – working on a modified version MIUI.

For Wear OS:

1. Swipe your finger down the watch screen to open the notification panel.
2. Then, touch the settings (cogs) icon.
3. Go to the Display → Lock screen → Settings of the clock.
4. Choose a time display style or activate the Always-on Display option (if supported).

For proprietary firmware:

1. In the Mi Fitness app, select your watch.
2. Go to the Display Settings → Lock screen.
3. Activate Show Time and select the format (24/12 hours).
4. If you do not have an option, update the firmware of the watch through Settings → System → Software Update.

3. Hidden settings via ADB (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work, you can try turning on a locked screen watch via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that is suitable for the Xiaomi Watch S2/S3 and other Wear OS models that unlock Developer Mode.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode on the Watch: Go to Settings → About the Watch and 7 times click on the Build Number.
2. Go back to Settings → For developers and enable ADB debugging.
3. Connect your watch to your PC via Wi-Fi (or USB, If supported, then follow the command: adb shell settings put global lock_screen_show_clock 1
4. Reboot the watch with the command: adb shell reboot

For models on proprietary firmware (Mi Band 8 Pro, Redmi Watch 3), the command will be different:

adb shell am start -n com.mi.health/com.mi.health.lockscreen.SettingsActivity

After its execution, a hidden menu of lock screen settings will open, where you can manually activate the display of time.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can cause firmware failure if the command is entered incorrectly. Before experimenting, back up your data via Settings. → System system → Backup.

4. bypassing restrictions through third-party launchers (Wear OS only)

Xiaomi’s Wear OS watch (such as the Watch S3) can be equipped with an alternative launcher that allows you to flexibly configure the lock screen.

• 🎨 Facer – supports custom dials with display of time on the locked screen.
• ⚡ WatchMaker – allows you to create your own themes, including widgets for the lock screen.
• 🔄 Pujie Black – advanced launcher with support for scripts for dynamic display of data.

How to determine:

1. Download the launcher’s APK to your smartphone (for example, with APKMirror).
2. Pass the file to the clock through ADB: adb install pujie_black.apk
3. In the Wear OS settings, select the new launcher as the main one.
4. In the launcher settings, activate the Show Clock on Lock Screen option.

On the Xiaomi Watch S3, when using Pujie Black, the time on the locked screen is updated every second (unlike the standard mode, where the update is once per minute), which can reduce autonomy by 5-8%, but provides a more accurate display.

5. Resetting settings as a last resort

If none of the methods worked, it leaves a complete reset, which will return the clock to the locked screen, but delete all user data (steps, training, alarm settings).

How to reset:

• 🔄 For Mi Band: in the Mi Fitness app, go to Device Profile → Unplug the device. Once reconnected, the clock will appear on the default lock screen.
• ⚙️ For Xiaomi Watch: Go to Settings → System system → Reset. Select Delete all data. After rebooting, perform the initial setup.

On Redmi Watch 3, you may need to re-activate the Hand Raise feature to turn on in Settings → Display, otherwise the watch will not appear on the locked screen.

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Before reset, take screenshots of the main settings screens – this will help quickly restore personal settings (for example, the order of widgets or notification settings).

6.Differences between models: what works and what doesn't

Not all methods are universal, depending on the model and version of the firmware, and the table below shows the supported features:

For example, on the Xiaomi Watch S1 (2021), the Always-on Display feature is missing due to hardware limitations, while in the Watch S3 (2023), it is available, but only works with branded dials.

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On models older than 2022 (such as Mi Band 5 or Watch S1), the time display on the locked screen may disappear after the firmware update, in which case only resetting the settings or rolling back to the previous version of the software will help.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users face typical problems when setting up a clock on a locked screen.

• ❌ The watch does not appear after the option is activated. → Check if the charge saving mode is on in the bracelet settings. It turns off background processes, including time updates.
• ❌ The option is grey and inactive → Update the device firmware and the Mi Fitness app to the latest version. On Mi Band 8, this is fixed in 1.0.4.56 software versions.+.
• ❌ Time is not displayed correctly (deceased) → Synchronize time manually through Settings → System system → Date and time → Synchronization with the phone.
• ❌ After resetting, the settings are reset. → This is a firmware bug from Mi Band 7 and Redmi Watch 2. Solution: roll back to 1.0.3.12 or use it. ADB fix.